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Even amidst the economic volatility we’ve seen in the last year, tech is thriving. And that’s not just Amazon and delivery services. Companies in the AI, gaming and other sectors are contributing to surging global demand for powerful computing technology.
With over fifteen years experience in hardware R&D, Comino’s liquid-cooled PCs and servers are equipped to serve all those industries and more. Better yet, their products consume up to 40% less electricity than equivalent air-cooling computers, making them a sustainable solution to boot.
For those new to the world of cutting edge computing tech, here’s the low down from Comino’s CEO Evgeny Vlasov.
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What exactly is liquid cooling and why it’s such a crucial innovation?
The most efficient cooling for hardware components can only be designed using water, since water is often more efficient than air cooling. It’s also inexpensive and non-toxic.
High-performance servers and desktops encompass GPU, CPU and other components generate more and more heat when in operation. These components need to be properly cooled to achieve maximum performance.
Air cooling used to be the cheapest and most reliable cooling method, but liquid cooling has been constantly evolving and improving. It was first used as a replacement for air cooling to solve inefficiencies. Now, it’s as easy to implement liquid cooling as air cooling.
Aside from better cooling functions, liquid technology allows manufacturers to build sustainable systems and cut down on the overall consumption of power. In a nutshell, there are three major perks:
- More efficient cooling
- Lesser energy consumption
- Heat recovery, or recycling heat for other purposes
When did you first get the idea for Comino?
Three and a half years ago, Alexey Chistov came up with the idea of creating liquid-cooled computing servers for the B2B market. Together, we expanded this idea to computers, combining plug-and-play liquid cooled devices with software.
What were you doing prior to starting the business?
I was previously CEO of call tracking service Calltouch. I started the company from scratch and developed it into a leading analytic call tracking platform.
I also worked at an international company that developed OSS systems for leading Telecom companies around the world. This was a fantastic experience as it allowed me to gain tangible knowledge of the industry, not to mention the cultural exposure.
How did you meet your core team members and how did you know they were the best fit for the company?
In the initial phases of Comino, nobody knew which roles each of us would play in the company and whether we had the best-fitting setup at the time. A lot of that happened organically as we grew. However the traits I sought in my core team members were dedication, ambition and expertise in a particular area – and that hasn’t changed.
What’s special about Comino’s products that will equip the startup to become a leader in the computing market?
Prior to the establishment of Comino, many companies were involved in the business of liquid cooling. These businesses were producing a variety of high quality but high maintenance products, but they were complex, costly and targeted exclusively experts and enthusiasts.
We realized that neither the retail nor B2B sector offered easy-to-use and affordable liquid-cooled devices. So, in close contact with the mentor of the Deformational Cutting technology, we developed a lineup of devices, namely the desktop OTTO device – a small workstation and SFF platform for home, and the server GRANDO device which powers affordable HPC solutions as well as high-performance office workstations for SMB.
What industries are you currently serving and which ones do you have your sights on for the future?
Firstly, we serve the industries that rely on powerful GPU-based computing systems. These include the fast-growing industries of gaming, artificial intelligence, video rendering and many more.
What’s been the biggest success for the business so far?
The biggest success for us is the fact that our products have been lauded by top tech influencers and our clients. That’s a real honour for us.
What do you anticipate to be the biggest challenge moving forward?
Our products being represented by all major distributors. We aspire to be the standard for liquid cooled platforms in the world.
What’s been the biggest highlight of this crowdfund?
We’ve started our UK campaign as we’re currently headquartered in Britain. 90% of our audience are based in the USA and Canada, but unfortunately, these investors can’t invest in our UK market! Regardless of this drawback, there are still a lot of people who have supported and believed in us in Europe which is amazing! Every day of crowdfunding is a milestone as the company is constantly evolving.
Our investors ask the right questions and give us a lot to think about. I think it always helps to have a fresh pair of eyes to help us improve. The crowdfunding campaign is not just about acquiring investment – it’s a lot more than that.
What’s one computing hack you’d give to a beginner?
If something isn’t working as expected, reboot it! And that’s not just for computers – that applies to everything.
What are you doing when you’re not building the business?
I’m really fond of woodworking; I’ve made a lot of furniture for home, my family and the kindergarten my kids attend. I love playing hockey with my son, camping in the wild with no mobile coverage and I’m currently learning to play flamenco guitar.
Naturally, I like to program controllers, AI and smart homes from time to time. Can’t help it with a programming background.
What’s your number one survival tactic for lockdown?
Don’t panic. We now have new rules to follow in order to stay safe, so it’s important to be flexible and keep moving forward.
If you’re leading a company, the faster you make decisions, the better the outcome. Adapt to working remotely and learn to react quickly to a changing business environment.
What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger!
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To find out more about Comino, visit the pitch now.
