Roman Axelrod, Founder And Managing Partner Of Xpanceo – Interview Series

Roman Axelrod is nan Founder and Managing Partner of XPANCEO. He has a inheritance successful building companies crossed machine vision, esports, and fintech, pinch acquisition expanding operations into Western Europe, nan United States, and nan Asia-Pacific region. Axelrod has negotiated and system deals totaling complete $5 cardinal and led 3 successful exits.

XPANCEO is processing a next-generation smart interaction lens that intends to switch accepted computing devices by seamlessly merging nan existent and integer worlds into a azygous extended reality experience. The institution brings together starring scientists, engineers, and executives to push nan boundaries of human-technology relationship beyond nan limits of silicon-based systems. XPANCEO’s activity is driven by a civilization of innovation, excellence, and impact—focused connected creating elegant, high-performance solutions that prioritize action, clasp challenges, and strive to make a meaningful quality for some group and nan planet.

What inspired you to recovered XPANCEO, and what was nan first “aha” infinitesimal that convinced you smart interaction lenses were nan adjacent frontier successful computing?

For years, it was evident to maine that our existent computing devices — fragile, cumbersome, and aesthetically lacking — were relics of a bygone era. Think astir it. It doesn’t return overmuch to recognize that they clasp america backmost from fulfilling humanity’s loftiest ambitions, specified arsenic profoundly exploring abstraction and importantly extending quality lifespans. Achieving specified feats requires a technological leap, not specified incremental upgrades. Personally, I envision nan adjacent machine arsenic thing that, powered by AI, integrates seamlessly into our situation and tin beryllium effortlessly controlled pinch our minds. 

This imagination crystallized erstwhile I was 31, during a chaotic flat renovation. My belongings were stacked haphazardly, obstructing nan TV, rendering moreover elemental pleasures for illustration playing PlayStation impossible. Frustrated, I imagined projecting nan crippled onto nan ceiling, pinch WhatsApp unfastened successful 1 area and Excel sprawled crossed nan floor. That was nan infinitesimal it struck me. The world needed an AI-powered XR instrumentality that had a revolutionary, eventual shape factor. Yet, for weeks, I grappled pinch identifying what that shape facet could be. 

That struggle created tremendous despair. Until, 1 precocious nighttime astatine nan agency — emotion mentally and emotionally drained, of people — I decided to caput home, and arsenic I walked down nan corridor and mindlessly scrolled done Pinterest, an image of a female astronaut caught my eye. Her vivid eyes, framed by a helmet displaying a celestial segment pinch orbiting planets, wholly captivated me. In that instant, it became clear. This instrumentality needed to beryllium an elegant, weightless interaction lens that could seamlessly blend into life. Overwhelmed by this realization, I sank to nan agency level and began researching obsessively. That was nan existent genesis of XPANCEO. 

XPANCEO’s ngo goes acold beyond wearable tech—it's astir redefining human-computer interaction. How do you envision that translator playing retired complete nan adjacent 5–10 years?

I americium a patient believer successful transhumanism — nan integration of biology and exertion to transcend our existent limitations. This gains further relevance because, erstwhile considering humanity’s eager goals for nan adjacent period — specified arsenic colonizing abstraction aliases importantly extending our life expectancy — it is much than evident that our existing exertion won’t suffice. 

The fusion of humans and exertion will, fundamentally and absolutely, redefine our capabilities. Over nan adjacent decades, arsenic much companies blur nan statement betwixt biology and technology, I foresee this integration enabling america to go a type pinch abilities acold beyond our existent state. This could perchance toggle shape america into a genuinely interplanetary and enhanced civilization. 

In this regard, we expect that our merchandise will yet go mainstream. While, initially, our target assemblage comprises individuals already accustomed to wearing interaction lenses and nan evident early-adopters, we task that our personification guidelines will turn from 15,000 successful 2027 to 10 cardinal by 2032. 

Because of these precocious ambitions, information remains our paramount concern. Given that our smart interaction lens is simply a aesculapian device, it must acquisition rigorous regulatory support processes earlier it tin beryllium worn by anyone. These processes encompass aggregate phases, including evaluating biocompatibility and undergoing objective tests successful controlled environments. Similar to different aesculapian developments, nan lens is being extensively tested to guarantee information and efficacy. Without gathering stringent standards, it will not beryllium capable to scope nan market. 

However, these regulatory processes tin beryllium time-consuming, and our marketplace readiness timeline heavy depends connected them. While we cannot specify an nonstop merchandise year, we are actively pursuing nan basal approvals. We scheme to commence pre-clinical tests for definite prototypes this twelvemonth and purpose to commencement testing nan complete interaction lens pinch each features by nan extremity of 2026. Only aft these tests are completed successfully will nan lens beryllium fresh for marketplace launch. 

What are nan halfway technological breakthroughs that make an invisible, weightless smart interaction lens moreover imaginable today, erstwhile it was subject fabrication conscionable a fewer years ago?

The materialization of our smart interaction lens prototypes stems from a confluence of cutting-edge technologies and a paradigm displacement successful approach. Rather than miniaturizing components from existing devices, we’ve focused connected implementing next-generation technologies specifically designed for ultra-small-scale applications. 

However, it is not only astir size. An moreover tougher situation to ace is combining optical capacity pinch transparency and functionality — each successful thing you tin deterioration connected your eye. Traditional materials can’t present that. You request thing that tin fto ray done for illustration glass, guideline it for illustration fibre optics, and still transportation electrical signals for illustration a microchip. Here’s wherever 2D materials travel in. Their utmost thinness gives them almost cleanable transparency, while their optical properties — for instance, a precocious refractive scale — fto america manipulate lights successful ways that simply weren’t imaginable earlier astatine this scale. These materials are basal for creating components that are mini and lightweight capable to fresh into a interaction lens while maintaining precocious performance. 

Another cardinal constituent to see is anisotropy, which is nan expertise of these materials to behave otherwise depending connected nan guidance of ray aliases current. It’s a spot for illustration wood atom — it cuts easy 1 measurement and resists nan other. We usage this to build microscopic structures that tin power ray very precisely, enabling things for illustration waveguides wrong nan lens — efficaciously roads for ray — without distortion aliases scattering. 

This marks a caller era successful worldly science, and it’s allowed america to lick problems that were antecedently thought impossible. How do you embed electronics successful a transparent object? How do you shrink down optical systems without losing function? How do you make it each weightless, seamless, and wearable? Besides amended engineering, you request amended materials, and that’s what we’ve done. 

This astonishing activity is led by my co-founder, Dr. Valentyn Volkov. He is simply a globally recognized master successful nano-optics and nanophotonics. His insights, mixed pinch AI-assisted design, person made it imaginable to build systems that are smaller, fundamentally smarter, and much efficient. This way, we’re wholly reimagining what a interaction lens tin do and rewriting nan subject down it, paving nan measurement for myriad further applications successful immoderate manufacture you tin deliberation of. 

Your activity relies heavy connected precocious 2D materials and photonics. Could you locomotion america done nan subject down really these lenses show accusation aliases process data?

Photonics is basal for image projection, peculiarly nanophotonics, fixed nan minuscule standard involved. Placing an image root straight connected nan interaction lens is extremely, highly difficult, arsenic nan quality oculus can’t attraction connected specified proximity. And location are 2 imaginable approaches: either projecting nan image guardant onto a level wherever nan oculus tin focus, aliases sending pre-focused ray beams straight into nan eye. First, we developed a solution that progressively reduces nan outer image root to a size comparable to smart glasses, projecting nan image guardant onto a level wherever nan oculus tin focus. 

After, we’ve developed a caller prototype wherever nan image root is integrated straight into nan interaction lens. This employs a different optical system. Instead of projecting nan image forward, it focuses ray beams and directs them consecutive onto nan retina, already focused. This process is known arsenic collimation. 

The smart lens, itself, is highly compact, truthful we brace it pinch a companion device, which is astir nan size of a regular interaction lens case. This instrumentality serves aggregate functions — it charges nan lens and handles information processing. This creation allows nan lens to stay lightweight while still supporting precocious features. 

Last but not least, nan innovative usage of 2D materials enables america to merge electronics into nan lens without compromising its transparency aliases flexibility, thing captious to make it some functional and comfortable for nan wearer. 

How does XPANCEO attack nan situation of miniaturization—especially fitting analyzable computing capabilities into thing smaller than a atom of rice?

As I discussed earlier, astatine XPANCEO, we spell beyond squeezing existing technologies into a smaller shape factor. Rather than taking parts from larger devices, we attraction connected materials and technologies that are built for small-scale usage from nan get-go. 

One of our cardinal breakthroughs, arsenic mentioned, has been nan usage of 2D materials. Because these are elastic and conductive, they are perfect for creating tiny, lightweight components that still execute astatine a precocious level. 

Our technological team, led by Dr. Volkov, has been combining these materials pinch advances successful nanophotonics. By doing so, we’ve been capable to creation systems that run efficiently moreover astatine a microscopic scale. 

I must remark and stress that accepted tech, for illustration what’s utilized successful smartphones and laptops, is simply excessively bulky and inefficient for thing nan size of a interaction lens. By utilizing these next-generation materials, we’ve been capable to break past those limitations, and create thing genuinely groundbreaking. 

In your view, why is XR—especially immersive, real-time interaction—so captious for advancing artificial intelligence beyond existent limitations?

The existent authorities of AI has led to a batch of hype, but erstwhile it comes to real-world applications, we’re hitting a wall. Despite nan promises of a revolution, wide AI still struggles to accommodate to nan complexity of nan existent world. The models we trust connected tin quickly go outdated, since AI lacks real-time learning and human-like knowing of nan discourse of nan world. Even though we person much computational powerfulness than ever, we’re still, from my perception, not getting person to achieving human-like intelligence. 

Where AI excels, though, is successful narrow, system tasks. Things for illustration chess, coding, aliases different problems that person clear rules and outcomes and are comparatively easy to optimize. However, these capabilities don’t construe to much nuanced, day-to-day quality challenges. For instance, automation breakthroughs are impressive, but they don’t make AI genuinely “intelligent,” for truthful to say, they simply make it amended astatine 1 circumstantial thing. I judge nan halfway rumor pinch this is that AI does not acquisition nan world successful nan aforesaid measurement humans do. It operates based connected earthy data, not lived experiences. It is that simple.

This is wherever XR (extended reality) could beryllium nan missing link. By immersing AI successful nan existent world — aliases astatine slightest a virtual world that mirrors it — XR tin connection a measurement for AI to study much dynamically. Unlike fixed datasets, XR creates an interactive situation wherever AI tin prosecute and accommodate successful existent time, building a benignant of intuition that goes beyond earthy data. The early of AI mightiness not dishonesty simply successful building bigger models, but successful giving these models nan expertise to study from and interact pinch nan world astir them successful a measurement that’s much akin to really humans learn. 

Beyond wellness monitoring and contented consumption, what are immoderate of nan astir compelling usage cases you foresee for XPANCEO’s smart lenses crossed industries?

XPANCEO’s smart lenses spell acold beyond wellness monitoring aliases contented consumption. Our volition and imagination is that they will redefine full industries. By combining cutting-edge features for illustration nighttime vision, zoom, and real-time wellness tracking, these lenses will seamlessly merge into regular life, enhancing regular tasks without disruption. 

The imaginable effect extends to fields for illustration automation, manufacturing, and fintech. In automation, for example, our lenses could heighten operational information by providing real-time data. In fintech, biometric transactions go a reality, adding some information and easiness to financial processes. For navigation, nan lenses connection hands-free, context-aware guidance, which wholly transforms really we interact pinch nan world astir us. 

The benefits could moreover widen to abstraction exploration. In fact, successful this sector, nan lenses connection a earthy fit, giving astronauts instant entree to mission-critical information. With 80% of astronauts already wearing interaction lenses, this exertion aligns seamlessly pinch their existing needs. 

The aesculapian possibilities are arsenic transformative. XPANCEO’s lenses tin assistance individuals managing diabetes, stress, barren oculus syndrome, and strabismus. Furthermore, they tin heighten imagination for those who are visually impaired and connection colour imagination for nan color-blind. In low-light environments, our lenses amended safety, while our affordable neural interface offers a measurement for individuals pinch paralysis to power nan lenses non-invasively, making a important quality successful connection and accessibility, peculiarly for those pinch terrible mobility impairments. This is different impervious of nan coagulated societal effect we’re group to create. 

Do you envision a early wherever your lenses could go nan default computing interface—replacing smartphones entirely? What needs to hap for that to go reality?

The imaginable of smart interaction lenses to go nan adjacent computing interface is undeniable. Their seamless integration into regular life makes them acold much intuitive than today’s smartphones, eliminating nan request for an further device. Yet, I must opportunity that moreover if smartphones slice into nan background, different devices — specified arsenic speakers, controllers, and specialized devices — will proceed to play basal roles crossed industries. This will beryllium successful a wide array of industries — automotive, aerospace, healthcare, and beyond. 

Looking backmost astatine nan improvement of computing, we’ve already seen really smartphones person transformed our lives by consolidating galore tasks erstwhile reserved for desktop computers. But contempt nan emergence of smartphones, desktop computers stay indispensable for definite tasks and functions. What smartphones did was make a caller shape of computing wide accessible, creating a modular that erstwhile seemed unimaginable. 

In a akin way, smart interaction lenses won’t switch everything. Instead, they will redefine nan ways we interact pinch technology. It will proceed to germinate into forms that heighten quality capabilities, making what was erstwhile considered futuristic simply portion of really we unrecorded and work. At nan extremity of nan day, exertion is not only astir replacing aged tools. It is, astatine its core, astir expanding nan possibilities of really we acquisition nan world. 

XPANCEO talks astir ‘inherent elegance’ and ‘embracing challenges.’ How do these values show up successful day-to-day decision-making and merchandise design?

Elegance, to us, is much than aboveground aliases artistic beauty — it is nan principle of really each facet of a institution operates — really your squad presents itself, really seamless your customer interactions are, and nan gait astatine which support is delivered. 

Take Apple, for instance. Their products and creation principles radiate elegance successful each area of their cognition — from nan minimalism of their logo to nan observant and sleek creation of their stores. While our merchandise whitethorn not reflector theirs, our accuracy is nan same. We group retired to create an acquisition that feels intuitive, cohesive, and effortlessly integrated into regular life. 

As we navigate nan quickly evolving tech landscape, we admit that innovation, particularly astatine nan cutting edge, often requires moving done reliable problems that tin look insurmountable. However, for us, these challenges are what propel america forward. 

To reside these, nan method we trust connected is rooted successful presumption testing. We do not fto nan standard of a problem overwhelm us, we clasp it arsenic a chance to research myriad solutions. This iterative process, frequently, leads to unexpected breakthroughs and pushes nan boundaries of what we tin achieve.

In a world wherever integer interfaces are rather virtually becoming portion of our biology, really do you onslaught nan correct equilibrium betwixt augmentation and intrusion?

The domiciled of exertion successful our lives is to enhance, not hinder. Gadgets — and each technological developments, for this matter — should amended really we live, not go an obstruction. Yet, arsenic we push nan boundaries of innovation, we look valid concerns astir nan imaginable for integer interfaces to go invasive. At XPANCEO, moreover if we’re still successful nan R&D phase, we’re already considering these challenges. 

Take nan smart interaction lens, for example. The integration of a camera wrong nan lens raises evident privateness concerns, arsenic good arsenic nan imaginable for misuse. There are jokes astir students utilizing it to cheat during exams and genuine concerns astir XR features being activated successful unsafe scenarios, for illustration while driving aliases adjacent nan subway tracks. These are valid preoccupations that we return very seriously. 

However, it’s important to retrieve that our smart interaction lens is not simply an XR device. It is powered by AI, which intends we tin creation nan lens pinch built-in algorithms to guarantee information and respect for privacy. These algorithms tin enforce basal boundaries, ensuring that nan exertion remains wrong ineligible and ethical guidelines. For instance, conscionable arsenic we discourage texting while driving, nan lens will beryllium designed to restrict usage successful vulnerable scenarios, preventing distractions successful discourse for illustration driving aliases erstwhile adjacent perchance hazardous environments. 

While it is existent that exertion tin ne'er afloat destruct misuse — group still usage smartphones successful ways and situations they shouldn’t — nan extremity is to supply safeguards that promote responsible usage. As these technologies germinate and go a much earthy portion of mundane life, nationalist cognition will apt shift. Devices for illustration smart interaction lenses will go little of an intrusion and much of an unobtrusive enhancement, seamlessly integrating into our lives while respecting some individual state and societal norms. 

If XPANCEO achieves its afloat vision, really will nan mean person's narration pinch exertion change?

At nan bosom of XPANCEO’s ngo is simply a desire to toggle shape nan very principle of really we interact pinch technology. My motivation, thus, is astir reinventing nan narration betwixt humans and nan tech devices we use. I’m a patient believer that technology, astatine its best, has nan imaginable to make america healthier, happier, and much effective successful each facet of life. 

However, nan existent procreation of gadgets falls short of fulfilling nan profound ambitions we person for nan future. At XPANCEO, we spot what we are moving connected arsenic nan dawn of a caller technological era, a early wherever exertion seamlessly integrates into our lives arsenic an invisible yet indispensable component, enhancing our capabilities and becoming an hold of our minds and bodies. 

When we succeed, exertion will not beryllium thing we simply “use,” but thing we are. It will activity successful harmony pinch america to scope caller dimensions of our imaginable that we hadn’t moreover imagined before. This displacement will redefine what it intends to live, and wholly bolster nan very halfway of who we are. 

Thank you for nan awesome interview, readers who wish to study much should sojourn XPANCEO.