Dr Hermann Hauser
Serial tech entrepreneur, investor and co-founder of Amadeus Capital Partners Dr Hermann Hauser has joined the board of Dublin-based Intune Networks as a non-executive director.
Hauser has been closely watching the development of Intune Networks ever since Amadeus Capital Partners, the investment fund he co-founded, made an initial investment in the business in 2008.
Based in Dublin, Intune employs more than 120 people. Design, development, production and sales facilities are located in Dublin and Belfast, while the company also has sales offices in the US. Just a few weeks ago, Boston University announced it was teaming up with Intune to create the Boston University Research Switch and Transport (BURST) network. This network will be based upon Intune Networks’ optical packet switch and transport (OPST) technology.
Intune is the brainchild of John Dunne and Tom Farrell, who co-founded the company in Dublin in 1999. The duo had been carrying out post-graduate research work at University College Dublin in tuneable laser technology. This led them to follow up on how to successfully apply this technology to allow a manifold increase in the amount of content and data that could be transported along an optical fibre.
Intune raised €17.5m in its most recent funding round in Q3 2011. In the past five years, the company has secured in excess of €60m in funding.
Serial entrepreneur and investor
Based in Cambridge in the UK, Hauser has vast experience in developing and financing companies. He has founded or co-founded companies in a wide range of technology sectors. These include Acorn Computers, Active Book Company, Virata, Net Products, NetChannel, and Cambridge Network. He was a founder director of IQ (Bio), IXI, Vocalis, SynGenix, Advanced Displays, Electronic Share Information Limited and E*Trade UK.
He has also been involved in the spin-out of what is now ARM Holdings from Acorn Computers, following the development of the forerunner of the ARM processor, which is today found in 95pc of mobile phones.
Hauser co-founded Amadeus Capital Partners in 1997 and in 1998 he co-founded Cambridge Network, the technology business-networking organisation.
Commercial phase
Speaking about his appointment to the Intune board, Hauser said the company has proven its technology with key network operators. He said Intune is now entering its commercial phase at a time when the need for its fast-tuning laser technology has never been greater.
“It is rare that the emergence of a new technology coincides perfectly with its commercial opportunity,” said Hauser. “For Intune Networks, this is the case as a result of the unique ability of its solutions to solve the traffic congestion challenges network operators are facing caused by the increasing volume of internet, mobile and cloud-based information that is travelling across their fibre networks.”
Hauser holds a master’s degree in physics from Vienna University and a PhD in physics from the Cavendish Laboratory at King’s College, Cambridge. He is a fellow of the Institute of Physics and of the Royal Academy of Engineering.
In 2001, he was awarded an honorary CBE for ‘innovative service to the UK enterprise sector’. Last year, Silicon Valley’s SVForum awarded Hauser with its 2011 Visionary Award.
