A new Australian start‑up, Cortisonic, has been spun out of research led by The University of Queensland, marking the outcome of more than 13 years of sustained collaboration between the Queensland Quantum Optics Lab at UQ and Lockheed Martin to develop alternative computing technologies based on sound, or ‘phonons’.
With the advent of AI, the energy consumption of computing worldwide is skyrocketing. Cortisonic is commercialising a new class of ultralow energy hardware for AI based on sound waves on a silicon chip. The underpinning technology was developed through long‑term research at UQ led by Professor Warwick Bowen, together with Dr Glen Harris and Dr Christopher Baker, founders of Cortisonic.
“It’s incredibly exciting to see Cortisonic come into reality under the leadership of Glen Harris and Christopher Baker,” Professor Bowen said. “They are an exceptional founding team who have been instrumental both in advancing the research over many years and in building a venture‑backed company that can take this technology to market.”
The underpinning research was initially supported by a seed grant from Lockheed Martin, followed by sustained backing through the Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Program and the Australian Research Council for Engineered Quantum Systems. This enabled the technology to mature from early concepts into a platform ready for commercial translation.
Cortisonic’s technology replaces conventional electronic switching with sound confined in nanoscale structures on a silicon chip. This promises to enable AI computation at a fraction of the energy required by today’s processors, addressing one of the major barriers to scalable, energy‑efficient AI.
While data centre power consumption dominates headlines, Cortisonic’s first go-to-market focus is Edge AI — a market projected to reach $270 billion by 2032. The reasons are compelling: self-driving systems, autonomous drones, wearables, cameras, and smart devices all need real-time inference at ultra-low power. That’s where the pain is sharpest and where GPUs bring no advantage.
“You can’t put a data centre on a drone or into a wearable device,” Dr Harris explains. “Our nearest market is computation on edge devices where access to power is limited, like autonomous drones. Any portable, low-power application where you don’t have abundant resources is where we excel. Our positioning is clear: early demonstrations to validate performance, followed by deployment in edge devices where the commercial value is greatest.”
Cortisonic is part of a broader innovation ecosystem that is emerging in Queensland to apply advanced and quantum technologies to energy and decarbonisation challenges. In particular, the Queensland Quantum Decarbonisation Alliance (QDA), a Queensland Government supported Alliance.
Through the QDA, the Queensland Government has supported Professor Bowen’s lab, alongside other partners, to develop technologies aimed at reducing energy consumption and addressing global decarbonisation challenges.
“By bringing together government, industry, end-users and researchers, the QDA has created the conditions needed to translate long‑term research into real‑world impact.” Professor Bowen said.
“One of the most pressing challenges of our time is reducing global energy demand while maintaining computing capability,” Professor Bowen said. “This work shows how quantum and advanced technologies developed in Queensland can contribute not only to Australia’s economic future, but to addressing global energy pressures.”
Cortisonic represents a significant example of UQ’s approach to research translation — pairing sustained fundamental research with industry collaboration, government support and a clear pathway to commercial impact.
About Cortisonic
Cortisonic is an Australian start‑up commercialising ultralow‑energy computing technology developed through research at The University of Queensland. The company is led by founders Glen Harris, Christopher Baker and Michael Harvey and is backed by venture capital investment.
About the Queensland Quantum Optics Lab
The Queensland Quantum Optics Laboratory, led by Professor Warwick Bowen at The University of Queensland, undertakes research in quantum measurement, sensing and control, with a strong focus on translating advanced science into real‑world applications.
About the Queensland Quantum Decarbonisation Alliance
The Queensland Quantum Decarbonisation Alliance (QDA) brings together researchers, industry and government to accelerate quantum and advanced technologies that support decarbonisation, energy efficiency and climate resilience.
