Publications
Publications
- June 2016 (Revised August 2019)
- HBS Case Collection
Numenta: Inventing and (or) Commercializing AI
By: David B. Yoffie, Liz Kind and David Ben Shimol
Abstract
In March 2016, Donna Dubinsky (co-founder and CEO) and Jeff Hawkins (co-founder) were struggling with a key question: Could Numenta be successful in both creating fundamental technology and building a commercial business? Located in Redwood City, CA, Numenta was founded in 2005 to expand Hawkins' research on the human brain, with the goal of "reverse engineering the neocortex" and then creating machines based on biological principals. Ultimately, Hawkins believed that Numenta could be a catalyst in creating intelligent machines that would lay the foundation for the next generation of computing with potentially broad ranging commercial opportunities.
Keywords
Artificial Intelligence; Machine Intelligence; Machine Learning; Strategy; Business Model; Entrepreneurship; Information; Technological Innovation; Research; Research and Development; Information Technology; Applications and Software; Technology Adoption; Digital Platforms; Commercialization; AI and Machine Learning
Citation
Yoffie, David B., Liz Kind, and David Ben Shimol. "Numenta: Inventing and (or) Commercializing AI." Harvard Business School Case 716-469, June 2016. (Revised August 2019.)