Power Up! Winner: AI to improve developer experience

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Frequent readers of VIA’s blog will know that twice a year we invest several days into “Power Ups!” These are days where 100% of VIAneers to stop bumping their heads on their day-to-day tasks and think about ways we can improve the way we work.

This year, we focused on artificial intelligence (AI). VIAneers self-selected into 13 teams and came up with ideas to leverage AI. Ideas included everything from ethical guidelines for AI, and how to generate more blog content, to how to use AI to support Kubernetes deployments.

This Power Up! we upped the stakes and had the teams compete for a $1,000 USD prize to be spent on anything that they would like. We were privileged to have Major General Kim Crider (ret) former Chief Technology Innovation Officer of the United States Space Force, Tom Davenport, author of more than 11 books on analytics and AI, and Tom Werner, former CEO and Chairman of SunPower join VIA’s COO, Kate Ravanis as our panel of judges to select the winner.

Winners were judged based on four criteria: VIA Value, Technical Readiness, Risk Consideration, Presentation Skills.

All of our VIAneers did an incredible job of not just finding great ways to leverage AI but also implementing them in the 2.5 day Power Up! time limit. 

But, there could only be one winner. 

The team that won was the TL;DR team. As readers know, we love a good pull request (feedback on developer code changes). While we have a whole language system about how to provide feedback on pull requests, TL;DR team figured out how AI could be used to help write a summary of the pull requests to aid reviewers.

“We found that all the teams had done an exceptional job generating ideas and taking a first pass at articulating the benefits and the implementation plans for their AI initiatives. What the judges thought made TL;DR stand apart was that the team had actually implemented their solution and reviewed internal data to quantify a savings of more than $250,000 per year with no additional costs. The fact that they had also thought through how to make the AI generated summaries reflect VIA’s culture and values was a special bonus from my perspective.” said Kate Ravanis, VIA’s COO.

As the video below shows, the TL;DR team’s AI generates summaries of pull requests to speed up the code review process.

Here are a few examples of how the TL;DR team’s project excelled against the evaluation criteria in just a few short days:

  1. VIA Value – The team requested internal data and was able to quantify the expected value (over $250,000 per year) and provided a spreadsheet to show their work.
  2. Technical Readiness – The code was working and demonstrated on a current VIA repo using VIA’s existing infrastructure. Bonus points that the AI model was directed to generate text that reflected VIA values and even use emojis.
  3. Risk Consideration – The team evaluated external solutions but ultimately implemented an in-house solution to protect VIA’s intellectual property. A thoughtful addition is to add a warning to each response that it is generated by AI and may not be 100% accurate.
  4. Presentation Skills – Every team had a 5 minute limit and TL;DR did a great job of summarizing their solution clearly and concisely.

Less than two weeks later, this solution is already live and in use today with VIA developers. 

Consistent with our long-standing commitment to improving developer communities everywhere, after further testing at VIA we will open source this project and make it available on GitHub.

Introducing VIA GPT: Supporting customers using AI

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In October 2022, VIA began testing generative AI (GAI) and large language models (LLM) to support our internal development work. In January 2023, we released our first documentation to customers using GAI. The idea was that if we used GAI to create and provide first line technical support to customers, we could provide high leverage to our more seasoned technical VIAneers – with the caveat that everything was vetted by a person for accuracy and consistency.

Of course a lot has happened in the GAI and LLM world since January. Model variety, use cases, and performance are increasing exponentially.

Today, we’re pleased to launch VIA GPT as a way for our customers to get first line technical support on our core components (initially VIAsecurechain, and Fingerprinting).

With VIA GPT, customers can ask natural language queries to receive:

  • Documentation about our components

  • Code examples to deploy and integrate products

  • Multi-lingual support

  • 24/7 support

In addition, the use of a VIA-specific interface reduces the risk of GPT “hallucinations” from queries and creates a user-tailored and / or enterprise memory that is accessible across query sessions.

Given our standard deployment environments (Kubernetes, Helm charts) and also standard APIs (RESTful and Kafka with Swagger docs) most customers that have large IT teams can integrate and install VIA’s platform in just a few hours. We hope that VIA GPT support will reduce that time even further and bring our platform to enterprises with smaller IT teams.

Of course, our friendly and experienced VIAneers are always available to support customers directly as well. We look forward to continuously enhancing our offerings and giving our customers the VIA Good experience they have come to expect.

If you are interested in learning more about VIA GPT, contact us!

The Westly Group features VIA in recent ESG annual report

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Last month, the Westly Group released their 2022 Annual ESG Report which featured ESG initiatives for all of its portfolio companies. VIA is proud to be included as a case study in this report (on page 23). The case study covers the ways VIA builds core values and inclusion into our company culture, supports critical infrastructure, and chooses mission-aligned customers and partners. Through our values and initiatives, VIA has created a strong, positive workplace:

At VIA, the team believes that a healthy workplace culture is not something that only one person at the company can drive – it needs to be cultivated by every team member from one-on-one settings to large groups. This approach has helped VIA create a close-knit, productive team that represents 20 different nationalities and speaks 14 languages. 

To read the full case study on VIA, see the Westly Group report. If you are interested in learning more about VIA’s company culture, visit our careers page or better yet, contact us!

VIA hosting hybrid company-wide Power Up! event centered around AI

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It’s that time of year again! We’re gathering up our VIAneers for a three-day company-wide event we call Power Up! During the hybrid event, team members will get together in Somerville, Montreal, and join virtually to work together to stop “bumping our heads” #IYKYK. The theme of this Power Up! is “Bringing your A(I) Game!”. With Generative AI on the rise, we’re brainstorming ideas, collaborating on topics, and having a healthy competition for the best Generative AI project, with the goal of harnessing the power of GAI and LLM. Follow along on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram, as we share more on our Power Up!

Tracxn selects VIA for third time on top emerging companies list

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For the third time in three years, Tracxn, a research company well known for “tracking innovative companies and emerging technologies” has recognized VIA as a top emerging company. This year and for the second time, VIA is honored to be featured in the “Emerging Startups of Renewable Energy Tech” list. Coined a “Minicorn,” VIA was selected out of more than 2.7K+ startups in the renewable energy tech space.

Certificate of Appreciation presented by Tracxn

If you would like to learn more about the ways VIA is supporting renewable energy and how we can help your company achieve goals in this area, contact us!

VIA Live Stream Event: Blockchain + Domestic and Foreign Policy Unboxed: A Chat with Jared Favole

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Mark your calendars for June 27th from 2:30 – 3:15pm ET: VIA is hosting a live streamed event (on YouTube) where CEO Colin Gounden will interview Senior Director, Communications and Policy at Circle and former White House Correspondent for the Wall Street Journal, Jared Favole :tada:. This exclusive interview will cover the intersection of blockchain and domestic and foreign policy. Don’t miss out – RSVP on the LinkedIn event page and select the option to add to your calendar :spiral_calendar_pad:#blockchainunboxed

Harvard Belfer Center features VIA in recent report on insights from Blockchain for Impact Workshop

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In late April, VIA’s CEO, Colin Gounden was invited to present on a panel during a workshop at Harvard’s Belfer Center for Arts and International Affairs. The workshop, “Blockchain for Impact Workshop: Perspectives on International Development, Public Goods, and Regenerative Economy” brought together over thirty participants who are considered experts in Web3 to discuss the impact this technology is having today and what it will look like in the future.

After the event, the organizers put together a comprehensive report on all of the findings from the workshop. Colin’s panel, “Collaborative Futures” is included in the six page report, where he spoke alongside Cara LaPointe of the Johns Hopkins Institute for Assured Autonomy, Ramesh Raskar, Associate Professor of Media Arts and Sciences at MIT, and Jared A. Favole, Senior Director of Policy & Communications at Circle (pictured below).

Picture courtesy of Blockchain for Impact Workshop

The panel stressed the need for collaboration across stakeholders to maximize the benefits of blockchain. Colin talked about the importance of preserving privacy while collaborating and how Zero Knowledge Proofs (ZKPs) play a role:

By utilizing ZKPs, VIA strives to address the challenge of preserving the privacy of sensitive data, which often hinders data owners from sharing information freely. The implementation of ZKPs helps facilitate secure and transparent collaboration among stakeholders, furthering the mission of creating positive social and environmental impact.

Coming out of the event, is another! Colin has invited fellow panelist, Jared Favole, to VIA’s Somerville office for a talk on the intersection of blockchain and domestic and foreign policy. The chat will be live streamed on June 27, 2023 from 2:30 – 3:15pm ET. To RSVP for the event, visit the LinkedIn event listing.

If you would like to speak directly with a member of our team about the ways we can help your organization collaborate using Web3, contact us!

VIA’s CEO Colin Gounden invited as panelist at 2023 IEEE Power & Energy Society General Meeting in Orlando

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VIA’s CEO Colin Gounden has been invited to speak as a panelist during the session “Challenges of Data Use in the Evolving Smart Grid” on July 19, 2023 from 8:00 – 10:00am ET. The panel is sponsored by the IEEE Digital Privacy Initiative.

The panel is part of the larger conference taking place from July 16 – 20, 2023 at the Hyatt Regency in Orlando, FL. The theme of this year’s conference is “Meeting the Energy Needs of a Dynamic World”. Bringing leaders in the electrical and power engineering industry together, the event will cover an array of topics from decarbonization to best practices during extreme weather events.

To register and learn more, visit the event website:

Blockchain for Europe and IOTA Foundation feature VIA’s Web3 solutions in recent report

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Blockchain for Europe, a members-only organization that serves “companies driving innovation, integrity, and empowerment through blockchain,” partnered with IOTA Foundation, a non-profit that develops next generation protocols, to write a comprehensive report on the ways blockchain is supporting global sustainability efforts.

The report titled, “An Overview of Blockchain for Climate Action and Sustainability,” includes VIA’s Web3 solutions in a section that covers global climate change initiatives. The authors discuss Skylight and a more recent initiative for EVs:

VIA’s Web3 platform will then also allow verification of the fuel mix of the charge and discharge of EV batteries, incorporating VIA’s zero-knowledge proof (ZKP) to maintain the privacy of sensitive data that currently creates friction for the data owner in the decision to share this information.

For the full report and details written about VIA’s Skylight and ZKPs application for EVs, visit the Blockchain for Europe website. If you would like to speak directly with a member of our team about the ways we can help your organization using Web3, contact us!

VIA CEO Colin Gounden to speak on sustainability panel at TiECON East

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TiE has invited VIA’s CEO Colin Gounden to speak on the panel “Activating Capital for Transitioning to a Low Carbon Economy.” The panel takes place at 9:45am on Friday, April 28th at TiECON East 2023 in Waltham, Massachusetts. TiECON East brings together industry leaders, innovators, and emerging entrepreneurs.

According to TiE’s website, “TiE Boston is focused on supporting entrepreneurs throughout their lifecycle — from ideation to creation, through growth, wealth creation and ultimately, support of future founders. By encouraging collaboration between our members throughout the entrepreneurial process, with programs, events, other forums created by entrepreneurs, TiE has created a repeatable cycle to foster the next generation of entrepreneurship.”

Register and learn more here:

VIA attending AFCEA TechNet Cyber 2023 in Baltimore

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VIA’s Chief Commercial Officer, Joe Babiec and Director, Client Delivery, Haden Snyder will be attending AFCEA TechNet Cyber 2023 in Baltimore, May 2-4, 2023. The event focuses on, “leveraging innovative technology, advancing cybersecurity and building new relationships between the military and industry sectors.” For more information on the event, visit the AFCEA website.

VIA CEO Colin Gounden selected to speak at IEEE Power and Energy Society Switzerland virtual event on NILM

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IEEE Power and Energy Society Switzerland has invited VIA’s CEO, Colin Gounden, to give a presentation during its online, interactive workshop, “NILM for demand response – solutions for the energy crisis.” Colin will talk about advances in privacy and security for NILM, more specifically, how VIA uses Web3 to address NILM data privacy concerns.

The workshop will take place on Thursday, May 11, 2023 from 9:00am – 12:00pm ET (3:00pm – 6:00pm Bern).

For more information and to register for the event, visit IEEE Switzerland PES Chapter’s page.

VIA CEO Colin Gounden invited to speak at the Belfer Center for Harvard Blockchain for Impact Workshop

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Harvard Belfer Center’s Technology and Public Purpose Project alongside Polygon Labs and Impact Plus invited VIA’s CEO Colin Gounden to speak on the intersection of sustainability, blockchain, and foreign policy at the invite-only Harvard Blockchain for Impact Workshop.

The half-day event, taking place on Tuesday, April 25th from 9:00am – 1:00pm, will explore “the potential of blockchain technology to promote positive social change in three domains: International Development, Public Goods, and Regenerative Economy.”

For more information, visit the Belfer Center event page.

Joe Babiec, Chief Commercial Officer at VIA, invited to join an AWS panel session at SXSW

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AWS has invited VIA to join their panel session at the upcoming South by Southwest (SXSW) conference and festival. Joe Babiec, Chief Commercial Officer at VIA, will join a panel entitled “Space Data for Sustainability,” taking place at 1 PM CT on March 13th. Jason Cahill, Global Head of AWS Sustainable Cities, will moderate the session that will also include Myrna Bittner, CEO of Run With It, and Abhishek Dash, VP of Engineering at BlocPower.

VIA was selected to participate given its leadership role in Web3 for verification, integration, and analysis of private data, including space and satellite data. Join us as we look forward to hearing the insightful questions from Jason and the lively discussion from all the panelists.

Register here:

Polygon selects VIA to feature at Washington D.C. event

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Polygon has invited VIA’s CEO, Colin Gounden, to speak at its upcoming invitation-only event in Washington D.C. on February 28th. The topic of the presentation will be VIA’s use of zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) and their application in real-world scenarios. Colin will host an interactive session during the event, and share case studies to give a look into where VIA’s technology has been implemented and its cybersecurity, data privacy, and data ownership benefits. Polygon and SID-US selected VIA based on our track record in deploying Web3 technologies at U.S. Government agencies like the Department of Defense, and more recently our testing of zero-knowledge proofs with the Department of Energy.

Learn more about the event here.