UKFast grabs stake in local start-up

Cloud hosting firm invests in hardware-acceleration outfit in mission to 'speed up the internet'

UKFast is taking a stake in Reconfigure.io, a start-up which accelerates the processing abilities of servers.

Like the cloud hosting firm, Reconfigure.io is based in Manchester, with a 13-strong global team, including developers in the US.

The move makes UKFast the largest single investor in Reconfigure.io's current funding round.

"This is an extraordinarily exciting investment for UKFast and for the future of the internet," said UKFast CEO Lawrence Jones. "There are only so many times you can launch a new chip with increased processing power or add more cores.

"Reconfigure.io is unlocking the technology that supports growth in virtual reality, big data and machine learning. There is an incredible future ahead for these guys."

Jones (pictured on right) said UKFast is committed to speeding up the internet and Reconfigure.io is facilitating the technology to make that happen.

"We'll be looking to use it in our products as we look to integrate greater use of AI and machine learning. Reconfigure.io is undoubtedly set to make a huge difference to a lot of businesses," he added.

Field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) are chips able to perform several tasks at the same time, providing speed enhancements over the same code running on traditional CPUs. Reconfigure.io lets users programme FPGAs with Go - a simpler programming language than more complex code.

Common applications for FPGAs include AI and machine learning, cloud monitoring, data analytics and the Internet of Things.

"We look forward to building a working partnership and creating the next generation of computing infrastructure," said Reconfigure.io CEO Rob Taylor (pictured on left). "We aim to bring on investors who add value to our business and having this relationship with UKFast opens many major doors."