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Humans of Asterion

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by Asterion Ventures

14 episodes

Updated Daily

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Podcast Overview

Humans of Asterion is a long-form podcast exploring the people behind ambitious ventures tackling complex, systemic challenges. Hosted by Antonin Léonard, each episode dives into the journey, mindset and execution behind founders and leaders working at the intersection of technology, industry and impact. The podcast offers in-depth conversations focused on substance, long-term thinking and the human side of building companies that matter. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

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Publishing Since

12/18/2025

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Recent Episodes

July 2, 2026

[EN] Synchronize data centers at the speed of light — Alexis Jonville (CEO of Lumisync)

For this episode, Antonin Léonard sat down with Alexis Jonville, CEO and co-founder of Lumisync. Lumisync is a French deep-tech spinout from the C2N (Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, CNRS / Paris-Saclay), founded in December 2024 by Alexis Jonville, Giuseppe Bravo Modica (CTO), and Rémi Braive (CSO). The company is building the first on-chip photonic oscillator designed to replace electronic quartz synchronization inside AI data centers — eliminating a hidden bottleneck that wastes GPU capacity at every clock cycle. The analogy Alexis uses to explain it: imagine driving at 250 km/h on a motorway, but hitting a toll booth every two kilometres. Improving GPU power is the 250 km/h. Lumisync removes the toll booths.Networking represents 15–20% of a data center's energy consumption, and synchronization sits at its core. By replacing electronic oscillators with a photonic network connected via optical fibre, Lumisync estimates it can cut the number of synchronization components by a factor of 10 to 100, reduce CapEx by tens of millions per HPC data center, and shave 2–3% off total energy consumption — at scale, millions of dollars and tonnes of CO₂ per data center per year. The technology traces back to a PhD thesis started at C2N in 2017, supported by CNRS Innovation pre-maturation funding from 2022 and SATT Paris-Saclay, with IP transferred in early 2025. Three patent families protect the oscillator design, manufacturing protocol, and synchronization network architecture. In this conversation, we explore: → Why networking is the overlooked bottleneck — and why fixing the GPU alone doesn't fix the data center→ The photonics transition already underway: from optical fibre on long distances to on-chip oscillators→ Why startups — not Nvidia — are building the photonics layer, and what a decade of academic head start means competitively→ The 90/10 rule: how a founder with no PhD shares decisions with a world-class researcher-turned-CTO→ What it means to sell a €106k POC before your product is finished — and why your early adopters are also your R&D partners→ The pari that has to be won: earning the trust of Nvidia, Google and Microsoft when you're an 8-person company To learn more: <a href="https://asterionventures.com/en/contact">https://asterionventures.com/en/contact</a> Hosted on Ausha. See <a href="https://ausha.co/privacy-policy">ausha.co/privacy-policy</a> for more information.

July 2, 2026

Synchroniser les data centers à la vitesse de la lumière — Alexis Jonville (CEO de Lumisync)

Pour cet épisode, Antonin Léonard a échangé avec Alexis Jonville, CEO et cofondateur de Lumisync. Lumisync est une deeptech française issue du C2N (Centre de Nanosciences et de Nanotechnologies, CNRS / Paris-Saclay), fondée en décembre 2024 par Alexis Jonville, Giuseppe Bravo Modica (CTO) et Rémi Braive (CSO). L'entreprise développe le premier oscillateur photonique on-chip conçu pour remplacer la synchronisation électronique à quartz à l'intérieur des data centers IA, en éliminant un goulot d'étranglement invisible qui gaspille de la capacité GPU à chaque cycle d'horloge. L'analogie qu'utilise Alexis pour l'expliquer : imaginez rouler à 250 km/h sur l'autoroute, mais tomber sur un péage tous les deux kilomètres. Améliorer la puissance des GPU, c'est rouler à 250. Lumisync supprime les péages.Le networking représente 15 à 20 % de la consommation énergétique d'un data center, et la synchronisation en est le nerf. En remplaçant les oscillateurs électroniques par un réseau photonique connecté par fibre optique, Lumisync estime pouvoir diviser le nombre de composants de synchronisation par un facteur 10 à 100, réduire le CapEx de plusieurs dizaines de millions de dollars par data center HPC, et économiser 2 à 3 % de la consommation total, à l'échelle, des millions de dollars et des tonnes de CO₂ par data center par an. La technologie remonte à une thèse débutée au C2N en 2017, soutenue par un financement de pré-maturation CNRS Innovation dès 2022 et par la SATT Paris-Saclay, avec un transfert de PI finalisé début 2025. Trois familles de brevets protègent le design de l'oscillateur, le protocole de fabrication et l'architecture du réseau de synchronisation. Dans cette conversation, nous explorons : → Pourquoi le networking est le goulet d'étranglement sous-estimé et pourquoi améliorer le GPU seul ne suffit pas→ La transition photonique déjà en marche : de la fibre optique longue distance aux oscillateurs on-chip→ Pourquoi ce sont les startups pas Nvidia qui construisent la couche photonique, et ce que dix ans d'avance académique signifie en termes de barrières à l'entrée→ La règle 90/10 : comment un fondateur sans doctorat partage les décisions avec un chercheur de pointe devenu CTO→ Ce que signifie vendre un POC à 106 000 € avant que le produit soit fini et pourquoi vos premiers clients sont aussi vos partenaires R&D→ Le pari à absolument gagner : décrocher la confiance de Nvidia, Google et Microsoft quand on est une équipe de 8 personnes En savoir plus : <a href="https://asterionventures.com/en/contact">https://asterionventures.com/en/contact</a> Hosted on Ausha. See <a href="https://ausha.co/privacy-policy">ausha.co/privacy-policy</a> for more information.

June 17, 2026

[EN] Scaling a food deeptech without burning millions – Hugo Valentin (CEO of Edonia)

For this episode, Antonin Léonard sat down with Hugo Valentin, co-founder and CEO of Edonia. Edonia is an industrial deeptech that turns microalgae into Edo, a clean-label textured protein with more protein than meat and no additives, flavourings or texturisers. Its real signature is how it scales: where most food deeptechs build custom infrastructure and burn tens of millions, Edonia bent standard, off-the-shelf equipment to its patented "edonisation" process. Low CapEx, leasable, fast. The result is a TRL 7 pilot delivering its first tonnes after only three years, a largely de-risked path to thousands of tonnes, and a Series A raised in a sector most investors have learned to fear. In this conversation, we explore: → The CapEx-light playbook: standard equipment over custom infrastructure, and why it de-risks the scale-up → Why the alternative-protein crash was a sequencing and capital problem, not a demand problem → How clean label beats meat mimicry, and Edonia's cost edge over the meat it replaces → The Newrest school-canteen test: a world-first plate whose only protein source is microalgae → Raising a Series A in a downturn sector, and how Hugo would judge a climate deeptech himself To learn more: https://asterionventures.com/en/contact Hosted on Ausha. See <a href="https://ausha.co/privacy-policy">ausha.co/privacy-policy</a> for more information.

14 total episodes available

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What is Humans of Asterion?: Humans of Asterion is a long-form podcast exploring the people behind ambitious ventures tackling complex, systemic challenges.

Hosted by Antonin Léonard, each episode dives into the journey, mindset and execution behind founders and leaders working at the intersection of technology, industry and impact.

The podcast offers in-depth conversations focused on substance, long-term thinking and the human side of building companies that matter.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.
How often does this podcast release new episodes?: This podcast updates daily.
Where can I listen to this podcast?: This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
Does this podcast accept guests?: Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.

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