Hermann Hauser

When Hauser was 16 he went to the United Kingdom to learn English at a language school in Cambridge.{{citation|title=Oral History of Hermann Hauser|publisher=Computer History Museum|author=Gardner Hendrie|date=2014-06-20|url=http://archive.computerhistory.org/resources/access/text/2015/04/102739951-05-01-acc.pdf|access-date=2016-01-01}} After a master's degree in physics from Vienna University, he returned to King's College, Cambridge to do a PhD in physics at the Cavendish Laboratory.

Hauser is probably best known for his part in setting up Acorn Computers with Chris Curry in 1978. When Olivetti took control of Acorn in 1985{{cite web | url= http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/5852/Olivetti-buy-49-of-Acorn-Computers/ | title=Olivetti buy 49% of Acorn Computers

| publisher=Computing History | access-date=15 April 2010}} he became vice-president for research at Olivetti, in charge of laboratories in the US and Europe. In 1986, Hauser co-founded the Olivetti Research Laboratory (ORL) in Cambridge with Andy Hopper, who became the laboratory's director. Hauser's role in Acorn was portrayed by Edward Baker-Duly in the BBC drama Micro Men.{{IMDb title|qid=Q4044199|title=Micro Men (TV 2009)}}{{cite web | url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00n5b92 | title=BBC Four Programmes Micro Men | publisher=BBC| access-date=15 April 2010}}

In 1988, Hauser left Olivetti to start the Active Book Company, investing £1 million of his own money.{{cite news |title=Active Book Prototype Circuit Boards – Peripheral – Computing History |url=http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/21617/Active-Book-Prototype-Circuit-Boards/ |access-date=28 January 2022 |work=computinghistory.org.uk |publisher=Computing History}} The company sought to develop a portable ARM-based microcomputer "the size of a paperback book", featuring a screen and stylus for interaction and employing a "book" metaphor known as Hyperpage.{{ cite news | url=https://archive.org/details/AcornUser086-Sep89/page/n8/mode/1up | title=Hauser's Hyperpage | work=Acorn User | last1=Atack | first1=Carol | date=September 1989 | access-date=1 November 2020 | pages=7 }} The company planned to launch its first product after Christmas 1990, featuring an approximately A5-sized reflective display, automatic recognition of printed, as opposed to cursive, characters, and employing a multipurpose chip called Hercules featuring a static, low-power ARM core. A licensing agreement had been signed with Acorn for access to that company's hardware and software technology, and the company was seeking application developers for the platform.{{ cite news | url=https://archive.org/details/AcornUser097-Aug90/page/n8/mode/1up | title=Xmas Launch for Active Books | work=Acorn User | date=August 1990 | access-date=6 May 2021 | pages=7 }} The Active Book was intended to cost around $2,000, provide eight to ten hours of battery life, and was to run the Helios operating system.{{ cite magazine | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CjwEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA5 | title=Active Book Plans to Offer Pen-Based Computer for Executives | magazine=InfoWorld | last1=Krohn | first1=Nico | date=20 August 1990 | access-date=9 April 2023 | pages=5 }} Not wanting to repeat the mistakes made by Acorn, which had kept its technology to itself, he demonstrated the Active Book to as many large companies as he could. AT&T Corporation acquired Active Book in July 1991{{cite web |title=JPMorgan Chase 2017 Annual Report |url=https://www.jpmorganchase.com/content/dam/jpmc/jpmorgan-chase-and-co/investor-relations/documents/annualreport-2017.pdf |website=jpmorganchase.com |publisher=JPMorgan Chase}}{{better source needed|date=April 2023|reason=It isn't clear how this report relates to an acquisition made in 1991.}} and incorporated it into their EO Personal Communicator, which was released in April 1993.{{cite book|author=Jerry Kaplan|author-link=Jerry Kaplan|title=Startup: a Silicon Valley adventure|publisher=Penguin Books|year=1994|isbn=0-14-025731-4|location=New York}} Hauser became chief technical officer and chairman of EO Europe. Sales did not meet expectations, and AT&T's EO subsidiary folded on 29 July 1994.

In 1990, Hauser was involved in spinning out Advanced RISC Machines (ARM) from Acorn.{{cite news |title=Hermann Hauser: about the Cambridge venture ecosystem, 17 September 2020 |url=https://trinityjapan.org/2020/08/31/17-sep-2020-hermann-hauser/ |work=Trinity in Japan Society |date=31 August 2020}}

In 1993, Hauser set up Advanced Telecommunication Modules Ltd with Andy Hopper. The company was acquired by Conexant Systems on 1 March 2004. He founded NetChannel Ltd in June 1996 as a holding company to begin work on marketing the NetStation. NetChannel was sold to AOL in 1996.{{cite news | url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/finance/2012/1108/1224326306603.html | title=From little Acorn grew an angel investor with an eye for the next big thing | newspaper=The Irish Times | date=8 November 2012 | access-date=12 November 2012 | author=Lillington, Karlin|authorlink=Karlin Lillington}} He claimed in the 1990s that the networking technology used for AppleTalk was based on the (unpatented) Cambridge Ring.{{cite journal |url = http://www.poppyfields.net/acorn/docs/armdocs/hauser.shtml | title = Missing The Big Time|first = Wendy | last = Grossman | journal = Personal Computer World Magazine |date=May 1993 }}{{cite news|last=Anderson|first=Christopher|title=Herman Hauser's Second Chance|url=http://yoz.com/wired/2.05/features/hauser.html|access-date=28 May 2012|newspaper=Wired UK|date=May 1996}}

In 1997 he co-founded Amadeus Capital Partners Ltd,{{cite web |title=Dr Hermann Hauser KBE – Networks of evidence and expertise for public policy |url=https://www.csap.cam.ac.uk/network/hermann-hauser/ |publisher=University of Cambridge Centre for Science and Policy}}{{cite web |title=M Hermann Hauser Venture Partner/Co-Founder, Amadeus Capital Partners Ltd |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/person/14005943 |publisher=Bloomberg}} a venture capital company, and in 1998 he co-founded Cambridge Network with David Cleevely and Alec Broers.{{cite web | url=http://my.safaribooksonline.com/0130654159/ch11lev1sec11 | title=A Gentle Persuasion to Collaborate – Organizing and Building the Cambridge Network | publisher=Safari Books Online | access-date=8 January 2009 | archive-date=9 July 2009 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090709190407/http://my.safaribooksonline.com/0130654159/ch11lev1sec11 | url-status=dead }}

In 2000, Plastic Logic was founded, with Hauser as chairman.

{{cite news

| first = Peter

| last = Clarke

| title = Cambridge spin-off to study plastic semiconductors

| date = 27 November 2000

| publisher = EE Times

| url = http://www.eetimes.com/electronics-news/4168361/Cambridge-spin-off-to-study-plastic-semiconductors-item-1

| work = EE Times

| access-date = 8 June 2011

| quote = [...] Herman Hauser, chairman of Plastic Logic [...]}}

On 14 June 2001, the Hauser-Raspe Foundation was registered as a charity to advance education, by Hauser and his wife Pamela Raspe.

In August 2004, Amadeus Capital Partners led the Series B venture capital financing of Solexa, and Hauser joined its board of directors. Solexa developed a next-generation DNA sequencing technology which became the market leader; the company was sold to Illumina, Inc of San Diego in January 2007 for over $US600 million. In 2009, Hauser was announced as the first customer of the Illumina Personal Genome Sequencing service.{{cite news |title=Illumina delivers its first individual genome sequence to Dr. Hermann Hauser |url=https://www.news-medical.net/news/20090831/Illumina-delivers-its-first-individual-genome-sequence-to-Dr-Hermann-Hauser.aspx |work=News-Medical.net |date=31 August 2009}}

As of 2009, Hauser is the head of the East Anglia Stem Cell research network.

Hauser is a non-executive director of Cambridge Display Technology, a non-executive director of XMOS{{cite web | url= http://www.xmos.com/company/team/dr-hermann-hauser | title=XMOS Dr Hermann Hauser | publisher=XMOS| access-date=15 April 2010}} Ltd and a member of the board of Red-M (Communications) Ltd. He holds honorary doctorates from the Universities of Bath and Loughborough and from Anglia Ruskin University. He is a member of the advisory board on the Higher Education Innovation Fund, and of the UK's Council for Science and Technology.

Hauser was commissioned by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to write a report on technology and innovation in the UK.{{cite news|url=http://www.russellgroup.ac.uk/russell-group-latest-news/121-2010/4163-hermann-hausers-recommendations-to-government-on-innovation/ |title=Hermann Hauser's recommendations to government on innovation |date=2 April 2010 |access-date=10 April 2012 |publisher=Russell Group |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120410005902/http://www.russellgroup.ac.uk/russell-group-latest-news/121-2010/4163-hermann-hausers-recommendations-to-government-on-innovation/ |archive-date=10 April 2012 }}{{cite web|url=http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/innovation/docs/10-843-role-of-technology-innovation-centres-hauser-review |title=The Current and Future Role of Technology and Innovation Centres in the UK |date=25 March 2010 |access-date=10 April 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120126024520/http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/innovation/docs/10-843-role-of-technology-innovation-centres-hauser-review |archive-date=26 January 2012 }} Publication of the report in 2010 led to the establishment of Catapult centres{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/662509/Catapult_Review_-_Publishable_Version_of_EY_Report__1_.pdf|title=Catapult Network Review|author1=Ernst & Young|author-link1=Ernst & Young|date=17 November 2017|website=GOV.UK|access-date=2 December 2017}} with £200 million of government funding.{{cite news | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/8499528/WIREDs-top-100-the-top-20.html | title=WIRED's top 100: the top 20 | work=The Daily Telegraph|location=London | date=6 May 2011 | access-date=10 April 2012}}

He was co-founder of ARM Holdings, the Cambridge-based microchip manufacturer that was bought in 2016 by Japan's SoftBank.{{Cite news|last=Times|first=The Sunday|title=Rich List 2020: profiles 802-900=, featuring Daniel Craig and Adele|newspaper=The Times|url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/article/rich-list-2020-profiles-802-900-featuring-daniel-craig-and-adele-z5qvqsq6x|access-date=2020-08-05|issn=0140-0460}}

Since 2015, he is actively supporting Austrian start-ups and technology companies. In particular, he has invested in 2017 in the MEMS-speaker start-up "USound"[http://www.analog-eetimes.com/news/hermann-hauser-invests-mems-speaker-startup-0 Hermann Hauser invests in MEMS speaker startup] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170218064757/http://www.analog-eetimes.com/news/hermann-hauser-invests-mems-speaker-startup-0 |date=18 February 2017 }}, 26 January 2017, EE Times, Retrieved 17 February 2017[http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/micro-speaker-developer-usound-secures-12-million-euro-for-market-entry-610807005.html Micro Speaker Developer USound Secures 12 Million Euro for Market Entry]. 16 January 2017. PR Newswire. Retrieved 16 January 2017 and in eyeson,[http://derstandard.at/2000057936084/Milliardaer-Hermann-Hauser-steigt-bei-Softwareschmiede-VisoCon-ein/ Milliardär Hermann Hauser steigt bei steirischer Visocon ein], 19 May 2017, Der Standard, Retrieved 24 August 2017 a cloud based Unified Communications solution nominated by Gartner Inc. as Cool Vendor in Unified Communications, 2017.[https://www.gartner.com/doc/3706737 Cool Vendors in Unified Communications, 2017], 11 May 2017, Gartner Inc. Retrieved 23 August 2017[https://www.commstrader.com/news/industry/visocon-named-2017-cool-vendor-gartner/ eyeson: VisoCon Named a 2017 Cool Vendor by Gartner] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170825234043/https://www.commstrader.com/news/industry/visocon-named-2017-cool-vendor-gartner/ |date=25 August 2017 }}, 31 July 2017, CommsTrader. Retrieved 25 August 2017

In 2022, he invested in the Munich based quantum computing startup planqc, a spin-off from the renowned Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics, and joined the advisory board.{{cite news |title=Hermann Hauser: about the Cambridge venture ecosystem, 17 September 2020 |url=https://sifted.eu/articles/hermann-hauser-planqc-quantum-computing-news |date=4 September 2024}}

Hauser was voted the UK's "Computer Personality of the Year" of 1984.{{cite web |title=Hermann Hauser invests and takes board seat at quantum computing startup planqc |url=http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/935/Hermann-Hauser/#:~:text=In%20March%201979%20Hermann%20Hauser,of%20the%20Year'%20of%201984. |website=www.computinghistory.org.uk}} In 2010, Eureka, in its "100 most important scientists", placed Hauser at 51.{{cite web | url=http://physicsworld.com/blog/2010/10/100_top_uk_scientists_revealed.html | title=100 top UK scientists revealed | publisher=The Times | work=Eureka | date=7 October 2010 | access-date=24 November 2011 | author=Durrani, Matin | quote=In 51st is entrepreneur and founder of Acorn Computers Hermann Hauser [...]}} He became patron of The Centre for Computing History in December 2011, 30 years after the launch of the BBC Micro.{{cite news | url=http://www.businessweekly.co.uk/hi-tech/13254-hauser-patron-of-new-centre-for-computing-history | title=Hauser patron of new Centre for Computing History | work=Business Weekly | date=12 December 2011 | access-date=13 December 2011 | author=Walker, Alice | location=Cambridge | publisher=Q Communications | quote=Dr Hermann Hauser has been named as patron of the new Centre for Computing History in Cambridge UK. [...] agreed to take on the important role 30 years after the company he co-founded – Acorn Computers – unveiled the BBC Micro [...]}}

In 2001, Hauser became an Honorary Doctor at Anglia Ruskin University.{{Cite web |title=Dr Hermann Hauser – ARU |url=https://aru.ac.uk/graduation-and-alumni/honorary-award-holders2/hermann-hauser |access-date=2023-02-10 |website=aru.ac.uk}} On 8 July 2002, Hauser was elected a Fellow of the Institute of Physics (FInstP) and an International Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (FREng). In May 2004 he presented the prestigious IEE Pinkerton Lecture. In 2005, Hauser received a Lifetime Achievement Award for his work as a venture capitalist and entrepreneur.{{cite news |title=Cambridge Network companies win 'Business Weekly' awards |url=https://www.cambridgenetwork.co.uk/news/cambridge-network-companies-win-business-weekly-awards |work=Cambridge Network}} The award was presented at the annual European Electronics Industry Awards in London.{{cite web |title=Hermann Hauser FRS – Hughes Hall |url=https://www.hughes.cam.ac.uk/about/our-people/seniors-members/hermann-hauser/ |publisher=Hughes Hall, Cambridge |date=28 September 2017}} Hauser was awarded an Honorary CBE for "innovative service to the UK enterprise sector" in 2001.{{cite news |title=Hermann Hauser |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/bartlett/public-purpose/people/hermann-hauser |work=UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose |date=1 June 2017}} In 1998, Hauser was elected into an honorary fellowship of Hughes Hall, Cambridge, and he was also elected into an honorary fellowship of King's College, Cambridge with effect from 1 January 2000. In the same year he was awarded the Mountbatten Medal.{{cite web|url=http://www.theiet.org/about/libarc/archives/institution-history/mountbatten-medal.cfm |title=Archives Mountbatten Medallists |publisher=IET |access-date=15 April 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100824223245/http://www.theiet.org/about/libarc/archives/institution-history/mountbatten-medal.cfm |archive-date=24 August 2010 }}

Hauser was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 2012. His nomination reads: {{centred pull quote|Distinguished as a science-based innovator and serial-entrepreneur whose ventures have been at the forefront of UK innovation. A major contributor to the global technology and growth agendas and an influential member of senior policy making bodies. An inspiration and role-model for generations of entrepreneurs who has been directly involved in many companies, providing enthusiasm, mentoring, and financing leading to technology based wealth creation at scale.}}

Hauser was elected a Distinguished Fellow of the British Computer Society (DFBCS) in 2013 recognising his contribution to computing science in the UK.{{cite web |title=Dr Hermann Hauser |url=https://www.bcs.org/events/awards-and-competitions/distinguished-fellowship-distfbcs/roll-of-distinguished-fellows/dr-hermann-hauser/ |publisher=bcs.org}}

{{Reflist}}

• [https://www.sms.cam.ac.uk/media/1120413 Interviewed by Alan Macfarlane 3 September 2008 (video)]

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Category:Living people

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Category:Alumni of King's College, Cambridge

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Category:Businesspeople from Cambridge

Category:Fellows of the Royal Society

Category:Fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering

Category:Honorary Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire

Category:Fellows of the Institute of Physics

Category:Austrian emigrants to England

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Category:1948 births

Category:British venture capitalists

Category:Fellows of the British Computer Society