SANTA CLARA, Calif.–(Business Wire)– It is with great regret that Exo, a medical imaging software and device company, announced today the death of its Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board, Janusz Bryzek, Ph.D. Janusz died at home on the morning of November 10, 2022, surrounded by his loving wife and three children. Known as the “Father of Sensors” and the “Trillion Sensor Man,” Janusz was a renowned pioneer in the development of integrated micro-mechanical systems (MEMS) technology and a driving force behind innovations that have greatly reshaped how technology to exist. used to improve the lives of people around the world.
“The death of Janusz leaves me speechless,” shared Sandeep Akkaraju, CEO and Co-Founder of Exo. “He has been my business partner for over 15 years, he was instrumental in setting up the North Star for Exo’s vision; he was an expression of generosity, warmth, and kindness to everyone around him. He pushed us to provide the best of quality imaging for everyone, driven by a commitment to health equity for all.”
Janusz had a philosophy of abundance, achieving this through the exponential power of technological innovations. Abundance reduces cost and improves access. He felt that if even the poorest people are given affordable tools to enhance their own lives, they can enact further change and improve the standard of living for all. Janusz believed that true equality depends on people who are committed to enacting this exponential change.
During his long career, Janusz co-founded 11 Silicon Valley MEMS companies impacting various technologies and industries and advised 40 startups and high-end VC firms. He has received numerous awards for his impact in technology, including Arthur Young’s “Entrepreneur of the Year”, Lifetime Achievement Awards from Sensors Magazine and MANCEF, Outstanding Polish Business Executive at the Polish Embassy in the United States, and the Impact Award Industries for Engineering. Excellence from Expo Sensors. In addition, he published over 250 papers, wrote parts of four books, and organized and chaired many international conferences. He has authored 30 US patents and multiple patent applications and initiated several sensor standardization efforts.
But Janusz’s many accolades are even more impressive when viewed in the context of his early career. In the 1970s, he fled Poland, then controlled by the Soviet Union, where the war between authoritarianism and individual freedoms shaped his personal views. Coming to the US with a family of four and only $300 in his pocket, he began his career in the semiconductor industry. There, he helped launch an entire industry and built many successful companies – without forgetting his roots.
“There was no one like him,” shared Brian Bircumshaw, Exo’s Vice President of Transducer Technology and a close friend of Janusz. “He was a great soul. The most famous person in the world, you would never know about the biggest impact he would have on society if someone else didn’t share his background with you. He was always kind to those around him, always eager to share his time to teach or nurture ideas. Our early success was largely due to Janusz’s global vision, driven approach, and generous energy.”
This generosity was the cornerstone of his success. “As with all of its startups, Exo’s employees have become family,” said John Kokulis, Exo’s Co-Founder and Former Chief Financial Officer. “The birthplace of his home became our company as Janusz and his wife, Barbara, warmly welcomed the team members to their home to shape our strategy and launch the company. Their dining room was Exo’s first conference room, their bedrooms our hotel rooms, and the kitchen our cafeteria. His home was a breeding ground for Exo’s earliest iterations of its proprietary Piezoelectric Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer (pMUT) technology. It was a magical time.”
The widespread reputation of Janusz, along with the other co-founders of Exo, gave the company its first attraction with investors. Always looking for new ideas on how to turn a vision into reality, Janusz set out to build a company that would “lift all boats,” reducing the cost of healthcare worldwide. He knew how to dream big.
Janusz often told new Exo employees that making money for financial gain was one thing, but if they could help millions of people gain access to medical imaging, they would be fulfilled. At the heart of Exo is this commitment to push the world forward. Janusz included the spirit of what Exo stands for.
“Regarded by all, Janusz had deep knowledge and an extremely positive attitude,” shared Yusuf Haque, Co-Founder, Chief Technology Officer & Executive Vice President of Engineering at Exo. “After we formed Exo together in 2015, it quickly became clear that what we were doing would become a crown jewel, impacting the lives of millions. You will be missed, my friend.”
Regarding Exo
Exo is a medical imaging software and device company. Exo believes that everyone in the world should have access to high-quality, affordable and easy-to-use medical imaging. The company is on a mission to modernize medical imaging through its high-performance ultrasound and artificial intelligence platform. Exo’s goal is to enable healthcare professionals to make critical, real-time decisions that ultimately improve patient outcomes. For more information, visit exo.inc. Follow us at @exoeffect on TwitterLinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.
