Engineering graduate launches first AI powered grill

An Aston University engineering graduate has created the world’s first AI powered grill.

Suraj Sudera has created a cooking device called Perfecta which cooks a steak in 90 seconds.

Sudera graduated from Aston University in 2015 with a BEng in Mechanical Engineering and again in 2018 with an MSc Ophthalmic Engineering.

He initially worked for Aston University spinout, EYOTO, which develops medical devices. He worked his way up to vice president of engineering, before setting up, and then selling, another company.

However, it was his love of engineering and product development that sparked his ‘light bulb’ moment which led him to create an AI powered grill which can cook food to an individual’s exact preference.

He founded SEERGRILLS, a Birmingham based start-up, which applies AI and advanced technologies to improve cooking.

He said: “We noticed there is often difficulty and inconsistency in cooking food; it’s mostly always overcooked and dry, taking a long time.

“So, we decided to use our skills and knowledge to apply AI to cook the perfect steak and set up SEERGRILLS.

“We developed our first product called Perfecta which is the world’s first AI powered grill, the world’s fastest grill, the world’s most intelligent grill and the world’s most efficient grill.”

The device is powered by NeuralFire technology, which is AI combined with a proprietary cooking system which can cook more than 50 types of food in under three minutes.

AI calculates the time needed to cook the food based on size, surface area and fat content, and the burners adapt as needed.

Sudera’s Birmingham-based company now employs 48 people, many of whom are Aston University alumni, and his product is available to pre-order in the US.

He said as well as providing him with an education his time at Aston University helped grow his technical skillset and demonstrated to him the importance of networking.

He said: “Creating a company or a product is a bit like putting a man on the moon. One has to visualise the future, and then work backwards, breaking down the journey into its most fundamental components and organise these in a pragmatic way which balances priority, cost and resource.

“Think of a five-dimensional moving jigsaw puzzle in your head – It gets very difficult very quickly, therefore planning, focus, hard work and grit are essential.

“Equally, serendipity and networking are powerful, so exploring, constantly learning and putting yourself in new situations can be pivotal. Entrepreneurship is very rewarding process – to do what nobody else has, you must do what nobody else does.”