Some founders chase hype. Ned Bingham picks the hard problems and builds patiently. With Broccoli, he is tackling a simple idea that has resisted adoption for years, making software-defined hardware practical so new devices at the edge can be built faster, run more efficiently, and cost less.
Ned grew up in Bloomington, earned a PhD in electrical and computer engineering from Cornell, and then stacked real-world experience across the industry. At Intel, he worked on pre-silicon validation for major processor lines. At Qualcomm, he researched advanced arithmetic for high-throughput chips. At Google, he built both developer tooling for next-gen circuits and shipped a production feature end-to-end. At Siden he led architecture reviews, mentored engineers, and redesigned core delivery logic that scaled 100x. That range, from silicon to software to product, is the foundation for Broccoli.
The problem, in plain English
Most computing today runs on CPUs (your everyday processors) or GPUs (the powerful chips that run graphics and AI). There’s another kind of chip, called an FPGA, that can be reconfigured to act like custom hardware. In theory, that makes them fast and efficient, but in practice, programming them is a painfully complex and slow process.
Broccoli’s first product is a tool that simplifies this process. Instead of engineers spending months writing circuit-level code, they can write instructions that look more like normal software, and Broccoli’s tool automatically turns it into the hardware instructions needed for an FPGA. The goal is to keep the performance benefits without the months of specialized work.
Early Traction, Real Revenue
This year, Broccoli secured early non-dilutive support from a regional program aimed at advancing semiconductor innovation. That backing helps the team hit technical milestones, like their September goal of translating simple programs all the way down to hardware. In parallel, Broccoli is generating revenue through engineering services with VIVUM, a robotics company at The Mill, helping them accelerate neural networks on FPGAs. That contracting work is bridging to milestone payments and extending runway.
A co-founder who moved here to build
Broccoli is not a solo act. After months of weekly conversations and a 90-day trial, collaborator Steven Kneiser moved from Indianapolis to Bloomington in June to work on the company. His role is covered under the Silicon Catalyst program, and in the near term the VIVUM contract supports the team until the first milestone payment lands. It is a small example of the civic flywheel we want to see more often, a founder moving here to work on deep tech with real customers.
The roadmap
Broccoli’s plan is deliberate. Phase one: Provide engineering services, embed with customers, and learn their pain points. Phase two: Ship the tool, likely an open-source solution, and make it the default workflow for teams that need hardware speed without the hassle of hardware. Phase three: Manufacture a chip that is easier to use than today’s FPGAs, meeting customers where they already are by integrating with the tool they use every day. It is ambitious, it is practical, and it builds demand in the right order.
The founder's journey
Ned quit his job in 2022, earned an MBA at IU Kelley to sharpen the business side, and then hit the stretch every founder knows, the long middle where momentum is hard to see. Before Stephen joined, he was close to returning to a steady role in the industry. Now there is revenue, a tool headed to a real user, and a path to the next milestone. It feels like a company, not a side project. That shift matters.
Why it matters for Bloomington
Deep tech builds compound value. A better way to design hardware unlocks new products in healthcare, advanced manufacturing, and robotics. It also creates reasons for talented people to live and work here. Broccoli’s story is not about instant wins; it is about steady progress, customer proof, and founders choosing Bloomington as the place to build.
If you are working in semiconductors, robotics, or edge AI and want an intro, reach out. If you are a student or engineer curious about modern hardware design, keep an eye on Broccoli’s toolchain as real users adopt it. This is how the next chapter gets built, one practical milestone at a time.
