Joseph Alan Narai

Zenso

December 2020 – now

Founding Partner

Zenso uses the principles of Zen and Enso to create digital experiences for humans. We are modern digital architects, enthralling storytellers and technology innovators. We are the perfect blend of technical skill, analytical focus and passionate creativity.

Responsibilities

• Company Establishment including: Initial company set-up, budget and cash-flow preparation.
• Technology Evaluation and Management including: Evaluating technologies, components and systems for use in our current and future products and IT systems.
• Research and Development management including: Product specification and design including software, electronic, mechanical, ergonomic and UI design, project planning, alpha and beta test coordination, as well as supervising documentation and technical support.
• Main programming languages: C# (Avalonia, Unity), Swift

zenso.group

Flux Keyboard

January 2025 – now

Senior Engineer

The Flux Keyboard reimagines the keyboard with a display beneath transparent mechanical keys, adapting instantly to any software, language and style.

Responsibilities

• Software and firmware development across the keyboard's embedded display software, device communications and microcontroller firmware, as well as the desktop companion app.
• Main programming languages: C, Dart (Flutter)

fluxkeyboard.com

DEQX

March 2024 – now

Chief Operating Officer / Chief Technology Officer, October 2025 – now

Chief Operating Officer, July 2024 – October 2025

R&D Manager, March 2024 – June 2024

DEQX has been pioneering digital loudspeaker correction, crossover and room compensation technology for over 20 years.

Responsibilities

• Chief Operating Officer, expanding my R&D management duties to also include preparing business plans, budgets, company scaling and expansion into new markets.
• Research and Development management including product specification and design including software, electronic, mechanical, ergonomic and UI design, project planning, alpha and beta test coordination, as well as supervising documentation and technical support.

deqx.com

Design to Production

July 2022 – June 2024

Chief Technical Officer, July 2022 – October 2023

Senior Software and Firmware Engineer, October 2023 – June 2024

Design to Production is passionate about designing and integrating innovative digital signage solutions, enabling brands to interact seamlessly with customers at all touch screen monitor touchpoints.

Responsibilities

• Technology Evaluation and Management including evaluating technologies, components and systems for use in current and future products and IT systems.
• Research and Development management including product specification and design including software, electronic, mechanical, ergonomic and UI design, project planning, alpha and beta test coordination, as well as supervising documentation and technical support.
• Production debugging and testing and customer support.
• Main programming languages: C# (Unity, .NET), C (RP2040 Embedded CPU)

d-p.com.au

Monarc Media Labs

December 2018 – June 2021

Co-Founder / Chief Technology Officer

Monarc Media Labs is creating media technology that empowers deep creative expression.

Responsibilities as CTO

• Technology Evaluation and Management including: Evaluating technologies, components and systems for use in our current and future products and IT systems.
• Research and Development management including: Product specification and design including software, electronic, mechanical, ergonomic and UI design, project planning, alpha and beta test coordination, as well as supervising documentation and technical support.
• I’m also very hands on with software and am responsible for overall software architecture and development across all of the subsystems.
• Main programming languages: C, C++, C# (.NET, Unity)

Responsibilities as Co-Founder

• Company Establishment including: Initial company set-up, locating and fit out of premises, budget and cash-flow preparation.
• Monthly Reporting and Board Meetings.

monarc.media

Transmedia Entertainment

July 2012 – November 2018

Founder / Managing Director

Transmedia Entertainment was a leading-edge transmedia studio, specialising in immersive storytelling, compelling universe creation, film, TV & game production, mobile apps, ergonomic UI design and general tech development.

Achievements

My achievements include: successfully securing and developing a variety of transmedia projects including the world’s first Immersive Cinematic Virtual Reality Comic Book, a unique VR Game Show to help Qantas Super members engage with their super, an interactive audio visual installation for the Sydney Vivid festival as well as many other innovative VR applications and two award winning short films. I also successfully verified a novel concept design for a virtual reality recording and playback system for a KUKA Entertainment Robot.

Responsibilities

• Company Establishment including: Initial company set-up, locating and fit out of premises, budget and cash-flow preparation.
• Technology Evaluation and Management including: Evaluating technologies, components and systems for use in our current and future products and IT systems.
• Research and Development management including: Product specification and design including software, electronic, mechanical, ergonomic and UI design, project planning, alpha and beta test coordination, as well as supervising documentation and technical support.
• I’m also very hands on with software and am responsible for overall software architecture and development across all of the subsystems.
• Main programming languages: C# (Unity), C, C++, Node JS, Objective-C, Java

transmedia-entertainment.com

Smart AV

August 2003 – June 2012

Chief Technology Officer, 2005 – 2012

Co-Founder / Chief Executive Officer / Chief Operating Officer, 2003 – 2005

Smart AV was a Sydney based company designing and manufacturing patented control surfaces for digital audio and video workstations.

Achievements

• Winning Best Product in “Desk Controller category” for “Tango 2”, Resolution Awards, 2012.
• 2011, Developing Tango 2, a second generation touch screen based control surface, from concept to production prototype in a 9 month period.
• 2008, Developing Tango, a touch screen based control surface, from concept to production prototype in a 9 month period.
• 2005, Developing the Professional Series Smart Console from concept to production prototype in a 9 month period.
• Winning Best product of show for The Smart Console at AES, San Francisco, October 2005.
• Winning an Australian Design Award for The Smart Console, April 2005.
• Winning an Award for Innovation in Media for The Smart Console at NAB, Las Vegas, April 2005.
• Developing the Elite Series Smart Console from concept to production prototype in a 12 month period, 2003.

Responsibilities as CTO

• Technology Evaluation and Management including: Evaluating technologies, components and systems for use in our current and future products. Considering and planning for product life cycles and finding suitable replacement components and sub systems.
• Research and Development management including: Product specification and design including software, electronic, mechanical, ergonomic and UI design, project planning, alpha and beta test coordination, as well as supervising documentation and technical support.
• Software interface management and development including: Liaising with Digital Audio Workstation manufacturers, engine interface communication and protocol specification and development and debugging.
• I’m also very hands on with software and responsible for all physical and virtual UI development.
• Main programming languages: C, C++

Responsibilities as Co-Founder / CEO / COO

• Company Establishment including: Initial company set-up, locating and fit out of premises, budget and cash-flow preparation.
• Sales and Marketing management including: Preparation of marketing materials, trade show planning and attendance, product demonstration, establishing international dealer network.
• After the successful console launch I wanted to focus exclusively on product development so my founding partner and co-founder took over as CEO/COO and I became CTO.

Macquarie University

January 2003 – June 2003

Technical Business Consultant

Macquarie University’s Centre for Lasers and Applications (CLA) was established in 1988 as an Australian Commonwealth Special Research Centre. It is one of Australia’s leading research organizations. Research interests within the CLA range from fundamental laser and optical physics, through laser technology and engineering, and on to related applications.

Responsibilities

• I performed a business analysis for the development of a business plan for the medical commercialisation of a patented Yellow Laser system developed by the Centre for Lasers and Applications at the university.
• The business analysis included: market analysis including market size and segmentation, competitor analysis along with a detailed product review and drafting of the product specification.
• I also performed a systems engineering analysis with estimated costs and timetables to take the product from its current state to full production.

AV Media / Fairlight

November 2001 – August 2003

Co-Founder / Chief Operating Officer

Established in November 2001, AV Media was set up as a member of the Fairlight Group of companies. AV Media purchased DSP Media’s IP and focused its development on three major areas: V motion – a video hard disk recorder / player, AV transfer – a utility software program for audio and video file conversion and AV edit – a windows based digital audio and video workstation. These three products have since become the core of Fairlight’s new product line.

Achievements

• Keeping the key members of the DSP Media R&D team together while successfully managing the transition from DSP to AV Media / Fairlight.
• Developing several innovative new products.
• Returning a profit within nine months of company start in a difficult economic and business climate.

Responsibilities

I set up and managed the company consisting of a team of seven R&D engineers and production staff. My duties included budget and cash-flow preparation, liaising with worldwide Fairlight sales offices, new product specification and design, project planning, production management along with marketing and trade show planning and attendance and product demonstration. Main programming languages: C, C++.

DSP / DSP Media

July 1991 – September 2001

Co-Founder / Chief Technology Officer, 1999 – 2001

Co-Founder / Managing Director, 1991 – 1999

Digital Studio Processing (dSP) was a pioneering player in the global digital audio post-production market. Its primary product was the Postation, a combined hard disk based audio editor, video player and mixing control surface. DSP Media was the post venture capital form of Digital Studio Processing. It was a global company with offices in Los Angeles, London and Sydney with over 40 employees.

Achievements

• I managed the growth of the company from 6 staff with an annual turnover of $500k (from primarily Australian sales), to a company with 25 staff and an annual turnover of over $4M from a global distribution network.
• Successful capital raising to grow the company further.
• Developing two new products in very fast turnaround times. The main product was our second generation audio production station, Postation II, developed in a record time of 9 months from first concept to delivery of the first production unit.
• Evolving our disk based video recorder into a standalone product called V motion, redesigned in a 6 month period using a newly developed hardware video board.
• Winning an Australian Design Award for Postation II, April 2002.

Responsibilities

• As Managing Director I was responsible for developing the strategy for growing the company, particularly getting the company established as an exporter. I set up distribution channels in Japan, UK, Germany and the USA.
• The company applied for three successful government R&D grant applications (totalling around $1.5M over four years). In addition to my managerial duties I also led the R&D team and was a lead programmer.
• During 1999 I was heavily involved in preparing the information memorandum and securing the deal to raise $2M capital for expansion, then moved to full time CTO to focus solely on new product development.
• Main programming languages: C, C++
• I also had boardroom responsibilities, both reporting to and chairing board meetings, and was heavily involved in the raising of a second round of finance (US$4M) for the company’s continued growth.

Spinifex / JMC / Time Delay

November 1988 – June 1991

Spinifex Technologies · Co-Founder / Managing Director / Lead Programmer, Dec 1990 – June 1995

Spinifex Technologies was set up as a software consultancy / contract company. I led development of the software for a world class audio product from initial concept through to commercial product while undertaking PhD studies in Laser Flow Cytometry. As Managing Director and Lead Programmer, I was responsible for contract negotiation, design specification, allocation of tasks to the two other programmers, liaison with potential customers, application debugging, trade show attendance and product demonstration. Main programming language: C. In June of 1995, the founder of Digital Studio Processing Pty. Ltd. passed away and I was asked by the remaining shareholder to take over as Managing Director, which is the reason I withdrew from my PhD studies.

JMC Academy of Audio Engineering · Digital Audio Course Developer / Lecturer, Nov 1991 – Dec 1993

JMC Academy was a Sydney based Audio Engineering school, and is now a global media education business. I developed, wrote and taught JMC’s first digital audio engineering course and delivered the lectures and tutorials.

Time Delay Studios · Owner / Audio Engineer, Nov 1988 – Dec 1992

Time Delay Studios was an owner operated recording studio based in Sydney, primarily recording demonstration tapes for unsigned recording artists and groups. As well as successfully managing my first small business, I designed and developed a computer music MIDI sequencer for use in the studio which evolved into the digital audio workstation software that was to become the basis for Digital Studio Processing’s Digital Audio Workstation.

NIDA

2009

The Director – 6 month part time Directing course. NIDA is Australia’s National Institute of Dramatic Art, a centre of excellence in training for theatre, film and television.

Actors Centre Australia

2003

Power of Acting – 1 Year part time Acting Course. Australia’s premier one year part time acting program, exploring and claiming a practical, flexible and highly effective acting technique.

Macquarie University

1990 – 1995

PhD Laser Physics / Laser Flow Cytometry

5 years research work including a final thesis outline. Withdrawn due to business commitments, see Professional Experience (Spinifex Technologies / dSP).

Achievements

• During my PhD I developed a new technique allowing for the first time, the use of pulsed lasers in laser flow cytometry. I drafted a provisional patent which was applied for on behalf of the University.
• Being able to image every individual cell in a flow cytometer using high sensitivity cooled CCD detectors and high repetition rate pulsed lasers. Previous research had captured images of cells in flow, but we were the first to allow image capturing of EVERY cell in a given sample.
• Toward the end of my research work, I led the technical instrumentation team applying Laser Flow Cytometry to detect Cryptosporidium and Giardia parasites in drinking water. The techniques we developed were published and are still being used today by water authorities around the world.
• I was also involved in the commercialisation of other technology in the Centre for Lasers and Applications during my time at the University.

JMC Academy

1989

Sound Engineering Certificate / Audio Engineering and Production

Assessment: 78.8%, Theory: 95.7%, Practical: 81%.

University of NSW

1985 – 1988

Bachelor of Science, Hons (Physics)

Majors in Marine Acoustics and Computer Modelling. Honours Class 2, Division 1.

Achievements

Along with the basic course work, I was awarded two university prizes for my work in practical laser physics. A co-student and I developed a technique for traffic (car movement) detection using optical fibres. The technique was patented by the University and I was involved in drafting the patent as well as finding and working with a company to commercially develop the technology.