Personal Side

About Me

Hi! My name's Edward Nutting (but I prefer just Ed). Born in Enfield, London in March '96, I spent 8 great years in Bristol during university before returning to split my time between London and Cambridge.

While I'm passionate about my work in computing, I've always believed in having a life outside of tech. Below are some of the interests and hobbies that keep me balanced and bring me genuine joy.

The Spark: From Curiosity to Computing Innovation

My journey began at age 8 with a simple library book on programming and my dad's patient guidance. But this wasn't just learning to code — it was the beginning of a quest to understand how computers actually work. That early fascination with making machines do "exactly what you want them to" would eventually lead me to question why they couldn't work better.

The Path to Discovery

My technical journey was a systematic dive deeper into the foundations of computing. From C# Windows Forms to web development, from building an 8-bit processor in Minecraft to working on graphics drivers at Imagination Technologies, each step revealed new layers of abstraction.

The breakthrough came during FlingOS development, when writing a custom compiler revealed the fundamental inefficiency between C#'s object memory model and hardware's linear memory architecture. This discovery would define my career path and research focus.

From Discovery to Market Impact

What started as teenage curiosity evolved into rigorous academic research. Using Agda — a dependently-typed language — I formally proved our Integrated Hardware Garbage Collector design, demonstrating that new hardware approaches could eliminate the abstraction gap entirely while delivering 2-5x performance improvements.

Through three startups (including Midspace's virtual conferencing platform), I've learned that breakthrough technology requires more than brilliant engineering — it demands market timing, customer validation, and the right team. Today, I'm applying these hard-won lessons to bring Object Memory Architecture to market, aiming to improve computing performance and security at the silicon level.

Saxophone: Finding Creative Solutions

After failing violin in primary school, I discovered saxophone at 15 — and found something that just clicked. Taking to tenor sax felt natural in a way violin never had, and I quickly progressed through the grades.

I reached jazz grade 6 and found real joy in improvisation. There's something magical about the creative freedom within jazz's structured framework — the way you can take a standard and make it completely your own while still respecting the underlying harmonic progressions.

Solo-Hiking & Wild Camping: Independent Exploration

Solo-hiking and wild camping across the UK started as group adventures but evolved into something I genuinely love doing alone. There's something deeply satisfying about navigating challenging terrain with just what you can carry, finding the perfect spot to pitch a tent, and waking up to incredible views.

From the Lake District to the Alps, Canadian Rockies, and Iceland's Rainbow Mountains, each trip has given me incredible memories. One of my favorites was waking up at sunrise after wild camping and watching deer leap across a col in the distance — moments like that remind you why getting away from screens and cities is so important.

Sailing

At North Herts & East Beds sailing club, I've resumed a hobby I first started as a child. I was fortunate enough to learn to sail at Hert's Young Mariners Base, and later RYA Stage 3 and 4 on Derwent Water. I also completed Competent Crew around the Isle of Wight and was lucky enough to be able to sail in school sports afternoons. There's something deeply satisfying about finding that sweet spot where everything comes together and you're flying across the water.

I love the technical side of sailing — anticipating wind shifts, planning your approach to marks, and the constant micro-adjustments that keep you moving efficiently. It's mentally engaging in a completely different way from work, requiring you to be present and responsive.

Kayaking: Tranquil Exercise

Kayaking on rivers (like the upper Cam to Grantchester) and lakes around the UK is very relaxing. In school I also played kayak polo which was pure chaos and immense fun.

Ultimate Frisbee: Team Sport

Playing Ultimate Frisbee in Cambridge is a recent discovery via an old school friend. It has been a great way back into team sports and every activity helps me with losing a bit of weight. In many ways it's similar to my favourite sport: Water Polo!

Photography & Filming: Visual Communication

FlingOS led me into photography and video work, initially for creating educational content. But I discovered I genuinely enjoy the creative process — framing shots, playing with light, and the satisfaction of editing footage into something that tells a story effectively.

Water Polo: Team Leadership Under Pressure

Water polo until age 17 was incredibly demanding but also hugely rewarding. The sport requires intense focus, quick thinking, and the ability to coordinate complex plays while dealing with the chaos of six people trying to drown each other in pursuit of a ball.

An injury at 16 ended my competitive playing, which was disappointing at the time. But the sport had taught me about pushing through discomfort, working as part of a tight-knit team, and maintaining composure when things get chaotic — all things that have served me well in different contexts since.