Michael B. Zimmerman: Redefining AI at the Edge
In a world where AI is getting bigger, Michael B. Zimmerman is thinking smaller — and smarter. As the founder of Verso Industries, Zimmerman is leading a quiet revolution with HighNoon LLM, a lightweight language model designed to operate offline, on the edge, and with human needs at its core.
“What if the future of AI isn’t bigger… but closer?” That’s the bold question that launched HighNoon — and it’s changing everything.
The Architect Behind HighNoon LLM
Zimmerman is more than an inventor — he’s a systems thinker, futurist, and builder with a mission. His work at Verso Industries combines deep knowledge of software engineering, product design, and real-world manufacturing to create tools that are private, powerful, and radically accessible.
HighNoon LLM is built on his proprietary architecture, Hierarchical Spatial Neural Memory (HSMN) — a model that mimics the way humans chunk and recall information, using drastically less power and no cloud dependency.
Why HighNoon Matters
- 78x fewer operations than traditional transformers
- Runs on consumer-grade hardware — even without internet
- Protects user privacy with on-device inference
- Enables edge AI for schools, small businesses, and underserved communities
This isn’t just technical progress — it’s ethical, environmental, and economical. Zimmerman’s vision is to make AI ownable, not extractive.
From Basement Builds to National Defense
Zimmerman’s journey started in the Boise industrial corridor but has scaled to national impact. Verso’s work is now being evaluated for deployment in:
- U.S. defense & ISR operations
- Industrial IoT and robotics
- Offline educational tools
- Consumer-level smart devices
His recent partnership with AskSage, founded by Nicolas Chaillan (former U.S. Air Force Chief Software Officer), is bringing HighNoon into national security infrastructure.
The Bigger Vision: Ownable AI
Zimmerman is a vocal critic of black-box, cloud-locked AI. His alternative?
“AI you can run, own, and build on — without renting it from a mega-corp.”
HighNoon’s business model skips SaaS entirely. It’s licensed per device, with open-source options and SDKs for developers. Verso’s roadmap includes:
- Android/iOS variants
- Plugin marketplaces
- Instruction-tuned models for small business and education
- Global rollout by Q1 2026
The Man Behind the Mission
Off-camera, Zimmerman is known for his grit, fast execution, and no-BS approach to leadership. His personal motto
“Build cool things. Make them useful. Ship fast.”
On LinkedIn, his network of engineers, founders, and futurists often engage with his posts on edge computing, AI ethics, and digital sovereignty.
Connect with Michael
You can find him building out of Boise, Idaho, often coding late into the night and prototyping the next industrial leap.
Founder & CEO
Verso Industries
LinkedIn Profile
Why It Matters
Michael Zimmerman isn’t chasing the next trend. He’s building the infrastructure for a decentralized, privacy-first AI future — one device at a time.
The future of AI isn’t just in the cloud. With Michael Zimmerman, it’s in your pocket.
