Mike Lynch (information scientist)

Mike Lynch (born 1965) is a British entrepreneur and scientist, known for his work in the field of information retrieval and artificial intelligence. He is the founder of Autonomy Corporation, a software company specializing in unstructured data analysis.

Lynch studied natural sciences at the University of Cambridge, where he earned a PhD in signal processing and pattern recognition. He founded Cambridge Neurodynamics in 1991, which was later renamed Autonomy Corporation in 1996. Autonomy's core technology focused on using Bayesian inference to understand and organize vast amounts of unstructured data, a novel approach at the time.

Under Lynch's leadership, Autonomy grew rapidly, becoming a FTSE 100 company and a major player in the enterprise search and information management market. Its software was used by numerous organizations, including government agencies and corporations, to extract meaning from various data sources such as emails, documents, and audio files.

In 2011, Autonomy was acquired by Hewlett-Packard (HP) for approximately $11 billion. However, within a year, HP wrote down a significant portion of Autonomy's value, alleging accounting irregularities and fraud. This led to a protracted legal battle between HP and Lynch, with HP claiming that Lynch had misrepresented Autonomy's financial performance to inflate its value.

Lynch has consistently denied the allegations of fraud and has maintained his innocence. The legal proceedings and controversies surrounding the Autonomy acquisition have significantly impacted Lynch's reputation and career.

Despite the controversy, Lynch remains a prominent figure in the technology industry and continues to be involved in various ventures. He has invested in and supported numerous startups and is a known advocate for British technology and innovation.