#Japan #Edge AI #Yokohama #Seaside #Tokyo Artisan Intelligence

Tokyo Artisan Intelligence Secures 1.11 Billion Yen in Series B+ Funding

Tokyo Artisan Intelligence (TAI), a pioneering company in edge AI technology, has announced the successful completion of its Series B+ funding round, raising approximately 1.11 billion yen. This strategic move will not only allow TAI to partner with major companies such as JR East Consultants and Kyushu Railway Company but will also pave the way for the development of their next-generation edge AI platform, SEASIDE (A Specified Edge AI SoM for Intelligence Design and Embedding)-R6.

Funding Purpose and Anticipations

The newly acquired funds will be directed towards the development of reconfigurable AI semiconductor chips that will be integrated into the SEASIDE platform. With the rapidly growing demands for AI processing capabilities, especially in sectors like rail transportation and manufacturing, TAI aims to address significant challenges related to heat generation and processing efficiency. Using Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) technology, the newly designed chips will not only optimize AI processing circuits but also eliminate inefficient capabilities that contribute to overheating, consequently supporting advanced AI systems in various industries.

In the previous funding round, TAI commenced mass production of the SEASIDE-R6 platform, which has already been employed in several practical solutions. The feedback gained from various Proof of Concept (PoC) projects informed the enhancements made to the platform, ensuring that it could effectively operate AI processing tasks under challenging real-world conditions.

Strategic Partnerships and Expansion Plans

TAI's CEO and CTO, Hirotaka Nakahara, expressed immense gratitude for the support from leading investors, particularly Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Capital. Their continued investment is seen as a validation of TAI's superior technology and a testament to the company’s potential for scalability in the field of edge AI. Nakahara emphasized that the partnership with JR East Consultants and JR Kyushu marks a significant milestone, enabling TAI’s technology to enter practical application phases.

Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Capital’s Masayuki Shiromatsu also commended TAI’s exceptional capabilities, particularly in the field of image recognition, achieving over 99% accuracy in tasks such as species identification. He remarked on TAI's unique advantage of providing a seamless integration of AI software development and hardware maintenance solutions, reinforcing the expectation of expanding into wider markets both domestically and globally.

Tokyo Artisan Intelligence’s Vision and Future Outlook

Established in March 2020 as an offshoot of Tohoku University, TAI aims to cultivate skilled personnel while advancing computation technology and facilitating the social implementation of AI solutions. The company is dedicated to refining its edge AI technology which enables its systems to perform complex AI algorithms locally, thereby negating the need for cloud involvement. This approach promotes energy efficiency and real-time processing capabilities, vital in sectors such as industrial manufacturing, healthcare, and infrastructure.

In the upcoming year, TAI plans to invest in talent development to bolster its expansion into edge AI projects while simultaneously establishing a mass production framework. The aim is to deliver robust and efficient AI solutions tailored to meet specific industrial demands, thereby addressing crucial issues like labor shortages and operational reforms in contemporary society.

Conclusion

With the completion of this significant round of financing, Tokyo Artisan Intelligence is positioned for substantial growth within the edge AI sector. The advancements in AI semiconductor technology and continued partnerships with major industry players will enable TAI not only to resolve existing societal challenges but also to lead innovations that shape the future of edge AI applications across various domains.