Ridge-i, a consulting and development company for AI and deep learning technologies, has entered into a partnership with ORIX Corporation (Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Ryo Inoue; hereinafter "ORIX"), Global Brain Corporation (Head Office: (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President: Yasuhiko Yurimoto; hereinafter "Global Brain") and Sparx Group K.K. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Shuhei Abe; hereinafter "Sparx"). This brings the total amount of funds raised by the Company to approximately 1.53 billion yen.
Underwriters
Underwriters Background and purpose of the procurement
Ridge Eye is a tech innovation firm that creates a new society by confronting social and customer issues in the areas of AI and deep learning, and solving them using cutting-edge technology. Starting with strategic planning and on-site consultation, we provide one-stop services such as assessment of implementation effectiveness, development of advanced custom AI to meet the needs, implementation, and self-starting by the client, leading various projects to actual operation with a high success rate. The company is also proactively addressing social issues and SDGs, communicating the possibilities of a new society using its technology, such as AI for analyzing landslides using satellite images.
This round of funding is positioned as a business strategy round to strengthen the product and AI engine development system and to build a sales system so that the AI technology and implementation knowledge that we have cultivated to date can be delivered to a wider range of needs. In addition, our space development and satellite analysis business for social issues and SDGs is in the investment phase, and by strengthening our financial base through this procurement, we aim to create needs by more proactively communicating and accelerating research and development.
We aim to create new needs. Investment destination of procured funds
- Accelerating the development and provision of advanced custom AI
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- Expanding the development system and strengthening sales deployment of AI products
- Strengthen computational resources
- Research and development of core AI technologies, such as accuracy improvement technology using a small number of data
- Develop AI x α joint solutions that leverage the strengths of partner companies
- Develop technologies and services centered on AI for satellite image analysis to solve social issues
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- Provide a portal service for AI analysis using satellite images
- Development of environmental monitoring AI for natural disaster risks such as landslides and ocean pollution
- Development of AI for monitoring social activities such as human flow trends and behavior analysis
- Research on image processing and signal processing technologies specialized for satellite image analysis
- Development of an integrated image analysis business that combines satellites and drones
- Strengthen organizational capabilities and promote R&D research by hiring talented people
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- Strengthen recruitment activities
- Accelerate new research and development for the next stage of AI, such as point cloud data processing and multimodal technology
- Joint research with universities (collaboration with the University of Tokyo on architectural informatics)
Collaboration with universities Business alliance with ORIX
In order to promote ORIX's utilization of AI technology within the group, we will combine Ridge AI's strengths in AI and deep learning technology and problem-solving capabilities to improve productivity and operational efficiency. In addition, we aim to provide practical AI solutions while incorporating ORIX's unique expertise in diversified businesses.
Comments from each company Comments from each company (in alphabetical order)
ORIX Corporation Hiroyuki Ishinaga, Executive Officer, Deputy General Manager, Corporate Sales Division, in charge of Strategic Sales
ORIX and Ridge AI have consulting capabilities that clarify the essential issues faced by customers, as well as extremely advanced technological capabilities such as image and signal processing technology and machine learning technology that can be applied to small amounts of data. We are very pleased to start this capital and business alliance with Ridgeye.
We will continue to promote the utilization of AI within the ORIX Group as a mid- to long-term partner. In addition, by leveraging the strengths of both companies, we will develop new products and services that utilize video data, and aim to provide practical AI solutions that will solve management issues for companies nationwide.
Yasuhiko Yurimoto, President and Representative Director, Global Brain Inc.
We are very pleased to be able to invest in Ridge-i again.
Global Brain strongly sympathizes with Ridge-i's philosophy of solving social issues using cutting-edge technology, and has decided to make an additional investment in Ridge-i based on its high evaluation of the excellent team that makes it a reality. We will continue to provide multifaceted support for Ridge-i's growth, including business development and intellectual property strategy, in order to help the company achieve further growth.
Shuhei Abe, Representative Director, President and Group CEO, Sparx Group K.K.
In the wake of the global spread of the new coronavirus, companies are increasingly being asked to change to new ways of working, mainly through the use of DX and AI. The introduction of AI is also urgently needed in industries that support the foundation of Japan, such as automotive manufacturing, plants, and infrastructure, but it is still difficult to introduce AI in these industries, where small mistakes can easily lead to major accidents and damages.
Ridge-i is one of the few companies that have the technical capability to understand the challenges of AI adoption by client companies, formulate effective AI utilization policies, and realize them. SPARX hopes that Ridge-i will use its experience, technology, and high level of vision to promote a further leap forward in the Japanese industry in the With/After Corona field, and continue to add value over the long term. We will continue to support them so that they can continue to demonstrate their value for a long time.
About Ridge-i Corporation
Ridge-i is a tech innovation firm that creates a new society by confronting social and customer issues in the AI and deep learning domains, and solving them using cutting-edge technology. We are particularly strong in our ability to develop solutions that combine various technologies for analyzing image and sensor data with AI, including deep learning, and we work to solve problems by providing solutions that are technologically optimized with high return on investment. We have been working not only on customer issues but also on many social issues, and received the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award at the 4th Space Utilization Awards for our deep learning for landslide analysis commissioned by JAXA. In the future, we will continue to pursue both practical use of technology and research, and provide the best solutions that society and our customers can feel the effects of in a sustainable manner.
Company name: Ridge-i Inc.
Establishment: July 2016
Location: 438 Otemachi Building, 1-6-1 Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Representative: Naofumi Yanagihara, President and Representative Director
Business description: 1) Consulting and development of AI and deep learning technologies
2) Provision of products through joint ventures, licensing, maintenance models, and in-house development
URL:. https://ridge-i.com
Contact Us contact@ridge-i.com