Notice regarding investment in Ridge-i Inc. and conclusion of a basic business alliance agreement
~Accelerating technological advances through the use of AI and IoT technologies~
Ebara Corporation (President and CEO: Masao Asami, hereinafter referred to as "Ebara"), together with INCJ Ltd.* and Ricoh Co., Ltd., is pleased to announce that it has invested 100 million yen in Ridge-i Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Ridge-i") and concluded a basic agreement for a business alliance aimed at planning, research, and development related to the use of AI and IoT technologies.
1. Background
Ebara has set the introduction of AI and IoT technologies as one of the measures in its ongoing medium-term management plan, E-Plan 2019, and this basic business alliance agreement will accelerate that movement. Ridge-i provides consulting services and develops solutions and products that utilize cutting-edge AI and deep learning technologies. Ebara Environmental Plant Co., Ltd., a member of our group, has already successfully conducted a demonstration experiment of an automated crane system equipped with a waste identification AI that replaces the eyes of experienced operators, utilizing image analysis technology jointly developed with Ridge-i, and has begun operation.
Ridge-i's "spirit of challenge" to boldly take on cutting-edge and unexplored fields overlaps with Ebara's corporate attitude of challenging change, and we have decided to invest in Ridge-i as a business partner and deepen our collaborative relationship.
2-1 Overview
With this agreement, EBARA will use Ridge-i's cutting-edge technology as a cornerstone to work on the following items to improve production processes and increase the added value of products and services across the entire business of the EBARA Group.
(1) Replacing human visual inspections of products
(2) Optimizing processes and ensuring safe operations by tracking the movements of people and things during manufacturing
(3) Optimizing machine operation timing through environmental data analysis
3. Future developments
Ebara will continue to contribute to the realization of a prosperous society by providing products and services that exceed customer expectations.
| Company Name | Ridge-i Inc. |
|---|---|
| Representative | President and CEO: Takashi Yanagihara |
| Established | 2016 |
| Business Description | AI and Deep Learning Technology Consulting and Development |
| URL | https://ridge-i.com/ opens in a new tab |
By addressing our medium-term management plan and key ESG issues, the EBARA Group aims to achieve our management policies and further increase our corporate value, thereby contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
* Launched in September 2018 as a new entity spun off from the existing public-private fund, Innovation Network Corporation of Japan.
