EDGEMATRIX Inc. — Contributing to the realization of smart city

The continued growth of urbanization presents new challenges. According to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, nearly 55% of the world’s population resides in urban areas. This figure is expected to rise to 68% by 2050.

Artificial intelligence (AI) in smart cities can be life-changing if implemented in suitable spaces. There are multiple zones in cities or urban development where AI can be used to improve the performance and efficiency of the system.

The rapid increase will occur due to rising populations in major cities and expansions of regional cities. Cities are continuously innovating with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). AI in smart cities will play a significant role in making urbanization more innovative in pursuing sustainable growth. Due to the AI technology used within smart cities, these cities can control waste, traffic, and maintenance and predict pollution risks, energy consumption, and environmental effects. Smart cities cause lesser effects on climate change, smarter decisions, and improved quality of life.

EDGEMATRIX Inc. is an innovative Japan-based company contributing to the realization of the smart city by expanding AI to various fields. The firm has developed a fundamental technology of edge AI for processing real-time video data and provides it as a platform service.

Contributing to the smart city— EDGEMATRIX’s AI products for a smart city

EDGEMATRIX’s “Edge AI Box” is a device that performs AI processing at the site (edge) where the camera is installed and transmits the analysis results as statistical data. In smart cities, surveillance cameras act as “eyes” to detect dangers and anomalies in the city. However, the simultaneous transmission of images from a massive number of cameras will congest the communication network, and the cloud will have to process a large amount of data.

EDGEMATRIX’s “Video edge AI” products and services detect dangers and abnormalities at the site (edge) from camera images and notify them. It is not necessary to transmit all pictures, and it is possible to simultaneously monitor multiple scenes of the site with a smartphone, etc., only when necessary, contributing to an economical and efficient smart city.

Conventionally, technologies such as AI have been developed by developing algorithms that can meet users’ unique needs or by having them learn from large amounts of data. Consequently, while AI development takes time and money, turning it into a business that increases the development results “n-fold” is challenging because it is developed only for unique needs. Over the next two years, we will see many general-purpose AI applications that are easily customizable and versatile. As a result, AI applications can be used immediately at an affordable price when anyone wants to use them. For instance, EDGEMATRIX provides an “EDGEMATRIX store” where users can select various AI apps, download them to the “Edge AI Box,” and use them for a monthly fee.

Apart from the AI application store, EDGEMATRIX provides device services, customization, consulting, and on-site implementation to provide “Video edge AI.” Customers can rely on EDGEMATRIX as a one-stop, end-to-end service for everything from an introduction to the operation of “Video Edge AI.”

The innovation democracy—how EDGEMATRIX optimizes innovation

Decision-making processes in large Japanese companies are now too multi-layered, making it difficult to implement innovative ideas. When asked what EDGEMATRIX’s organizational philosophy on innovation, Co-founder and COO Shinya Motohashi said, “EDGEMATRIX is a startup that creates innovation, has the advantage of being an appropriately sized organization that can make bold decisions with just a few people.”

At EDGEMATRIX, Shinya Motohashi and his team do not let the decision-making process for innovation be fixed at regular meetings. They use various methods such as e-mail, slack, and short-term online conferences to discuss and make decisions quickly. EDGEMATRIX’s employees are free to participate in meetings and exchange ideas, except when confidentiality is required. The company maintains a culture of innovation by combining ideas with other ideas.

According to Shinya, the timing of introducing innovation is the most challenging impediment to innovation within an organization or industry sector. Since the Co-fonders of EDGEMATRIX have been in the industry for a long time, they have learned from its history and can imagine the industry’s future, the shape of the industry, and the technologies, products, and services needed more easily. Nonetheless, experience has revealed that it takes a decade for such an idea to become widely understood and a reality. Therefore, even if you have an innovative idea, you must wait at least five years for it to become a viable business. “I feel that being able to wait for this and being able to survive is important to realizing innovation,” says COO Motohashi.

EDGEMATRIX believes linking its innovations with large companies’ sales and operational resources is vital. EDGEMATRIX wants to grow into a large business through cooperation with shareholders such as NTT, Shimizu Corporation, and Sony.

EDGEMATRIX’s mantra from innovative and customer satisfaction

Today’s thought leaders need creativity to connect the dots and create lines and planes of ideas and information from various sources—including entirely unrelated sources. Moreover, it is not just a concept but a necessity to have the ability to make it visible.

Crucially, business and business leaders must listen to their customers. Since there is a tendency to explain the company’s products and services to customers unilaterally, it is essential to ask good questions and find out the customer’s real problem. It’s vital always to have good topics to talk about.

The small talk around the main topic can often draw good ideas.

Enabling cities to transform into smart cities through edge AI applications

Shinya Motohashi is the Co-founder and COO of EDGEMATRIX Inc. Shinya has over 30 years of experience in corporate planning and management at Japan’s biggest telecom operators. 

After graduating from Hitotsubashi University, he joined KDD (now KDDI) and held key posts in corporate management, including service planning, corporate planning, and corporate secretariat office for two decades. As part of Vodafone’s global strategy team, Motohashi was responsible for developing corporate strategy in Japan. At SoftBank Mobile, he led its WiMax efforts and was the creation of a joint venture with eAccess/eMobile.

He obtained an MBA at the University of Southern California.

“EDGEMATRIX Service makes it easy to install, manage, and expand edge AI for practical use in the field.”