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DEEPX is a South Korean on - twist AI chip ( NPU , or neural processing unit ) startup that make ironware and software for various AI covering in electronic devices . The caller announced this hebdomad that it has raise $ 80 million ( KRW 108.5 billion ) in a Series C one shot at a valuation of $ 529 million ( KRW 723 billion ) , which has surged more than eight times from its Series B funding , about $ 15 million , in 2021 .
The Series C financial support , which brings its total raise to around $ 95 million , will go toward mass production of the startup ’s first products — DX - V1 , DX - V3 , DX - M1 and DX - H1 — in late 2024 for world distribution . The startup will also use the young capital to expedite developing and launching its next genesis of large words model ( LLM ) on - gadget solutions .
DEEPXwas constitute in 2018 by CEO Lokwon Kim , who previously exercise at Apple , Cisco Systems , the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center and Broadcom .
The grocery store size of worldwide edge AI , also called on - gimmick AI , isprojected to hand $ 107.47 billion by 2029 , up from $ 11.98 billion in 2021 , accord to a late reputation . “ The on - gadget AI market , omit bound server , requires AI capacity to be implemented , bypassing servers or the cloud , ” Kim told TechCrunch . “ The [ on - gadget AI market ] is expanding due to computer vision capabilities like facial and representative realisation , smart mobility , robotics , the internet of things and physical security systems . ”
Kim enunciate that if its mass yield begins this year , potential customers such as end - product manufacturer will be capable to commercialise their products with DEEPX ’s AI chips in 2025 .
DEEPX , which has around 65 employees , is not the only company that has developed AI chip solutions . The Korean outfit contend withHailo , which landed a $ 120 million funding round last month;SiMa.ai , which closed on $ 70 million , also in April ; andAxelera , a Belgium - based AI poker chip inauguration that ensure $ 27 million in 2022 .
Kim said that his company ’s discriminator let in cost efficiency , get-up-and-go consumption efficiency and All - in-4 AI Total Solution , a comprehensive solution for various AI applications . Its All - in-4 AI solutions include : DX - V1 and DX - V3 , designed for sight systems in home contrivance , surveillance camera organisation , robot vision and drones ; as well as DX - M1 and DX - H1 , which are design for AI computer science boxes , AI servers , smart manufacturing plant and AI relay link silicon chip . DEEPX now has more than 259 patents pending in the U.S. , China and South Korea , Kim said .
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“ Nvidia ’s GPGPU - based solution are the most cost - effective for large oral communication good example services like ChatGPT ; the entire king ingest by GPUs operating has reached level top the electric push of an intact country , ” Kim said . “ This collaborative operation engineering between server - scale AI and on - twist large AI role model are bear to reduce energy consumption and costs a lot equate to trust solely on data centers . ”
The startup does not have client yet but is collaborate with more than 100 likely clients and strategic partners , such as Hyundai Kia Motors Robotics Lab and Korean IT company POSCO DX , to test DEEPX ’s AI chip capability .
SkyLake Equity Partners , a South Korea - base technology - focus private equity business firm , led the tardy investing , with involution from BNW Investments , a Korean private equity firm founded by the former Chief Executive of Samsung LED and Samsung Electronics ’ memory chip unit . AJU IB and old angel Timefolio Asset Management also participated in this rung .
