NEWS

2021.6.2

［Press Release］AWL, a Leading Edge AI Camera Solution Provider, Raises a Total of JPY 2.0 billion in Series B Round

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Press Release

AWL, a Leading Edge AI Camera Solution Provider,
Raises a Total of JPY 2.0 billion in Series B Round
-Strengthening R&D, business development and support system
with a view to large-scale rollout-

AWL, Inc. (Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, President and CEO: Muneharu Kitade, hereinafter referred to as the “Company”), a Hokkaido University-certified startup and the market leader in edge AI camera solutions, announced a total of JPY 2 billion in Series B round funding and its issue of third-party allocation of shares with Rakuten Capital, the corporate venture capital arm of Rakuten Group, Inc. as the lead investor. The following three companies will serve as underwriters: i-Lab No. 4 Investment Limited Partnership, SATUDORA HOLDINGS CO.,LTD., and The Chugoku Electric Power Company, Incorporated.

With the latest funding, the Company has secured a total of JPY 2.66 billion to date.

■Purpose of Raising Funds

The Company is developing services centered on “AWLBOX”, a dedicated edge AI device which makes existing security cameras AI-enabled, and AWL Lite, which is installed on tablets or signage to conduct AI analysis and promote automation. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic continuing since last year, by promptly releasing new solutions such as mask detection, crowd estimation, fever screening and facial recognition as preventive measures, the Company has won a new and wider range of customers such as local governments, government offices, hospitals, schools, and hotels and succeeded in expanding business targets in addition to their original target, the retail industry.

Beyond the PoC phase, as the needs for DX promotion in store / facility management are rapidly increasing, the Company is receiving strong demand to introduce its unique solutions to all stores and facilities of nationwide chains. With this funding, the Company will enhance and strengthen its business development system, operation support system, and back-office system along with its research and development system, the key to its competitiveness, to steadily realize large-scale expansion.

■The characteristics of AWL’s services

The Company’s AI camera solutions are characterized by the uniqueness of the image processing terminal (edge AI) called “AWLBOX”. By processing the images taken by the existing security cameras installed on the ceiling etc. with “AWLBOX”, it makes it possible to analyze attributes of customers, customer behavior such as time spent on the sales floor / in front of merchandise shelves, interaction with merchandise, along with analysis to visualize employees’ operation and the way of working, leading to improved productivity and work efficiency. The store video data is not sent to the Cloud at all. Only anonymized data such as age and gender that does not identify individuals is saved, which can be utilized to create new marketing strategies such as customer analysis, store operations improvement, and product planning.

Furthermore, since the “AWLBOX” system is compatible with IP cameras already installed in stores (10,500 types as of the May 2021), clients don’t need to purchase or install new cameras. For this reason, the system can be introduced at a cost of about 1/10 compared to similar services, and several chain stores with hundreds and even thousands of stores are considering introduction to all stores. Additionally, through collaboration with these companies, AWL has begun full-scale rollout to customers other than retail stores, such as accommodation facilities, transportations, factories and construction sites to visualize various real spaces utilizing AI.

AWL’s AI solution is developed by experienced engineers and researchers from 17 countries around the world who are the experts in video analysis, machine learning (deep learning, etc.), and the SaaS business model. The Company plans to utilize this funding to enhance and strengthen its research system for new feature development, video analysis and machine learning technology for AWLBOX and AWL Lite. In addition, the Company will accelerate the recruitment of human resources for business expansion, strengthen the operation support system for large-scale system introduction, and promote new business development applying video analysis technology.

■About AWL, Inc.

Founded in 2016, AWL, Inc. is a Hokkaido University-certified startup where elites from 17 countries around the world gather to implement AI in the real-world taking advantage of its diversity and technological capabilities. In 2021, AWL received the “EY Innovative Startup 2021” award from Ernst & Young ShinNihon LLC. AWL leads the future of retail with the AI solutions centered on “AWLBOX”, a dedicated edge AI device which turns existing security cameras into AI-enabled device at lower cost, and AWL Lite, which enables AI utilization easily and at an affordable cost.