Akamai Enters into Partnership Agreement with EQUES, a Startup from the University of Tokyo Matsuo Lab

Akamai Technologies G.K. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; Representative: Hirokazu Higuma; hereinafter "Akamai") has entered into a partnership agreement with EQUES Inc. (Headquarters: Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo; Representative: Naoki Kishi; hereinafter "EQUES"), a University of Tokyo Matsuo Lab startup engaged in AI development for the pharmaceutical industry and other fields, to support EQUES's customers with AI technology.

Through this collaboration, a fast and secure agent environment will be realized for RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) systems that utilize internal documents and other resources. Additionally, by combining Akamai Inference Cloud with EQUES's advanced AI technology, EQUES will provide hands-on support for AI model Proof of Concept (PoC) tailored to each company's objectives.

Akamai is a technology company providing CDN (Content Delivery Network), cloud security, and cloud computing services. It offers state-of-the-art GPUs "RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell" through its massively distributed platform, one of the largest in the world.

EQUES, a startup from the University of Tokyo Matsuo Lab, provides advanced AI technology to Akamai's customers who need high-level AI infrastructure. It offers "hands-on technology development" that supports customers from requirements definition to operation, addressing their challenges closely.

Representative Comments

Hirokazu Higuma, Representative Director, Akamai Technologies G.K. We are very pleased to welcome EQUES, with its outstanding AI technology and track record from the University of Tokyo Matsuo Laboratory, as a partner. Many companies are currently exploring the practical application of generative AI and RAG, but safe and low-latency infrastructure is essential for the social implementation of advanced models. Through this partnership with EQUES, our customers will be able to leverage AI agents with overwhelming performance while keeping their confidential data secure. By combining the strengths of both companies, we will strongly accelerate the AI transformation of Japanese companies.

Naoki Kishi, Representative Director, EQUES Inc. We are very pleased to collaborate with Akamai Technologies, a global provider of edge and cloud platforms. EQUES excels in algorithm development leveraging cutting-edge deep learning technology and LLMs, as well as their social implementation. We will accelerate the construction of next-generation AI agent platforms by making full use of Akamai's high-performance GPU infrastructure. Through this collaboration's hands-on technology development, we will further accelerate social implementation based on cutting-edge research.

About EQUES Inc. EQUES Inc. is an AI startup from the University of Tokyo Matsuo Lab, with the mission "To be a bridge connecting cutting-edge machine learning technology with practical business fields." It aims to sublimate technologies born at the forefront of R&D into forms usable in actual business operations, accelerating social development. It focuses on "hands-on technology development" that supports customers from requirements definition to operation, "Pharmaceutical AI business" solving challenges in the pharmaceutical industry, and "Energy AI business" including nuclear AI, specializing in regulated industries.

● Company Name: EQUES Inc. ● Location: 6-25-14 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 ● Representative: Naoki Kishi, President and Representative Director ● Business Description: Hands-on technology development business, Pharmaceutical AI business

About Akamai Akamai is a cybersecurity and cloud computing company that empowers and protects online businesses. Our market-leading security solutions, superior threat intelligence, and global operations team provide multi-layered defense to protect enterprise data and applications everywhere. Akamai's full-stack cloud computing solutions deliver high performance and cost on the world's most distributed platform. Many global enterprises trust Akamai to provide the industry's highest levels of reliability, scalability, and expertise needed for business growth. For more information, please visit akamai.com and akamai.com/blog, or follow Akamai Technologies on X or LinkedIn.

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