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Qualcomm Technologies is participating in AX challenge, an initiative from Korea to help promote and support cutting-edge AI startups with proof-of-concept (PoC) projects in order to boost its presence in the fast-growing world of edge AI.
This initiative connects innovative ideas from startups with products that large companies can make use of. By providing support for the commercialization and market entry processes of these developed technologies, Qualcomm Technologies has established individual partnerships with three local companies; Ujung System, P&C Solution, and XSLAB—to develop PoC projects.
Projects that will be developed will use Qualcomm's processors and NPU accelerator cards and will include AR glasses, robots, and on-premise appliances, among other things.
Qualcomm will provide up to 100 million won to each of the participating startup companies for commercialization funding after they have been selected through a structured process, which includes helping out with the planning of their projects.
This initiative will also provide the startups with technical collaboration opportunities, as well as the means to expand into foreign markets, enabling many of the startups to create a larger scale business than they could in the domestic market.
This initiative fits with Qualcomm Technologies' larger goal of creating a fully developed platform for edge AI development by moving beyond hardware into software, tools, and overall developer ecosystems. As part of its expansion beyond just hardware and software, Qualcomm Technologies made its latest acquisitions of Edge Impulse, a development platform for edge AI, and is expected to complete another acquisition shortly of Arduino, an IoT platform with an estimated developer community of 33 million.
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Platforms such as the Arduino Dragonwing powered UNO Q board and App Lab with Edge Impulse will be supported by Qualcomm. These platforms help to accelerate the development of Artificial Intelligence applications for real world devices.
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Qualcomm's technology is used in South Korea's AX program, positioning Qualcomm as the leader in physical Artificial Intelligence, including robotics and augmented reality glasses that connect with the tangible world.
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This strategy aims to establish Qualcomm's hardware and software as the de facto technologies for developers, thereby generating a consistent demand for Qualcomm technology and a long-term ecosystem growth opportunity.