May 13, 2024

Aizip - Small Models Make Everything Think

Hanzhe Zhang

Introduction

Large language models like ChatGPT have become increasingly popular due to their impressive capabilities, achieved through extensive architectures and vast datasets. These models often require significant computational resources and are typically hosted on endpoint devices with substantial capacity. A key technical aspect of these large models is their ability to process and analyze immense amounts of data, enabling them to generate context-aware responses, which are usually delivered over the internet. However, smaller models offer distinct advantages, especially for devices with limited capacity, providing value in contexts where large-scale models are impractical.

Aizip

AiZip exemplifies the potential of smaller models by developing compact AI solutions that can operate offline on devices with limited resources. Based in Silicon Valley, AiZip is a leader in AI model design for IoT (AIoT). With its breakthrough neural network architecture and proprietary automated design tools, AiZip has demonstrated a wide range of deep neural networks (DNN) with superior performance. Since its founding in 2020, AiZip has been designing and delivering TinyML models to diverse customers worldwide. These models are tailored to specific business needs, making them highly adaptable and easy to deploy. For instance, imagine a hiking AI agent integrated into a smartwatch that can navigate, answer hiking-related questions, and provide emergency assistance, all without an internet connection. Because AiZip’s solutions involve models small enough to run on low-cost devices, there are numerous deployment scenarios available to customers. The ability of AiZip’s models to function independently of the internet makes them incredibly valuable in scenarios where connectivity is limited or unavailable.

Why We Invest

Product and Technology

AiZip’s proprietary technology enables the development of a wide variety of products efficiently and rapidly. The company's slogan, “We build AI to build AI,” reflects its AI Nanofactory technology, developed in collaboration with eminent AI scientists from well-known institutions. This fully automated AI design pipeline can design and deploy specialized AI models, essential for the proliferation of intelligent applications. AiZip’s process, which minimizes the need for human intervention, is significantly more efficient than conventional methods, allowing the company to serve a broader market with diverse customer needs compared to competitors relying on traditional model production techniques.

Market

The AIoT market is rapidly growing as AI technology matures, opening up new opportunities for products and services that previously did not incorporate AI. According to a report by Brandessence Market Research and Consulting, the global Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) market was valued at USD 15.04 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach USD 144.07 billion by 2028, with a CAGR of 38.1% over the forecast period. Additionally, Digitimes estimates that the market scale for IoT and AIoT applications is expected to sustain a CAGR of over 30%, topping USD 80 billion by 2026.

Founding Team

AiZip’s founding team combines strong technical and business expertise. Yan Sun, the founder, has established five different companies over the past 24 years and has extensive research experience, including positions as faculty at well-known universities. Yubei Chen, who studied under Yann LeCun, a distinguished scholar in field of machine learning, is also a co-founder at AiZip. Since its founding in 2020, AiZip’s team has developed and refined its proprietary technologies, attracting a broad range of customers from various industries.

Conclusion

We invest in AiZip because it represents a compelling combination of innovative technology, a rapidly expanding market, and a strong, experienced founding team. AiZip’s proprietary AI Nanofactory technology positions it to meet the growing demand for efficient, scalable AI solutions across diverse industries. The company's ability to deliver high-performance, compact AI models that operate independently of internet connectivity opens numerous opportunities in the AIoT space, a market projected to grow exponentially in the coming years. With a visionary leadership team that has a proven track record of success, AiZip is well-equipped to capitalize on these opportunities and deliver substantial returns on investment.

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