Tokyo – February 4, 2020 – OPEN8 a leading provider of SaaS, API, and MLaaS (Machine Learning as a Service) businesses using AI technology, is pleased to announce the appointment of Tadashi Furukaya as Vice President of Engineering (hereinafter referred to as “VPoE”).

With Mr. Furukaya’s participation as VPoE, we will promote the enhancement of both technical and organizational capabilities of our engineering team, which consists of about 50 members in two locations, Tokyo and Singapore. Mr. Ishibashi, our CTO, will oversee the formulation and execution of the company-wide technology strategy for product development and will lead the deepening of OPEN8 CORE TECHNOLOGY by confronting the more technologically challenging areas.

Tadashi Furukaya, VPoE (left) and Hisatake Ishibashi, CTO (right)

Biography of Tadashi Furukaya

2000
Joined CSK Corporation. Engaged in the development of services for mobile carriers

2008
Joined M3 Co. Contributed to the growth of the company through the development and operation of its core businesses, including MR-kun, member management, and point services, as well as the launch of new teams, management of the entire engineering group, and IT due diligence.

Feb. 2020
Joined Open8 Corporation. Appointed as Vice President of Engineering (VPoE)

As a “content technology company,” OPEN8 supports the dissemination of information by companies by providing “VIDEO BRAIN,” an in-house AI video editing cloud developed by combining the knowledge of video content production and distribution cultivated in the video advertising and video media businesses with AI technology. In 2019, the company was awarded the “2019 Red Herring Top 100 Asia Winner,” a prize given by Red Herring to innovative venture companies in Asia.

Leveraging Furukaya’s experience, knowledge, and technical expertise in developing engineering organizations, we will continue to strengthen our organizational development and technical improvement to constantly strive to create experiences that make people move.

◆Comment from Tadashi Furukaya (VPoE)

Through conversations with the CEO, CTO, and engineers, I was able to empathize with OPEN8’s core values and was attracted to the way they spoke with enthusiasm and joy about “creating a world where people can experience high-quality information that makes people move”.

From my experience as an engineer involved in video distribution, I felt a great sense of challenge that providing high-quality content was extremely difficult and required very high costs and time from production to distribution. I am convinced that OPEN8 with VIDEO BRAIN will be able to dramatically change this situation.

As a content technology company, we will continue to grow our business and create new markets with speed and I will take part to create an organization with a strong team with the best members.

◆Comment from Hisatake Ishibashi (CTO)

In line with the business expansion of our in-house AI video editing cloud “VIDEO BRAIN”, we have been strengthening our engineering organization. By welcoming Mr. Furukaya as VPoE, which is committed to maximizing productivity and growth of the engineering organization, we will promote organizational development that combines speed and power by strongly meshing technical and organizational capabilities.

I, as CTO, will focus on management and technical decision making and will concentrate on solving technically challenging issues with a highly skilled organization.

Together, we will build a stronger engineering organization to create a world where people can experience high-quality information that moves.

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ABOUT OPEN8 Inc.
OPEN8 Inc. is a content technology company that develops our own AI technology centered on natural language processing and computer vision and possesses “OPEN8 CORE TECHNOLOGY” which consists of algorithm and software modules.

We support companies from various industries to deliver visualized information through the provision of APIs such as the automatic video generation function and “Video BRAIN”, an in-house AI automated video editing cloud service. We also combine our expertise in video content production and distribution knowledge cultivated in the video advertising and video media businesses. In 2019 we were awarded as one of the Red Herring Top 100 Asia Winner, an award given by Red Herring to innovative private technology ventures in Asia.

Based on our business concept of “becoming a growth driver of every company’s information distribution strategy with AI and SaaS,” the company offers the following three businesses

(1) SaaS Business
We provide “Video BRAIN”, an in-house AI automated video editing cloud service to businesses. Once you submit materials such as photos and text, the AI engine analyzes the data and creates a video with a storyline. Anyone can easily create rich video content within a few minutes. Many companies from small businesses to enterprises have adopted this service, regardless of business or objectives including PR, instruction manual, or recruiting contents.

(2) API Business
We provide the “OPEN8 CORE TECHNOLOGY” which consists of algorithm and software modules as an API. It can be used as a stand-alone solution or in combination with multiple technologies and can be used by corporate needs.

(3) MLaaS (Machine Learning as a Service) Business
We build our own unique model based on the company’s private data and develop original solutions in combination with our “OPEN8 CORE TECHNOLOGY”.

For all press inquiries
OPEN8 Inc., Public Relations: Chiaki Iwama, Yuki Kato
Iwama MOBILE +81)80-4105-0853
Kato MOBILE:  +81)80-9745-9220
PHONE: +81)50-1749-7880
FAX:  +81)3-6892-5529
EMAIL:  info@open8.com