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Company Profile LeapMind Inc. / Careers-short(EN)

LeapMind Inc.
December 25, 2020

Company Profile LeapMind Inc. / Careers-short(EN)

LeapMind Inc.

December 25, 2020
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  1. 1
    Company Introduction
    2022.07

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  2. To create innovative devices
    with machine learning
    and make them available everywhere
    MISSION
    2
    Mission/Vision
    To provide key technologies to bring
    next-generation information devices
    into reality
    VISION

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  3. Confidential: Internal 3
    Since its inception, we are providing services and products
    that are unique to the practical application of machine learning.
    From LeapMind's Inception to the Present
    Practical
    applications of
    machine learning
    technology
    Joint Development Operation
    Extremely low bit quantization
    Commercial
    IP
    OSS
    2012 inception 2018 2019 2020
    Embedded DL
    development web service
    1. Business&Technology

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  4. Confidential: Internal 4
    Features of LeapMind
    ● Focus on low-power edge deep learning
    ● Technology using quantization technology and embedded in products
    with dedicated circuitry.
    AI
    Machine Learning
    Neural Network
    Deep Learning
    Edge Deep Learning

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  5. Confidential: Internal 5
    Issues of DL Environment and Features of Edge Devices
    Issues with
    Cloud Computing
    Issues with
    GPU
    Embedding
    FPGA・ASIC
    Constant internet connection is
    not required
    Cheap device unit price
    Fast response
    Low power consumption
    High device unit price
    High power consumption
    Requires the internet
    Slow response
    High usage fee

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  6. Confidential: Internal
    Advantages and Issues of Edge Deep Learning
    ● Independent from bandwidth, latency
    and reliability of Internet connection
    ● Reduces security risks as no
    external transmission is required
    ● Reduces costs of uploading data and
    using cloud
    6
    Advantages Issues
    ● Computational resources such as
    processing capability and power
    available on the device are limited.
    ● With limited computational
    resources, there is a trade-off
    between the amount of computation
    and the processing speed of
    inference.

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  7. Confidential: Internal 7
    Strengths and Core Technologies of LeapMind
    Ultra low power AI
    inference accelerator IP
    Efficiera
    Knowledge
    gained from many projects
    &
    support system
    We are developing our business with our original weight reduction technology for deep learning models,
    the dedicated circuit design and leveraging the knowledge gained from collaboration with more than 150 companies.
    Quantization
    technology
    in deep learning

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  8. 8
    The Core Technology of LM [Extremely Low Bit Quantization]
    One of the methods of weight reduction for deep learning models,
    "quantization" that has been pushed to the limit.
    It leads to solutions for edge deep learning issues such as computational complexity.
    ● Extreme quantization reduces logic and
    memory usage.
    ● Channel doubling technique can recover
    accuracy.

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  9. 9
    LeapMind's deep insight about deep learning
    Since the beginning of edge AI era, we have focused our hardware and software research efforts into model
    weight reduction, dedicated circuit design, and building the knowledge needed to deliver full-package
    solutions.
    Efficiera offers excellent power efficiency and space efficiency, which contributes to power saving
    and cost reduction of AI-equipped products.
    Features of Efficiera and Examples of Business Development
    Energy Efficient High
    Performance
    Small Footprint Scalable
    By minimizing the volume of
    data transmitted and the
    number of bits, the power
    required for convolution
    operations is reduced.
    By reducing the arithmetic
    logic complexity, the number of
    operation cycles is reduced
    and the arithmetic capacity per
    area/clock rate is improved.
    By minimizing the number of
    operated bits, the circuit area
    and SRAM size per arithmetic
    logic unit are minimized.
    Since the computing performance
    can be fine-tuned by adjusting the
    circuit configuration, it is possible
    to optimize the configuration and
    maximize the performance of
    Efficiera according to the task
    being performed.

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  10. FPGA
    Benefits Efficiera Brings
    ASIC/ASSP
    It contributes to reducing the BoM cost of
    products with AI functions by integrating Efficiera
    on the same SoC FPGA device as the CPU and
    image input circuit
    Contributing to the reduction of device
    development costs by achieving practical
    arithmetic capacity without using advanced
    semiconductor manufacturing processes such as
    5nm and 7nm
    The most suitable for adding AI capabilities to
    existing image processing FPGA designs
    It is able to build AI solutions by training custom
    data sets based on Efficiera-optimized pre-trained
    models
    Since RTL can be implemented using only
    standard cell libraries and memory, it can be
    used for many device designs.
    10
    Achieved 27.7 TOP/W of computing power in
    12nm process *Measurement in development prototype

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  11. 11
    1–2 TOP/s 4–8 TOP/s 8–12 TOP/s 40–50 TOP/s
    By adjusting computing efficiency and CPU occupancy rate by selecting circuit configurations, it can cover
    not only image recognition tasks, such as object detection, but also the real-time processing of resolution
    improvement tasks that require a much higher performance range, such as super resolution.
    Efficiera Performance Scalability
    Proximity Hazard Detection
    Human detection
    Dashcam detection
    Improvement of image quality of
    photographed images
    Anomaly detection
    Improvement of image quality of
    recorded images + Detection
    >100 TOP/s
    Efficiera 1
    Processing
    complexity
    Efficiera 2

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  12. Confidential: Internal
    Recent Initiatives
    ● 03/25/2022 LeapMind Collaborates on Project to Accelerate Development of AI Chips
    through Industry-Government-Academia Collaboration
    ● 02/22/2022 【Press Release】LeapMind announces license agreement for AI accelerator
    “Efficiera” with Maxell Frontier
    ● 01/31/2022 【Press release】LeapMind Announces AI Image processing model which
    operates on edge devices
    ● 11/30/2021 LeapMind Announces Efficiera v2 Ultra-Low Power AI Inference Accelerator
    IP
    12
    Current Initiatives and Future Plans
    2. Issues and Solutions
    We released Efficiera 1.0 in October 2020, 2.0 in 2021, and are currently working on
    Efficiera 3.0 and developing models to meet the needs of our customers. We still have
    many more things we would like to accomplish to solve social issues in the future. We
    are looking for talented people who are willing to take on challenges with us!

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  13. Confidential: Internal 13
    Engine
    er
    Resear
    cher
    Busines
    s
    develop
    ment
    Back
    office
    ● 60% of members are engineers
    Engineer
    Business
    development
    Back office
    ● Flex system and flexible work style
    ● Close relationship between board
    member and employees.
    1
    3
    ● Members come from 7 countries
    ● English and Japanese is used interchangeably, and
    meetings are often in English
    ● Female employees play active roles at every layer and
    the positions of the organization including managers and
    engineers.
    Tech venture Diversity Flexibility
    Office
    Japan
    England
    Malaysia
    Taiwan
    Thailand
    Vietnam
    China
    3. Culture, System&compensation
    Culture at LeapMind
    Engineer
    Business
    development
    Back office

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  14. 14
    Job Type Breakdown ・Accelerator engineer
    ・Compiler engineer
    ・Verification engineer
    ・Embedded engineer
    ・Software engineer
    ・Quality Assurance
    ・Project Manager
    ・Machine learning engineer
    ・Sales
    ・Biz dev
    ・PR/Marketing
    ・Corporate planning
    ・Intellectual property
    ・People operations
    We have experts in each field, from software to hardware

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  15. Confidential: Internal 15
    Office
    Remote work
    ● We have an in-house server room and a hardware
    work area for working with the infrastructure.
    ● The communication area has a refrigerator,
    microwave, and free coffee and water servers.
    Beverages from vending machines are available for
    purchase at company prices.
    ● The office area is free-address with different
    equipments depending on the seating.
    ● Dual displays, USB-C monitors, and 30-inch
    displays
    ● Baron chairs
    ● High desks and elevating desks
    ● Remote work from within Japan is available.
    Currently, more than 80% of our members work
    from home.
    ● We use Google Meet and Slack for business
    communication and meetings.
    ● Full flexible work hours with no core hours.
    ● A monthly remote work allowance of ¥5,000
    allows you to set up your working environment
    at home.
    ● Some office equipment, such as displays, can be
    rented.
    ● Meetings, 1on1, and company-wide meetings are
    also held online.
    Work Style and Environment
    ● Our technology of Extremely low bit quantization and optimization to the edge device is an
    advantage that no other company has.
    ● There are only a few AI start-ups in Japan that have experts in all fields of SW, model building, HW,
    and embedded systems.
    ● An environment where each expert in their field can learn from each other and grow together.

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  16. Confidential: Internal
    HackDays
    The biggest event at LeapMind is HackDays, where we stop our regular work for a long time and hold
    HackDays.
    This is an event where we use our knowledge and everything in the company to hack various things, such
    as developing stuff we like, challenging things we have wanted to try, and working as a team with people
    from different teams. Some of the products from this event have been commercialized, making it an event
    where people take their projects seriously and have fun.
    More information about HackDays can be found on our blog.
    Office Hour
    Employee-sponsored study sessions where they can learn about deep learning and other various topics
    with in-house experts
    Tech Blog
    Technical blog updated by LeapMind's engineers on a rotating basis.
    16
    エンジニアの環境

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  17. 17
    Basic Policy for Human Resources
    Career Growth
    To appropriately evaluate the members' abilities
    and competencies in accordance with LeapMind's
    standards, and lead to their career growth
    (≒ organization / company growth)
    3-2, System&compensation

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  18. Confidential: Internal 18
    About Evaluation
    ・Evaluation is conducted twice a year. Salary is revised and bonuses are paid twice a
    year (bonuses are based on performance and results).
    ・Weekly 1on1 is highly encouraged. Receive feedback from managers.
    Set a goal
    Scope
    involve members who
    work with you while
    building trusted
    relations
    Communi
    cation
    with expertise skills
    Skill
    by forwarding project
    Autonomy
    Leadership
    give results
    Impact
    Five items are evaluated according to the three job types.
    LeapMind Expectations

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  19. Confidential: Internal 19
    Job Level and Compensation
    The job level is determined according to each job type's skill level (skills and competencies).
    Salary bands are established for each job type, and monthly salaries and bonuses are determined based on the results of evaluations.
    Annual income range
    L2
    Individual Contributor (IC)
    L3)
    Individual Contributor (IC
    Professional
    Management
    L1
    Individual Contributor (IC)
    L5
    Manager
    L6
    Manager
    L5
    Professional
    L6
    Professional
    L4
    Manager
    L4
    Professional
    Job Lebel
    skill
    add on

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  20. 20
    Corporate Profile
    4. About LeapMind
    Company
    Established
    Capital
    Main Investors
    Employees
    LeapMind Inc.
    2012.12.25
    2,587 million yen (Including capital reserver)
    (As of March 31 2020)
    Itochu Technology Ventures, Intel Capital, Mitsui &
    Co., Ltd., Toyota Motor Corporation, SBI
    40
    As a Series C
    About 3.5 billion JPY of funds raised
    2019.10
    2020.4 Keynote speaker at COOL Chips23
    Ultra low power AI inference accelerator IP
    official launch「Efficiera®」for commerce
    10
    2012.12 Established LeapMind Corporation
    (formerly AddQuality Corporation)
    DeLTA-Lite released, "DeLTA-Project"
    announced
    2018.4
    Launch of the Efficiera FPGA Partner Program
    Blueoil, a software stack for quantization neural
    networks, released as open source software
    12

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  21. Confidential: Internal 21
    Board Member
    CEO
    Soichi Matsuda
    In 2011, he launched a matching service for engineers and clients based on engineering skill
    visualization, which was expanded to Singapore, and got his business acquired. He founded LeapMind
    to create a platform of "compact and simple" deep learning technologies that is easily accessible to
    anyone, thereby contributing to our society and advancing the world.
    CTO
    Hiroyuki Tokunaga
    He completed his master's program at the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Information
    Science and Engineering in 2007.
    Prior to becoming a Director and the CTO of LeapMind in 2018, he worked for Yahoo Japan
    Corporation, Preferred Infrastructure, Inc., and Smart News, Inc.

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  22. Confidential: Internal 22
    Cumulative total of funds raised: approx. 5 billion yen
    As a Series B
    Oct.2017
    As a Series A
    Aug.2016
    As a Series C
    Oct.2019
    ITOCHU Technology Ventures, Inc.
    Visionnaire Ventures Fund
    Archetype Ventures
    Intel Capital
    GMO VenturePartners, Inc.
    NTT DATA Corporation
    Innovative Venture Fund Investment Limited Partnership
    ITOCHU Technology Ventures, Inc.
    Visionnaire Ventures Fund
    Archetype Ventures
    Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance Co., Ltd.
    SBI Investment Co., Ltd.
    Toyota Motor Corporation
    MITSUI & CO., LTD.
    3.5 billion JPY
    LeapMind has raised a total of approximately 5 billion yen in funding to date.
    About
    1.15 billion JPY
    About
    340 million JPY
    About

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  23. Confidential: Internal 23
    More than 150 AI co-development projects
    and more
    LeapMind has a track record of more than 150 AI co-development projects
    using edge machine learning technologies.

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  24. Confidential: Internal
    From time to time, we consider introducing a new system depending on phases!
    1 on 1
    We conduct individual meetings to encourage
    open communication and to support employee
    growth
    24
    At LeapMind, we are working on creating a system to support employees’ various work-styles
    Work Style
    Flexible work-styles such as flex system, remote
    work, and "refresh" leave
    Free Drinks
    Mineral water and coffee on the house
    Development Environment
    Support to improve the development
    environment, such as the supply of 4K monitors,
    laptops and high-back chairs
    Education Support
    Support for necessary expenses to improve
    skills, such as for taking Coursera courses and
    purchasing books
    Office Event
    Social gatherings and barbecues to share
    information and invigorate communication
    among all employees
    Benefits and System
    Welcome Japan Package
    We provide a Welcome Japan Package to
    improve the employee experience to support
    those who are coming from abroad to join
    LeapMind
    Holiday and Vacation
    System of two days off a week (Sat・Sun), National Holidays, Dates determined by company(New
    Year's holidays, etc), Paid vacation(5 days granted after 3 months of employment, 5 more days after
    6 months of employment), Special holidays(Congratulation or condolence leave:Marriage, Spouse’s
    birth, condolence leave), Refreshment leave, etc.

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  25. Confidential: Internal
    We have created an environment where everyone can work equally
    regardless of age, gender, nationality, or race.
    We, at LeapMind, want to work with someone who wants to make the most of their abilities and skills
    and also who can respect diversity.
    Our backgrounds aside, we all share a common goal.
    To create innovative devices with machine learning
    and make them available everywhere
    We are doing the most exciting things right now at LeapMind.
    Would you like to join us in achieving LeapMind’s vision?
    25

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  26. Confidential: Internal 26
    Engineer Selection Process
    Document
    Screening
    Coding
    Interview
    &
    Hiring
    manager
    interview
    (1~2times)
    1
    Executive
    interviews
    Hiring
    Committee
    Job offer
    Coding
    test
    All interviews are conducted online.
    (Office tours are available upon request)
    We may request reference
    checks before making an offer.
    The number of selection sessions is subject to change.
    Case studies may be conducted depending on the position.
    Interviews are generally conducted only online.
    We have a relocation support plan (Welcome Japan Package) for international personnel and welcome new employees from overseas.
    The timing of joining the company will be flexibly adjusted according to the status of COVID-19 measures in each country.

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  27. Confidential: Internal 27
    We provide a Welcome Japan Package to improve the employee experience to support those who
    are coming from abroad to join LeapMind
    Partial support in obtaining a work visa in
    Japan
    Partial expense covered for those moving
    from abroad
    Online interviews for those who live far away
    English support channel for personal inquiries
    Internal materials are written in both English
    and Japanese
    Full expenses covered for Japanese Language
    Proficiency Test JLPT (N1, 2)
    Aあ
    Welcome Japan Package

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  28. Confidential: Internal
    WE’RE HIRING
    https://leapmind.io/
    https://leapmind.io/careers/
    https://techblog.leapmind.io/
    https://www.wantedly.com/companies/leapmind
    https://www.linkedin.com/company/leapmind-inc/
    https://jobs.atcoder.jp/offers/list?f.CompanyScreenName=leapmind
    Official Page
    Careers
    Tech Blog
    Wantedly
    Linkedin
    AtCoder
    @leapmind_inc https://www.facebook.com/leapmind.io/
    28

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