FriendliAI, a dynamic player in the AI inference platform arena, has recently marked a significant milestone by successfully closing a $20 million seed extension round. This funding is a testament to the company’s innovative approach and its ability to address the evolving needs of enterprises seeking effective AI deployment solutions. The round was led by Capstone Partners, with notable contributions from new investors such as Sierra Ventures, Alumni Ventures, and KDB, along with continued support from KB Securities.
The timing of this funding is particularly noteworthy, as the AI inference market is experiencing unprecedented growth. FriendliAI has emerged as a key player in this high-stakes environment by delivering cutting-edge, cost-effective inference solutions tailored for businesses that require scalable AI applications. At the center of FriendliAI’s success is its groundbreaking technology, which not only promises up to 90% savings on GPU costs but also sets the bar for speed with the fastest large language model (LLM) inference performance available today.
What makes FriendliAI particularly compelling for enterprises is its unique ability to optimize AI infrastructure. The platform effectively tackles several critical challenges commonly encountered in large-scale AI deployment. High infrastructure costs can often deter companies from fully leveraging AI technologies, and slow inference speeds can significantly compromise user experience. Additionally, managing large language models within production environments is a complex task.
FriendliAI addresses these issues head-on, offering solutions that make AI more accessible and efficient. According to research from IBM, LLMs spend about 90% of their operational time in inference mode, which underscores the importance of FriendliAI’s optimization technology in addressing the most resource-intensive aspects of AI deployment.
With this new funding, FriendliAI has ambitious plans to enhance its operations. The company intends to expand its sales and marketing teams, aiming to accelerate the acquisition of new customers and scale its operations to serve them better. There’s also an exciting commitment to invest in product development and platform enhancements, ensuring that FriendliAI continues to meet the changing demands of the market. Moreover, establishing new partnerships with key technology providers will further strengthen its position in the industry.
Recently, FriendliAI entered into a partnership with LG AI Research, making it the exclusive provider of API access to LG’s EXAONE 4.0 foundation model. This partnership not only elevates FriendliAI’s profile but also expands the resources available to developers and enterprises seeking to leverage advanced AI solutions on a global scale.
Several customers are already realizing the value of FriendliAI’s technology. One notable example is Scatter Lab, a leading character AI chatbot company based in Korea.
By utilizing FriendliAI’s platform to operate its popular Zeta LLM service, Scatter Lab achieved a dramatic reduction in infrastructure costs, showcasing the effectiveness and efficiency that FriendliAI brings to the table. Similarly, Upstage, known for its cutting-edge Solar foundation model, relies on FriendliAI’s platform to deliver superior inference performance, further reinforcing the company’s status as a leader in the AI inference market.
KEY QUOTES:
“The AI inference market is exploding as more organizations move from AI experimentation to production deployment. The funding validates our approach and positions us to capture the massive opportunity ahead. We’re excited to partner with Capstone Partners, and our new investors, to scale our platform and deliver even greater value to our customers.”
Byung-Gon Chun, CEO and founder of FriendliAI
“FriendliAI has demonstrated exceptional technical innovation in the AI inference space. Their platform’s ability to deliver superior performance, while reducing costs, makes them an ideal partner for enterprises scaling their AI operations. We’re thrilled to lead this round.”
Eun-gang Song, Partner at Capstone Partners
“FriendliAI represents exactly the kind of infrastructure innovation that’s needed to support the next wave of AI adoption. Their continued growth demonstrates the strong market demand for efficient, scalable AI inference solutions.”
Ben Yu, Partner at Sierra Ventures
