City-Tech.Tokyo was the first global startup event hosted by Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Under the theme of “creating a sustainable society through open innovation with startups”, the event consisted of four parts: urban insfastructure, environment, life, and culture. 100 cities and 300 up-and-coming startups from around the world participated in the exhibition, along with the pitching competition City-Tech challenge, investor meetings, and various networking opportunities.

Dareesoft was invited to participate in the infrastructure part of City-Tech.Tokyo by Deloitte Japan last September during Smart Cities Connect Fall event held in Washington, D.C. At the event, Dareesoft showcased its award-winning solution ‘RiaaS(Roadhazard information as a Servce). RiaaS is an AI road analyzing device mounted on a vehicle to detect road hazards such as potholes, road cracks, and debris while driving. The device then provides the hazard information to clients in real time.

During the exhibition, Dareesoft received a lot of attention from visitors by releasing road hazard data detected on the RiaaS monitoring service in Japan. An interview conducted by Reuters at the booth was broadcast on Tokyo MX News, and major Japanese companies such as Mitsubishi, Ricoh, NEC, and Suzuki have requested meetings with Dareesoft on smart city solutions.

Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Chiba Prefectural Government in Japan and Ulaabaatar Governor’s Office in Mongolia have also visited Dareesoft. Chiba Prefecture, in particular, plans to hold detailed discussions on using RiaaS. Dareesoft has been conducting PoC in Japan with its Japanese partner SkyAutonet since last year, and expects to launch follow-up projects soon.

“Tokyo, which has led smart city projects since the early 2000s, is currently seeking innovative solutions for its aging roads,” said Elizabeth Row, CEO of Dareesoft.

“Following the keen interest we received at CES, we received numerous requests for meetings from investors, technology companies, and local sales companies even before the exhibition. We were able to confirm once again that Japan’s interest in RiaaS is high as investors have offered several options for Dareesoft’s expansion in Japan during the exhibition.”

Dareesoft, established in January 2020, commercialized the world’s first AI-based road hazard information service through research and development in AIoT, mobility, and big data. Currently, as of fourth year of its establishment, 70% of its 34 executives and employees are R&D personnel. Dareesoft has acquired 12 core patents, growing into a global leading company in the industry. At the end of last year, Dareesoft attracted 5.5 billion KRW in Series A investment. Dareesoft will accelerate its global expansion this year, including the establishment of a U.S. corporation.