Cohere, a leading Canadian AI firm valued at $5.5 billion, is setting up shop in Seoul to deepen its roots in the Asia-Pacific region. This initiative underscores the company’s steady march into one of the tech world’s most vibrant markets.
Andrew Chang, who brings valuable experience from stints at Confluent, Google, and Microsoft, has been named Vice President of Asia Pacific and will be steering the new hub. His appointment promises to foster local engagement and innovation.
Based out of Toronto and San Francisco, Cohere has seen significant investor interest – securing $970 million from names like Nvidia, AMD, and Fujitsu. Notably, its July 2024 $500 million Series D round highlights the trust the market places in its AI advancements.
Established in 2019 by Aidan Gomez, Nick Frosst, and Ivan Zhang, Cohere has been at the forefront of AI model development. With Gomez having co-authored the seminal 2017 paper ‘Attention Is All You Need’, the company’s pedigree in shaping modern AI is well established.
Focusing on large language models tailored for sectors such as finance and healthcare, Cohere is keen to address both data security and operational efficiency. In collaboration with LG CNS, the firm is also customising models specifically for the Korean language, ensuring that its technology meets local nuances.
In a related development, LG CNS joined forces with Cohere to launch an impressive 111 billion parameter language model that supports 23 languages. This effort not only broadens the scope of AI accessibility but also highlights the benefit of international collaborations.
Aligned with President Lee Jae Myung’s commitment to invest approximately $72 billion in AI infrastructure, this expansion marks a notable step forward. It also comes at a time when OpenAI is making its mark in Korea, further elevating the country’s stature on the global AI stage.
