Fujifilm

Moving industry forward with next-gen advancements in energy storage and transmission

Alternative Energy

24M Technologies is a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) spin-off that developed a proprietary SemiSolid cell manufacturing process and platform that mixes the electrolyte with active materials before forming the cell (unlike conventional lithium-ion batteries where the electrolyte is separated from active materials). Conventional lithium-ion battery cells have a significant amount of non-charge-carrying supporting metals and plastics while involving capital-intensive manufacturing processes like electrolyte filling and dying. 24M claims that its technology could eliminate over 80% of these inactive materials in battery cells, reducing manufacturing costs. The company also claims that semi-solid batteries made using this process would have a higher energy density—around 350 Wh/kg—compared to around 250 Wh/kg to 270 Wh/kg of the highest-density lithium-ion batteries.In <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/23523">October 2023</a>, 24M introduced an Electrode To Pack (ETOP) system. The product directly packages electrodes into the battery pack, eliminating the need for individual cells and modules. The company claims the product provides unparalleled energy density and maximum utilization efficiency at the pack level while reducing costs. Following this, in <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/26842">February 2024</a>, the company launched a new electrolyte technology known as "Eternalyte" for lithium-metal batteries. The liquid electrolyte formula will provide notable improvements to the cycle life and rate capability of lithium-metal batteries.Key customers and partnershipsIn June 2019, Kyocera, a Japanese ceramics and electronics company, began the pilot production of 24M’s battery technology to validate its use in residential energy storage systems in the Japanese market. In January 2020, Kyocera rolled out Enerezza, a residential energy storage product line based on 24M’s technology, available in 5.0 kWh, 10.0 kWh, and 15.0 kWh capacities. In August 2021, Lucas TVS, an Indian automotive electrical components company, signed a license and service agreement with 24M Technologies to construct a giga factory in Gummidipundi, India, and expects to begin commercial production in the second half of 2023.&nbsp;In December 2021, 24M Technologies partnered with <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/7249">Volkswagen Group</a> to develop electric vehicle (EV) battery cells using its SemiSolid technology. In line with this, in <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/7871">January 2022</a>, Volkswagen invested three-digit million US dollars in 24M and now owns a 25% stake in the company. In September 2022, 24M licensed its SemiSolid manufacturing platform to <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/13043">Fujifilm Corporation</a>. The latter also invested USD 20 million in 24M, building on the USD 5 million it invested in 2020, to validate the company’s technology.&nbsp;Funding and financialsIn <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/15725">January 2023</a>, 24M received a USD 3.2 million grant from the US Department of Energy’s&nbsp;EVs4ALL program to develop low-cost and fast-charging sodium metal batteries with good low-temperature performance. Prior to that in May 2021, 24M raised USD 56.8 million in a Series E funding round led by ITOCHU Corporation. The funds were expected to be used to commercialize the company’s battery technology and expand into grid storage and electric vehicle applications.&nbsp;

Electrifying passenger and commercial travel

EV Economy

24M Technologies is a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) spin-off that developed a proprietary SemiSolid cell manufacturing process and platform that mixes the electrolyte with active materials before forming the cell (unlike conventional lithium-ion batteries where the electrolyte is separated from active materials). Conventional lithium-ion battery cells have a significant amount of non-charge-carrying supporting metals and plastics while involving capital-intensive manufacturing processes like electrolyte filling and dying. 24M claims that its technology could eliminate over 80% of these inactive materials in battery cells, reducing manufacturing costs. The company also claims that semi-solid batteries made using this process would have a higher energy density—around 350 Wh/kg—compared to around 250 Wh/kg to 270 Wh/kg of the highest-density lithium-ion batteries.In <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/23524">October 2023</a>, 24M introduced an Electrode To Pack (ETOP) system. The product directly packages electrodes into the battery pack, eliminating the need for individual cells and modules. The company claims the product provides unparalleled energy density and maximum utilization efficiency at the pack level while reducing costs. In <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/25285">January 2024</a>, 24M launched the 24M Impervio, a new battery separator, to improve battery safety for EVs by preventing fires due to metallic dendrites. Following this, in <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/26840">February 2024</a>, the company launched a new electrolyte technology known as "Eternalyte" for lithium-metal batteries. The liquid electrolyte formula will provide notable improvements to the cycle life and rate capability of lithium-metal batteries.Key customers and partnershipsIn December 2021, 24M Technologies partnered with <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/7249">Volkswagen Group </a>to develop electric vehicle (EV) battery cells using its SemiSolid technology. In line with this, in <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/7871">January 2022</a>, Volkswagen invested three-digit million US dollars in 24M and now owns a 25% stake in the company. In September 2022, 24M licensed its SemiSolid manufacturing platform to <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/13043">Fujifilm Corporation</a>. The latter also invested USD 20 million in 24M, building on the USD 5 million it invested in 2020, to validate the company’s technology.In April 2023, 24M was awarded a USD 3.8 million contract from the United States Advanced Battery Consortium LLC (USABC) to leverage its technology to develop lithium-metal cells for electric mobility applications. The batteries required a targeted cost of less than USD 75/kWh and the ability to charge to 80% in 15 minutes or less.Funding and financialsIn <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/15725">January 2023</a>, 24M received a USD 3.2 million grant from the US Department of Energy’s EVs4ALL program to develop low-cost and fast-charging sodium metal batteries with good low-temperature performance. Prior to that in May 2021, 24M raised USD 56.8 million in a Series E round led by ITOCHU Corporation. The funds were intended for commercializing the company’s battery technology and expanding into grid storage and EV applications.

Automation in clinical diagnostics to improve speed and accuracy in patient diagnosis and treatment.

Clinical Decision Support Systems

Lunit is a leading provider of AI-powered solutions for cancer diagnostics and therapeutics. The company's flagship product, Lunit INSIGHT, is a suite of AI solutions for radiology that has been approved for commercial use in Europe and the UK through the MDR CE and UKCA certifications obtained in November 2022. The suite includes Lunit INSIGHT CXR for chest X-ray analysis and Lunit INSIGHT MMG for mammography analysis. Lunit INSIGHT CXR can detect 10 chest abnormalities, including pulmonary nodules and pneumothorax, with 97-99% accuracy, while Lunit INSIGHT MMG detects breast cancer with 96% accuracy.
After receiving FDA clearance, Lunit's solutions are clinically used in approximately 3,000 hospitals and medical institutions across 40 countries as of March 2024. In April 2024, a study published in European Radiology demonstrated that Lunit INSIGHT MMG could potentially reduce radiologists' workload by nearly 70% and boost cancer detection accuracy by 30.5%, showcasing its ability to enhance operational efficiency and improve patient outcomes.
In May 2024, Lunit completed the acquisition of Volpara Health Technologies, a New Zealand-based company offering software for early cancer detection, for USD 193 million. The acquisition aimed to strengthen Lunit's presence in the US market and leverage Volpara's robust repository of over 100 million medical images to develop innovative solutions for cancer diagnostics.
Key customers and partnerships
Lunit has established strategic partnerships to expand its reach and integrate its AI solutions into healthcare systems worldwide. In March 2024, the company signed supply contracts with Chung Shan Medical University in Taiwan and Gleneagles Hospital in Singapore to provide Lunit INSIGHT CXR and Lunit INSIGHT MMG, respectively. These collaborations aimed to enhance lung and breast cancer detection in the East and Southeast Asian regions.
In November 2023, Lunit partnered with NTT DATA Singapore to introduce Lunit INSIGHT CXR to Singapore's public healthcare system through the AimSG platform, a national medical imaging AI initiative. The solution was piloted at Singapore General Hospital and Changi General Hospital, two major public hospitals, to enhance the efficiency of chest screening and provide innovative medical services with improved accuracy.
Lunit has also collaborated with leading healthcare technology companies, such as GE healthcare, Fujifilm, Philips, and Guardant Health, to deploy its AI products and leverage their distribution networks.

Automation to improve business efficiency

Workflow Automation Platforms

<div>
 
 Ripcord offers a document processing platform that leverages physical robots to autonomously scan and convert paper documents into digital files. These robots can detect and remove fasteners, classify documents, and extract relevant data, such as invoice numbers, locations, names, and dollar amounts based on a user&rsquo;s requirement. Ripcord also provides an integrated SaaS platform called &ldquo;Canopy&rdquo; that enables users to upload scanned documents to the cloud and convert them to searchable PDFs. Moreover, Canopy also integrates with a range of third-party business intelligence and data processing software.&nbsp;
 
 
 In October 2023, the company announced plans to launch a GenAI-powered document discovery tool called &ldquo;Docufai.&rdquo; The tool enables users to ask natural language questions about scanned documents and receive AI-generated answers. Ripcord also planned to include a document translation, related documents search and sharing features, as well as a collaborative notebook. The company aimed to onboard 1,000 users by the end of Q3 2023 and release multiple pricing tiers for the product in 2024.
 
 
 The company has also leveraged acquisitions to integrate new technology into its product portfolio. In 2020, Ripcord acquired Engine ML, a deep-learning infrastructure development company, to offer document intelligence solutions to its customers. The company went on to acquire LearningPal, an optical character recognition (OCR) and document processing technology provider, for an undisclosed amount in April 2022. The company integrated LearningPal&rsquo;s technology into its own platform to offer native Japanese language extraction capabilities and improved large-format document processing to its customers.&nbsp;
 
 
 Key customers and partnerships&nbsp;
 
 
 Ripcord leverages a number of partnerships with logistics firms to transport physical files from customers to its facilities. In 2020, the company launched a joint venture with Fuji Xerox to expand its operations in Japan and the Asia-Pacific region, and by October 2023, it operated three facilities (one in the US and two in Japan).
 
 
 In 2020, the company reported that it had processed over one billion pages per year for customers like Coca-Cola, BP, Chevron, UCLA, Cantium, and the IRS.
 
 
 Funding and financials&nbsp;
 
 
 In October 2023, the company raised USD 20 million in new funding (which included a USD 8.5 million bridge note) out of an ongoing USD 35 million round. Ripcord reportedly generated revenue of USD 11.8 million in 2022 (up 100% YoY). Furthermore, it expects to reach a revenue of USD 22.5 million in 2023.
 
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Enabling supply of biologically safe tissues and organs using next-gen printing tech

Bioprinting

Cyfuse Biomedical is a Japanese bioprinting company founded in 2010 that develops innovative 3D tissue-engineering technologies aimed at significantly advancing medical treatments. The company is best known for its Kenzan method of 3D bioprinting and its flagship product, the Regenova 3D bioprinter.
The Kenzan method is a scaffold-free technique where cell spheroids are skewered onto an array of needles in a pre-designed pattern. As the cells mature, they fuse together to form a 3D tissue construct without requiring any external scaffolding material. This gentle bioprinting approach results in a high percentage of viable cells and allows for the creation of complex, biomimetic tissue structures.
Cyfuse's Regenova bioprinter automates the Kenzan method, enabling the fabrication of intricate 3D tissue models with high resolution and reproducibility. The bioprinter has been utilized in various research projects, including the development of blood vessels, nerve tissues, functional liver constructs, and esophageal structures for transplantation.
In collaboration with academic institutions like the University of Tokyo and Kyoto University, Cyfuse has demonstrated the successful 3D bioprinting and implantation of tissues such as mini-livers, tracheas, and scaffold-free esophageal structures in animal models, showcasing the potential of its technology for regenerative medicine applications.

Ripcord is a company that creates a robotic digitizing platform for paperless document management. The company creates a digital twin of information using sensors and software automation, as well as document scanning and accurate recognition, as well as vision-guided robots, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to capture, enrich, and organize important content, allowing clients to streamline their business processes with high speed, quality, and accuracy.

Tome Biosciences is a biotechnology company that develops programmable gene insertion technology.  Using CRISPR, its technologies allow them to insert any genetic sequence of any size at any location into any genome.

24M Technologies develops energy storage systems for grid and transportation applications. It offers binder-free semisolid electrodes and unit cells, eliminating the need for hydro or pyrometallurgical processes for battery recycling. It also helps direct in-plant reuse of active material for end-of-life recycling.

CUORiPS is a company developing new medical care based on world's cutting-edge technology originated in Japan.

Rege Nephro is involved in the development, production, and sale of renal disease drugs. Rege Nephro, a Kyoto University biotech venture, successfully achieved stable production of nephron progenitor cells by using technology developed by Kyoto University Professor Kenji Osafune to efficiently differentiate nephron progenitor cells from iPSCs. Rege Nephro is currently investigating and developing regenerative medicine products for kidney diseases using these cells, as well as producing kidney organoids*2 capable of nephrotoxicity screening for drug discovery in applied research.

Nanox offers the Nanox System as a preventative healthcare Medical Screening As A Service (MSaaS). Nanox field-effect cathode technology was originally developed for use in high-definition flat panel displays. Over time, the manufacturing processes were ported from glass to silicon, enabling enormous increases in power density and uniformity.  After more than 20 years of research and development, with over $1B invested, their team of engineers has developed unique intellectual property, patents, and capability to design and build high-powered field-effect cathodes that outperform all previous efforts. Nanox’s proprietary cold cathode technology greatly expands the capabilities of X-ray imaging. At the core of their high-powered cold cathode is a “chip” of nano-scale structures created using proprietary nanofabrication techniques. The chip is designed to support various use cases of medical imaging and will be supported by peripheral technologies in order to translate their benefits into various real-world applications.

Lunit, abbreviated from “learning unit,” is a venture company devoted to developing advanced software for medical data analysis and interpretation via cutting-edge deep learning technology. The company's main area of expertise lies in processing medical imaging data. It envisions a near future when its systems will greatly help physicians make accurate, consistent, and efficient clinical decisions, not limited to diagnoses, through our data-driven imaging biomarker technology.  The high level of our deep learning technology has been well demonstrated, ranked top 5 at ImageNet Challenge 2015, which is the world’s largest and most prestigious image recognition competition. What distinguishes our technology from that of other similar parties is the full accommodation of weakly labeled data, challenging the boundaries of human understanding in terms of pattern recognition.

Century Therapeutics builds an allogeneic iPSC-derived cell therapy platform that integrates gene editing, protein engineering, technical development, and manufacturing capabilities to generate allogeneic, iPSC-derived NK and T cell therapies for both hematological and solid tumor malignancies with significant unmet medical needs.

PuREC is a developer of a culture technology intended to bring efficacy to the treatment process.The company leverages technology to develop rapidly changing cell therapies and mesenchymal stem cells therapies, enabling clients to fight a variety of diseases and change the future of transplantation medicine.

JUNTEN BIO is a company is to develop new technologies in the field of regenerative medicine.

Lyndra Therapeutics is a company that develops medicines for long-term drug release in an oral dose form. The company is developing oral ultra-long-acting and sustained-release therapies for central nervous system (CNS) disorders for broad applicability across multiple therapeutic areas, including approved drugs, allowing the medical community to ensure improved medication adherence and health outcomes while also helping to lower healthcare costs.

LPIXEL, a spin-out venture from the University of Tokyo, is a leader in advanced image analysis software and systems tailored to life science research. With strong emphasis on integrating top-tier technologies to its services and strong dedication to maximize research efficiency. LPIXEL aims to bring innovation to the world of research.

Suono Bio is a biotechnology company enabling ultra-rapid delivery of novel therapeutics to the gastrointestinal tract. The company's mission is to harness its proprietary therapeutic platform to transform the treatment of difficult-to-treat diseases by enabling localized delivery of small molecules, biologics, nucleic acids, and gene therapies without the need for encapsulation.

PePerseus Proteomics is a drug discovery biotechnology venture that uses advanced antibody technology to pursue superior antibody production technology and create new medicines powerfully for people around the world who are waiting for better medical care .

Modalis Therapeutics Corporation is an biotech company focusing on developing transformative therapeutics for unmet medical needs using its proprietary technologies on CRISPR and protein engineering platforms. The company has a strong foundation on intellectual property licensed from the University of Tokyo.

EdiGene  is dedicated to the development of genome editing technology for human health. Genome editing technology enables the targeted modification of genetic information in human cells, including gene knockout, knock-in and targeted mutations. They aim at providing the high quality products and services for the patients, the pharmaceutical industry, and the scientific research community with the most advanced genome editing technology.EdiGene innovates and applies genome editing technology to developing human therapeutic products. Their therapeutic approach is to treat diseases at the molecular level, making gene therapy safer and more effective.

Cyfuse Biomedical develops tissue fabrication systems and cell-based products in Japan and internationally. The company offers 3D BioFabrication systems and related consumables; develops and licenses 3D tissue products for therapeutic and drug development use; and engages in contract manufacturing of 3D tissue products for research purposes. Its products applications include blood vessel grafts for blood access of hemodialysis patients or coronary artery bypass grafts; cardiac grafts for drug toxicology screening or supplemental therapy of myocardial infarction; cartilage grafts for plastic surgery or reconstruction; and hepatocyte grafts for drug metabolism screening or in-vivo production of clotting factors in the treatment of hemophilia. Cyfuse Biomedical was founded in 2010 and is based in Tokyo, Japan.

TOKIWA-Bio is a manufacturing and development company.

BONAC specializes in research and development of nucleic acid medicines. Its services include nucleic acid drug substance manufacturing and drug development. The company was founded in 2010.

RegCell aims to generate novel therapeutic technologies through augmenting or controlling the immune system and our goal is to save patients who suffer from autoimmune diseases and cancer .

Cynata Therapeutics Limited is an Australian stem cell and regenerative medicine company that is developing a therapeutic stem cell platform technology, Cymerus™, using discoveries made at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UWM). UWM is a world-renowned leader in stem cell research, in particular for the work by Professor James Thomson's group, which included the first successful isolation of human embryonic stem cells in 1998, and the derivation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from human adult cells in 2007. Professor Igor Slukvin, a co-founder of Cynata, was also a member of the team that conducted UWM's pioneering iPSC research.  Cynata's Cymerus™ platform stem cell technology is based upon extremely important and versatile stem cells known as mesenchymoangioblasts (MCAs). MCAs are a precursor of mesenchymal stem (or stromal) cells (MSCs) which are at the forefront of a new generation of treatments being investigated for such devastating diseases as osteoarthritis, Crohn’s disease and heart disease. Cynata’s proprietary technology utilizes iPSCs originating from an adult donor as the starting material for generating MCAs and in turn for manufacturing the MSC therapeutic product.  Cynata will use the proprietary Cymerus™ technology to address a critical shortcoming in existing methods of production of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for therapeutic use, which is the ability to achieve economic manufacture at commercial scale. This opens up a wide range of therapeutic and manufacturing possibilities for the Company.  The Cymerus™ technology has several characteristics which makes it ideal for the development of cell-based therapeutics. Most critically, the Cymerus™ manufacturing process ensures that cells for therapeutic use can be produced in virtually limitless quantities. This means that Cynata will not have to constantly seek out fresh stem cell donors to fuel its manufacturing demands. This has the potential to create a new standard in the emergent arena of regenerative medicine and stem cell therapeutics and provides Cynata with both a unique differentiator and an important competitive position.

Fujifilm develops and sells consumer products and business products related to photography. Fujifilm Holdings Corporation is a Japanese multinational photography and imaging company. The company serves various industries, including medical, graphic arts, optics, enterprise storage, motion picture, and photography.  The company’s consumer products are categorized as digital cameras and accessories, film photography, Instax photography, and binoculars. Its business products are categorized as medical systems, Fujinon endoscopy, microfilm, data storage, graphic arts and printing, professional video, optical devices, specialty chemicals, printing imaging colorants, and more. Color films, digital cameras, photofinishing equipment, color papers, photofinishing chemicals, medical imaging equipment, graphic arts equipment and materials, flat panel displays, and photocopiers and printers are some products developed by Fujifilm USA.  Fujifilm USA is based in Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

<div> Fujifilm develops and sells consumer products and business products related to photography. Fujifilm Holdings Corporation is a Japanese multinational photography and imaging company. The company serves various industries, including medical, graphic arts, optics, enterprise storage, motion picture, and photography. The company&rsquo;s consumer products are categorized as digital cameras and accessories, film photography, Instax photography, and binoculars. Its business products are categorized as medical systems, Fujinon endoscopy, microfilm, data storage, graphic arts and printing, professional video, optical devices, specialty chemicals, printing imaging colorants, and more. Color films, digital cameras, photofinishing equipment, color papers, photofinishing chemicals, medical imaging equipment, graphic arts equipment and materials, flat panel displays, and photocopiers and printers are some products developed by Fujifilm USA. Fujifilm USA is based in Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan. </div>

Fujifilm Instax mini Link 3 review: a pocket photo printer delivering instant fun

Novel therapies to reboot cells and organs

Cell & Gene Therapy

Companies producing cells, genes, tissues, and biomaterials such as exosomes and extracellular matrix for drug developers and pharmaceutical companies developing regenerative medicine

Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy involves genetically engineering T cells to target and kill cancer cells

Companies conducting R&D on therapies that modify or introduce new genes into the body to treat diseases

Includes therapies that use cells (other than CAR-T and stem cells) such as Adipose-Derived Regenerative Cells (ADRCs), cardiosphere-derived cells, and gamma delta T cells (GDT cells)

Stem cell therapy involves using stem cells usually extracted from the bone marrow and umbilical cord blood to repair a variety of diseases

Next-gen packaging solutions for enhanced product tracking, inspection solutions and freshness monitoring

Smart Packaging Tech

Companies that offer computer vision systems to identify packaging errors and damages during production. Also includes companies that use 3D printing and AI-powered softwares to create packaging in all shapes and sizes.

Companies that provide solutions to improve package safety and security featuring traceability, anti-counterfeit and analytics solutions. Covers companies that  use technologies such as QR codes, radiofrequency (RF) and Near-Field Communication (NFC) tags.

Companies that sell or provide ‘as-a-service’ reusable packages  that can be used multiple times before recycling.

Packaging that can heat or chill contents when a user requires it, without external heat sources or power - typically using a chemical reaction

Platforms that connect providers of packaging solutions with customers online.

INCUMBENTS_PRESENT

PROMINENT_CATEGORY

<div>
 
 FUJIFILM Integrated Inkjet Solutions has launched the DE1024 Digital Embellishment Printbar System and the FUJIFILM 42X Printbar System for enhancing high-speed, drop-on-demand print technology across multiple applications.
 The DE1024 system is specifically designed to add digital embellishments like spot varnish, to various kinds of packaging materials, thus ensuring their seamless integration with label presses and related machinery.
 The FUJIFILM 42X Printbar System, as claimed by FUJIFILM, facilitates easy-to-use controls for four-color edge-to-edge printing. This system enables businesses and brand owners to add advanced digital printing capabilities to their existing setup conveniently.&nbsp;
 
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