Japanese firm TDK has acquired Qeexo, a California-based venture-backed company spun out of Carnegie Mellon University engaged in the automation of end-to-end machine learning for edge devices.

Qeexo, based in Mountain View, California, claims to be the first company to automate end-to-end machine learning for edge devices. Qeexo AutoML enables a no-code environment, allowing data collection and training of 18 and expanding different machine-learning algorithms, including neural networks and non-neural-networks, to the same dataset, while generating metrics for each – accuracy, memory size, latency – so users can pick the model that best fits their requirements.

Cloud-based, it provides an intuitive UI platform that allows users to collect, annotate, cleanse and visualise sensor data and automatically build TinyML models using different algorithms. The AutoML platform lets users leverage sensor data to build machine learning optimised for low latency and power consumption, with a small memory footprint for highly constrained environments with applications in industrial, IoT, wearables, automotive, mobile and more.

Through streamlined intuitive process automation, AutoML enables users without precious ML resources and accelerates design of edge AI capabilities for their own applications.

“Qeexo brings together a unique combination of expertise in automating machine-learning application development and deployment for those without ML expertise, high volume shipment of ML applications and understanding of sensors to accelerate the deployment of smart edge,” said Jim Tran, CEO of TDK in the USA. “Their expertise combined with TDK’s leadership positions in sensors, batteries and other critical components will enable the creation of system level solutions addressing a broad range of applications and industries.”

Sang Lee, CEO of Qeexo, added: “Our platform is an outgrowth of our own history of high-volume ML application development and deployment enabling those with domain expertise but not ML expertise to solve real world problems quickly and efficiently. We see our AutoML tool as a natural partner to the smarter sensor systems that TDK is building.”

Established in 2012, Qeexo is headquartered in Mountain View, California, with an office in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

TDK is based in Tokyo, and has a network of design and manufacturing locations and sales offices in Asia, Europe, and North and South America. In 2022, it posted total sales of $15.6bn and employed about 117,000 people worldwide.

Qeexo will become a wholly owned subsidiary of TDK, subject to customary closing conditions, including approval of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US (CFIUS).