Edge computing firm Blaize IPOs, announces security deal with Vsblty

AI-powered edge computing company Blaize, known for its collaborations with biometric surveillance developers, went public on the Nasdaq on Tuesday.

The California company creates chips for edge applications that can be integrated into devices such as security cameras, robots and drones. Among these applications is AI vision technology, used in smart cities, retail analytics, 3D sensing, robotics, object detection and more.

Blaze’s latest deal in this field focuses on the defense and security industry. Along with retail analytics and biometric surveillance company Vsblty, the company is planning to establish a Digital Twin Lab that will develop AI computer vision products such as smart cameras for large-scale safety, security and defense-based contracts.

Dinakar Munagala, CEO of Blaize, says that the smart cameras will be largely deployed in rugged, far-edge environments. Municipal and national security projects such as these typically use thousands of cameras, in some cases over 25,000, he adds.

“Our combined solution is already considered a key component in several pending contracts, including border control programs where far-edge capability is crucial,” says Munagala.

The edge computing company has also pledged to cover the development costs of optimizing Vsblty software on Blaize silicon. The companies have previously collaborated on several commercial deals. Aside from retail biometrics, Vsblty sells products that can track known offenders with live facial recognition, as well as recognize weapons and report suspicious behavior.

Blaze has also collaborated with Innovatrics to build facial recognition for physical access control and public security.

Founded in 2011, the firm has raised US$335 million from investors like Samsung and Mercedes-Benz. Munagala, a former Intel engineer, says he expects Blaize to be worth US$1.2 billion after its SPAC merger, according to TechCrunch.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  biometrics at the edge  |  Blaize  |  computer vision  |  edge computing  |  IPO  |  stocks  |  video surveillance  |  VSBLTY