Recursive Inc. Company Profile

Background

Company Name: Recursive Inc.

Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan

Founded: August 2020

Founders: Tiago Ramalho and Katsutoshi Yamada

Mission: To build a fairer, more sustainable society by leveraging advanced AI technologies to address complex social and environmental challenges.

Vision: To lead the industry in client-centric AI adoption by making it transparent, practical, and accessible—seamlessly integrating AI-driven solutions to deliver measurable outcomes, long-term success, and responsible innovation so clients can thrive in an intelligent, automated future.

Industry Significance: Recursive Inc. stands out in the AI industry by focusing on sustainable innovation. The company collaborates with diverse sectors, including environment, energy, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, food, and retail, to develop AI solutions that drive business transformation and promote sustainability.

Key Strategic Focus

Core Objectives:

Develop and implement AI solutions that facilitate sustainable business transformation.

Support industries in achieving their sustainability goals through innovative AI applications.

Areas of Specialization:

Healthcare: Enhancing diagnostic accuracy and patient care through AI-driven solutions.

Energy: Optimizing renewable energy management and forecasting.

Logistics: Improving supply chain efficiency and reducing environmental impact.

Key Technologies Utilized:

FindFlow: An AI model for text generation, search, and analysis.

PixelFlow: An AI model for media generation and analysis.

Borealis: An AI that generates highly precise models of the environment.

Zenith: An AI engine for optimization, forecasting, and recommendation.

Primary Markets Targeted:

Japan: Established a strong foundation by supporting major companies in advancing sustainability initiatives.

Middle East and Southeast Asia: Expanding into markets such as Saudi Arabia, UAE, Thailand, and Singapore to support national growth initiatives focused on sustainability.

Financials and Funding

Recursive Inc. operates as a bootstrap company, choosing to run self-sufficiently without external funding. This approach allows the company to maintain control over its mission and operations, focusing on delivering value through each project.

Pipeline Development

Key Projects:

Borealis Solar: An AI-driven solution providing high-resolution solar radiation data and power forecasting to optimize renewable energy investments and planning.

Borealis Weather: Utilizes AI and physics for high-resolution environmental forecasting, aiding sectors like agriculture, energy, water management, and disaster preparedness.

AI Grading Assistant: A custom-built Large Language Model (LLM) with math-optimized OCR capabilities to analyze and automatically score handwritten calculations.

AI Customer Support Agent: Provides 24/7 real-time, multilingual responses, reducing support staff workload and improving customer experience.

Timelines:

The company continually develops and refines its AI solutions, with recent expansions into international markets and the launch of open-source benchmarking tools for RAG technology evaluation in August 2024.

Technological Platform and Innovation

Proprietary Technologies:

FindFlow: An AI model specializing in text generation, search, and analysis.

PixelFlow: Focuses on media generation and analysis.

Borealis: Generates precise environmental models.

Zenith: An AI engine designed for optimization, forecasting, and recommendation tasks.

Significant Scientific Methods:

Flow Benchmark Tools: An open-source benchmarking suite for evaluating retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) systems, emphasizing document-specific information retrieval and end-to-end document processing.

Leadership Team

Co-founder and CEO: Tiago Ramalho

Background: Former senior research engineer at Google DeepMind with managerial experience on the AlphaGo team.

Education: PhD in Biophysics and a Master's in Theoretical/Mathematical Physics from Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich.

Role: Provides technical oversight and attracts top engineering talent to Recursive.

Co-founder and COO: Katsutoshi Yamada

Background: MBA from Deakin University; experience in the IT industry with both Japanese and foreign companies; launched the Japanese market for ethical fashion and started two companies.

Role: Leads operations and strategic initiatives at Recursive.

Executive Officer: Shun Wakabayashi

Background: Graduated from Keio University; experience at GE Capital and Google, LLC.; developed global digital marketing strategies at Mundipharma.

Role: Oversees business development and strategic partnerships.

Executive Officer: Mikiko Ujihara

Background: M.Eng. from Cornell University; nearly a decade at Boeing; MBA from the UW Foster School of Business; management consultant at Accenture Japan; strategic partnerships manager for Google in the Asia-Pacific region.

Role: Manages strategic partnerships and sustainability initiatives.

Leadership Changes

In December 2024, Recursive appointed Taylor Scobbie as Director of Overseas to lead its international expansion efforts. Taylor is an entrepreneur known for founding social impact startups that have served influential organizations and academic institutions.

Competitor Profile

Market Insights and Dynamics:

The AI consulting industry is experiencing rapid growth, with increasing demand for AI-driven solutions across various sectors.

Companies are seeking AI partners that can provide customized solutions to address specific business challenges and sustainability goals.

Competitor Analysis:

Accenture: A global professional services company offering a range of AI consulting services.

Deloitte Consulting: Provides AI consulting services with a focus on integrating AI into business strategies.

InfoObjects: Specializes in AI and data solutions, helping enterprises transform infrastructure and applications.

VisionWrights: Offers personalized AI consulting services tailored to unique business stages and requirements.

Corsica Technologies: Provides managed IT and cybersecurity services, including AI consulting.

These competitors offer a range of AI consulting services, but Recursive's focus on sustainability and its proprietary technologies provide a unique value proposition.

Strategic Collaborations and Partnerships

IHI Corporation: Collaborated on a forest consulting business to contribute to climate change adaptation and mitigation.

NeXT FOREST Inc.: Utilized Recursive’s AI-physics model to predict groundwater levels in Indonesia’s tropical peatlands, aiding in sustainable forestry practices.

TRUSTBANK: Signed a basic agreement to collaborate on regional revitalization in Japan using AI.

Operational Insights

Strategic Considerations:

Market Position: Recursive differentiates itself by focusing on AI solutions that promote sustainability, addressing a niche yet growing market demand.

Competitive Advantages:

Proprietary Technologies: Development of unique AI models like FindFlow, PixelFlow, Borealis, and Zenith.

Diverse Expertise: A team comprising specialists from various industries, enabling a comprehensive approach to problem-solving.

Commitment to Sustainability: Aligning business objectives with global sustainability goals, appealing to environmentally conscious clients.

Strategic Opportunities and Future Directions

Strategic Roadmap:

International Expansion: Building on the appointment of Taylor Scobbie as Director of Overseas, Recursive aims to establish a presence in the Middle East and Southeast Asia, focusing on markets like Saudi Arabia, UAE, Thailand, and Singapore.