Samsung acquires knowledge graph startup Oxford Semantics
The acquisition "will further boost Samsung’s strong capabilities in knowledge engineering.”
Oxford Semantics, known for its RDFox semantic reasoning engine, has been bought out by Samsung.
The company's software integrates diverse data sets and applies the laws of semantic reasoning on them to infer new information- helping to keep data consistent, and speeding up applications.
While most companies seem to be banking big on GenAI these days, the RedFox technology is a kind of Semantic AI. To add new knowledge to data sets, the system does not use an algorithm or collect new information, instead - it focuses on finding patterns in the data set that were previously unobserved.
With this acquisition, Samsung will secure advanced core engines for personal knowledge graphs. These graphs integrate information and context dispersed across various services and apps, and will be used to personalise user experience by "becoming increasingly familiar with users’ preferences and usage".
Its knowledge graph technology stores information as an interconnected web of related ideas and process data in a manner similar to how humans acquire, remember, recall and reason over knowledge.
According to a press release by Samsung, this technology enhances the understanding of how people use a product or service and enables rapid information retrieval and recommendation.
A spin out of the University of Oxford by led by three professors from the field of knowledge representation and reasoning, Oxford Semantics has so far collaborated with organisations across Europe and North America involved in the finance, manufacturing and e-commerce sectors.
"The acquisition by Samsung Electronics underscores the commercial value and potential of their technology in multiple sectors," Mairi Gibbs, CEO at Oxford University Innovation, told The Stack.
The technology transfer company played a key role in facilitating the deal.
"We see this catalysing further innovation and partnership in Oxford’s Deep Tech ecosystem between our academic and research community, industry and investors,” Gibbs added.
Samsung Electronics has been collaborating with the company since 2018, and made an investment via its Samsung Ventures program.
“As global consumers realize their growing need for more personalized AI experiences, the acquisition of Oxford Semantic Technologies will further boost Samsung’s strong capabilities in knowledge engineering,” said Paul Kyungwhoon Cheun, Head of Samsung Research and CTO of Samsung Electronics in a press statement.
According to the same statement, the newly acquired technology will be applicable across all of Samsung’s products, extending beyond just mobile devices to televisions and home appliances.
