42Maru Targets Saudi AI Partnerships

Korea-based AI startup 42Maru has announced plans to expand its presence in the Saudi Arabian market by accelerating its partnership efforts through a joint program hosted by the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency (KOSME). This initiative, known as the 'K-Tech Service SME and Startup Saudi Partnership Building Support Program,' aims to assist promising tech SMEs and startups in technology-driven sectors like AI in forming local partnerships in Saudi Arabia and expanding their market reach.

The program, promoted by the KOSME Riyadh Global Business Center (GBC), offers comprehensive support for companies seeking to enter the Saudi market. This includes strategy consulting aligned with Saudi Vision 2030, localization assistance, partner discovery and matching, partnership agreement support, and connections to the Saudi Global Business Center (GBC).

To meet Saudi Arabia's stringent data sovereignty policy and corporate AI transformation demands, 42Maru plans to deploy its domain-specific language models 'LLM42' and high-precision retrieval-augmented generation solution 'RAG42' using on-premise and private cloud deployment methods. These products are designed to function independently in closed network environments with restricted external network access, ensuring unmatched security that aligns with Saudi Arabia's National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA) and the data localization requirements of the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA).

42Maru's offerings extend beyond simple question-answering, incorporating agentic AI capabilities for document review and workflow automation. This end-to-end AI work environment targets government departments, public institutions, and major corporate markets in sectors such as finance, energy, and manufacturing, where real-time processing of vast unstructured data is critical.

By leveraging its core demand sources with strict data sovereignty and security requirements, 42Maru aims to develop its business strategy centered around Saudi government departments, public institutions, and state-owned enterprises in the energy and petrochemical sectors.

The company's existing local network and practical experience have proven valuable in specific applications, such as the successful AI transformation consulting for Saudi Arabia's NEOM 'The Line' project, conducted jointly with Naver Cloud in 2024. Additionally, 42Maru is exploring potential cooperation with the national AI platform ecosystem led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF).

Through KOSME's support, 42Maru intends to develop a cooperative model that integrates its high-precision RAG42 and MRC42 technologies with the national AI platform, encompassing both public and corporate infrastructure across Saudi Arabia. The company will focus on identifying local SI partners and securing projects by actively utilizing KOSME's follow-up management, including connections to the Riyadh GBC.

42Maru CEO Donghwan Kim highlighted the Middle East market, particularly Saudi Arabia, as a region with a data sovereignty and security policy environment that aligns perfectly with 42Maru's on-premise native architecture, emphasizing the company's potential to quickly establish local partnerships and expand its business opportunities throughout the MENA region, starting with Saudi Arabia.