FRONTEO Accelerates U.S. Expansion — Signs Strategic Partnership Agreement with U.S.-based Q Partners, a Firm with Strengths in Life Sciences and Technology

Q Partners is led by Miho Sakuma, who has a proven track record in consulting within the life sciences industry, and Sachiko Kuno, who has established and managed drug discovery ventures through the development of multiple pharmaceuticals. Both have extensive experience consulting for major U.S. life sciences companies and academic institutions. FRONTEO will leverage Q Partners’ network and expertise to build and execute strategies for expanding its life sciences AI business in the U.S.

In the U.S., there is growing recognition of the need for new AI technologies that can complement large language models (LLMs). Yann Le Cun, Chief AI Scientist at Meta, has stated that “a completely different technological design from mainstream LLM-based generative AI is required—one that does not rely on massive data ingestion like humans or animals, but can develop intelligence quickly and efficiently.”¹

In response to these challenges, FRONTEO’s proprietary AI “KIBIT” is characterized by its unique strengths in natural language processing and its ability to deliver fast and accurate analysis without depending on large amounts of training data or computing power, and is designed for collaboration with experts. In particular, the drug discovery support service “FRONTEO Drug Discovery AI Factory (DDAIF)” uses KIBIT for hypothesis generation and target exploration, and has already achieved success in Japan through co-creation projects with major pharmaceutical companies. It is attracting significant interest as an AI technology that can complement LLMs.

FRONTEO will accelerate the U.S. rollout of DDAIF and other life sciences AI businesses, aiming to enhance its presence in the market.

¹ Nikkei Online Edition, June 2, 2025, “Superintelligence: Humanity’s Last Great Invention? Prediction of Realization by 2027 Causes Ripple Effects,” https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXZQOUC1466C0U5A410C2000000/

■Q Partners Leadership Profiles
Founding Partner, President — Miho Sakuma

Former Associate Partner in the Life Sciences Practice at McKinsey & Company in Washington, D.C., engaged in consulting for pharmaceutical companies in the U.S., Japan, and Europe. Her experience spans corporate strategy, organizational design, and business development. Holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Senior Partner — Sachiko Kuno
After earning a doctorate from Kyoto University, she joined the Technical University of Munich before co-founding R-Tech Ueno, where she commercialized the glaucoma treatment “Rescula® Eye Drops.” She later co-founded several drug discovery ventures in the U.S., including Sucampo Pharmaceuticals and VLP Therapeutics. As a social entrepreneur, she established the S&R Foundation and Halcyon (Washington, D.C.) as well as Phoenixi (Kyoto), contributing to youth support and social impact initiatives. She has served as a director or councilor at various universities and foundations, including Kyoto University, and has received numerous honors, including selection for Forbes’ “50 Self-Made Women in the U.S.”

■About Q Partners

Q Partners was established in Washington, D.C. by two professionals with deep roots in both Japan and the U.S. Based on the shared belief that “Japan’s life sciences sector has great potential and, with the right partners, can succeed in the global market,” Q Partners provides advisory services grounded in deep expertise and practical experience to Japanese innovators aiming to enter the U.S. market.

■About FRONTEO Drug Discovery AI Factory (DDAIF)  

https://lifescience.fronteousa.com/products/drug-discovery-ai-factory/ 

FRONTEO Drug Discovery AI Factory (DDAIF) is an AI drug discovery support service that combines KIBIT, an AI specialized in natural language processing (patented in Japan and the U.S.), with the expertise of FRONTEO's drug discovery researchers and AI engineers. By analyzing disease-related gene networks and building hypotheses about target candidates, DDAIF provides powerful support for researchers' decision-making in drug development.
This service has already been adopted by several major pharmaceutical companies and has a proven track record.

■About FRONTEO’s Co-Creation Projects

In conventional drug discovery, dry research (data analysis) and wet research (biological testing) are often carried out separately. Dry research results may advance through the R&D pipeline without active dialogue between stakeholders, and without sufficient information sharing between the organizations responsible for each stage. This lack of rigorous vetting and coordination can hinder a smooth transition from dry research to wet lab verification.
The co-creation project bridges this gap by fostering close collaboration between researchers from both companies throughout the dry-to-wet process. By combining their respective knowledge and technologies, the partners aim to produce synergistic results and improve the success rate of subsequent drug development projects. FRONTEO is also in discussions with multiple pharmaceutical companies to explore the adoption of its DDAIF platform.

■About FRONTEO, Inc. https://www.fronteo.com/en/

FRONTEO provides its proprietary specialized AI KIBIT to support expert judgment across domains confronting social challenges. Its unique natural language processing technology (patented in Japan, the U.S., and Europe) enables fast, high‑precision analysis without reliance on training data volume or computational power. Additionally, patented technology that maps (visualizes structure) analyzed information allows KIBIT to directly influence expert insights, and in recent years, KIBIT has been applied in hypothesis generation and target discovery for drug development.

To achieve the philosophy of "providing solutions that do not overlook risks and opportunities buried in records and realizing fairness in the information society," FRONTEO is promoting the social implementation of KIBIT's unique technology and AI solutions in the following areas: life science AI, risk management (business intelligence and compliance support, economic security, and legal tech AI), and DX (business intelligence and professional support).

Founded in August 2003, FRONTEO was listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Mothers Market (now the Growth Market) on June 26, 2007. The company has offices in Japan, the U.S., and South Korea, and holds a Type 1 Marketing License for Medical Devices as well as registration for the sale of controlled medical devices. As of March 31, 2025, FRONTEO’s capital stands at 899,176,000 yen.

*The technology used in Drug Discovery AI Factory is protected by 21 patents held by FRONTEO in Japan, South Korea, the U.S., and Europe.
**FRONTEO, KIBIT, and Drug Discovery AI Factory are trademarks or registered trademarks of FRONTEO in Japan, Europe, the U.S., and South Korea.