Taiwan-based CancerFree Biotech and Avalanche Computing Taiwan Inc. have begun a six-month field demonstration of Prometheus Lab AI at F Lab Kyushu University Hospital in Fukuoka. The launch was announced on the 6th in Fukuoka in partnership with F Lab, which is located on the Kyushu University Hospital campus. The project will evaluate the system's effectiveness and practicality in an actual research environment.
Cross-Border Launch Brings Government, Academia, and Industry Together
The kickoff event was co-hosted by Taiwanese and Japanese partners and attended by representatives from government, academia, and industry. Taiwan was represented by Bruce Chen, Director of the Fukuoka Branch of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Osaka, and Kunsung Ho, Economic Section Chief at the Consulate-General of Taiwan in Fukuoka. Japanese guests included Katsuya Kanamaru from Fukuoka City's Startup Promotion Department, Shin Ushiro from Kyushu University Hospital, Nobuto Muroi from F Lab, and Scott Rowan from Kyudai OIP.
Prometheus Lab AI Enters a Real Laboratory Environment
Prometheus Lab AI, developed by CancerFree Biotech, will be installed in F Lab's laboratory setting. It will be integrated with Avalanche Computing's computing platform for six months of functional and field testing. Smart wearable devices will collect video and audio of experimental operations, transmit the data to an AI analysis environment, and generate searchable experiment records.
Feasibility Testing and Access for Resident Teams
The demonstration will assess both system functionality and real-world usability. Researchers will examine whether the system can be integrated into existing experimental workflows and whether users can complete related operations by following the guide. During the test period, Prometheus Lab AI will be opened to F Lab resident organizations in a manner similar to shared equipment.
Automation and Standardization in Focus
CancerFree Biotech CEO Po Chen said the company merges deep tech with wet lab research to create patient-specific cancer avatars from blood samples. He explained that as wet labs grow larger, automating and standardizing experimental processes becomes central to improving research and development efficiency. Chen described Prometheus Lab AI as the first system integrating smart wearable devices with NVIDIA DGX Spark on-premises computing and the first physical AI applied in a laboratory.
Fukuoka City Emphasizes Startup Support and Market Validation
Katsuya Kanamaru noted that CancerFree Biotech won the RAMEN TECH competition in 2024 and later received assistance through Fukuoka City's Global Business Support office. He said the relationship with F Lab was formed during this support process. The proof of concept will allow F Lab to operate Prometheus Lab AI, verify performance, identify market needs, and improve the service.
International Exchange Leads to On-Site Deployment
Po Chen added that since winning RAMEN TECH in 2024, the company has been considering market expansion in Kyushu. Support from Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Growth Next, the Small and Medium Enterprise and Startup Administration, and G Camp helped the collaboration begin smoothly. Avalanche Computing COO Fan-Hsi Wang said the partners progressed step by step from G Camp exchanges to solution integration and now to a real laboratory demonstration.
Organizations Behind the Collaboration
CancerFree Biotech is a Taiwanese precision medicine biotech startup that combines patient-derived tumor models with AI lab technology. Avalanche Computing Taiwan was founded by AI experts from NVIDIA's U.S. headquarters and focuses on enterprise AI computing and generative AI solutions. F Lab Kyushu University Hospital is jointly established by Fukuoka Jisho and Kyushu University Hospital, offering shared labs, rental wet labs, and BSL2/P2 research facilities.
The six-month demonstration will act as a foundation for CancerFree Biotech's expansion into other research sites across Japan. The company intends to continue widening the practical use of Prometheus Lab AI in laboratory environments. Po Chen expressed hope that more researchers will adopt the system and that deeper clinical integration will follow.