TOKYO, July 07, 2025 - Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (TOKYO: 6503) announced today that its ME Innovation Fund has invested in Things, Inc., a Japan-based startup that develops and provides AI-assisted product lifecycle management (PLM) systems for manufacturing, specializing in comprehensive document management from product planning to development to disposal. This is the twelfth investment that the fund has made to date.

Through this investment, Mitsubishi Electric aims to integrate its extensive manufacturing and control expertise with Things' generative AI technology to accelerate the development of digital transformation (DX) solutions that address various manufacturing challenges.

In recent years, Japan's manufacturing industry has faced labor shortages, the aging of skilled technicians and other challenges that are inhibiting skills transfer. In response, DX initiatives such as the implementation of PLM and other digital systems have advanced rapidly, but have encountered issues regarding development time, cost, usability and scalability.

Things introduced its "PRISM" PLM system in May 2023 to leverage generative AI to improve the structure and usage of information in manufacturing. PRISM offers significant cost and scalability advantages for enhancing user interfaces and experiences, and for effectively implementing proofs of concept (PoCs) across a wide range of companies.

Atsuya Suzuki, CEO, Things, Inc., said, "We are pleased to establish a partnership with Mitsubishi Electric through the ME Innovation Fund. By combining our technology with Mitsubishi Electric's expertise in manufacturing and control, we aim to accelerate the global implementation of pioneering DX solutions for manufacturing."

Komi Matsubara, Executive Officer (Vice President, Business Innovation), Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, said, "Through our collaboration with Things, we expect to create new value by integrating our manufacturing expertise with Things' generative-AI technology. We hope to leverage this initiative to enhance the overall competitiveness of the Mitsubishi Electric group."