FriendliAI: A trailblazer delivering outstanding All-in-one platform for AI agents

In an age where artificial intelligence is reshaping industries, FriendliAI stands at the forefront, redefining how businesses harness the power of generative AI. Founded by Byung-gon Chun, Friendli’s mission is straightforward yet profound: to empower organizations with the tools to unlock the full potential of their generative AI models in the most efficient, scalable, and cost-effective way possible. By offering an all-in-one platform that simplifies the process of deploying, optimizing, and serving generative AI models, Friendli ensures that innovation is within reach for companies of all sizes.

At the heart of Friendli's mission is the belief that the complexities of generative AI should not be a barrier to innovation. “We envision a world where any company, no matter its size or resources, can leverage generative AI to drive growth and transformation,” says Chun. With its state-of-the-art solutions, Friendli allows businesses to overcome the significant technological challenges associated with AI, from model deployment to real-time optimization, making AI accessible and usable for everyone.

The company’s flagship product, Friendli Engine, is a testament to this vision. Described as the fastest LLM inference engine on the market, Friendli Engine eliminates the inefficiencies that typically plague large language models (LLMs). Whether through quantization techniques like FP8 and INT8 or advanced inference optimization, Friendli Engine is engineered to deliver results faster, more accurately, and at a fraction of the cost.

Streamlining AI Model Deployment: Friendli Engine

Generative AI models, particularly large ones, can be resource-intensive and complicated to manage. Friendli addresses these challenges head-on by offering an all-in-one platform that not only accelerates open-source and custom large language models but also makes it remarkably easy for businesses to deploy, fine-tune, and serve them in real-time.

“We’re focused on reducing the friction that companies typically face when trying to integrate generative AI into their operations,” Chun explains. “Friendli Engine allows businesses to focus on innovation without getting bogged down by the technical complexities of model deployment.”

Friendli Engine stands out for its groundbreaking performance metrics. It promises 50% to 90% cost savings, requiring up to six times fewer GPUs, and offering a staggering 10.7× higher throughput with 6.2× lower latency compared to other solutions like vLLM and TensorRT-LLM. The efficiency gains mean businesses can scale AI solutions faster and more affordably, turning what was once a costly investment into a powerful and manageable resource.

Accelerating Custom AI Solutions

A key differentiator of Friendli is its ability to support custom AI models tailored to specific business needs. Using its Multi-LoRA (Low-Rank Adaptation) serving technology, Friendli Engine makes it possible for businesses to run multiple customized models on just a single GPU. This capability, previously unimaginable for many organizations, dramatically lowers costs and accelerates the deployment of bespoke AI solutions.

Friendli’s platform integrates seamlessly with popular AI model hubs like Hugging Face and W&B Registry, giving businesses the flexibility to either upload their models or import pre-trained ones. This versatility has positioned Friendli as a go-to solution for organizations that need highly customized AI solutions without incurring significant infrastructure costs.

"With Multi-LoRA serving, we’ve made AI customization accessible, enabling companies to fine-tune and serve their models with minimal hardware investment,” says Chun. “This is how we’re enabling more businesses to tap into the potential of generative AI without breaking the bank.”

Training and Fine-Tuning: Efficiency at Its Best

Beyond deployment, one of Friendli’s key offerings is its sophisticated training and fine-tuning capabilities. The company’s platform is designed to streamline the entire process, from parameter-efficient fine-tuning to real-time deployment. Friendli’s tools ensure that businesses can optimize pre-trained models with their unique data, making it possible to achieve specific business objectives faster and more accurately.

The platform leverages techniques like PEFT (Parameter-Efficient Fine-Tuning), which allows for updating only the most relevant parameters in pre-trained models. This approach saves time and resources while maintaining the model’s accuracy, which is critical for businesses looking to stay agile and competitive.

Friendli Suite also offers seamless deployment of fine-tuned models, whether on a company’s internal infrastructure or via Friendli’s dedicated endpoints. The result is a highly flexible system that allows businesses to maximize the value of their AI investments with minimal downtime and maximum impact.

Cutting-Edge Technology: Pioneering Iteration Batching and Speculative Decoding

Friendli’s technological innovations are not just limited to performance optimization. The company has developed proprietary technologies like iteration batching, a revolutionary technique that enhances LLM inference throughput by handling concurrent generation requests with unprecedented efficiency. This innovation ensures that companies can serve large-scale AI models without sacrificing speed or performance.

Speculative decoding is another breakthrough in Friendli’s suite of offerings. This optimization technique allows the platform to predict future tokens in parallel with current token generation, significantly speeding up inference without compromising the model’s output. These cutting-edge techniques ensure that Friendli’s clients benefit from faster, more reliable AI solutions, positioning them at the forefront of the digital revolution.

A Vision for the Future

As the AI landscape continues to evolve, Friendli is well-positioned to lead the charge. By focusing on cost-efficiency, ease of use, and groundbreaking performance, the company is making generative AI accessible to more businesses than ever before. With innovations like Multi-LoRA serving, iteration batching, speculative decoding, and RAG, Friendli is enabling companies to deploy AI systems that are faster, smarter, and more cost-effective.

“At Friendli, we believe the future of AI is one where every organization can harness its power without the technical and financial barriers that have traditionally held them back,” says Chun. “Our mission is to turn that vision into a reality.”

Friendli’s commitment to innovation, paired with its mission to democratize AI, makes it a pivotal player in the rapidly evolving world of generative AI. As more companies look to integrate AI into their operations, Friendli is paving the way for a new era of efficiency, scalability, and success.

Byung-gon Chun, Founder & CEO

“Friendli Engine allows businesses to focus on innovation without getting bogged down by the technical complexities of model deployment.”