Newsweek Japan’s 40th Edition | Toontec Solutions Co., Ltd — LIN SHI QIANG (Ichiro Lin), CEO

10/6, In this edition’s “CHALLENGER” feature, we were honored to be featured under the theme:

“Expanding the Possibilities of AI Applications through the World’s First DC-Powered AI Server, Delivering High Performance at Lower Cost.”

We would like to express our sincere gratitude for the thoughtful, in-depth interview and the publication of this article.

The feature highlights Toontec’s strengths in green energy and AI technological innovation. It also explores the journey of our President, Ichiro Lin, from his early fascination with artificial intelligence during his student years to his nearly 20 years of experience in the technology industry, as well as the core beliefs that have consistently guided our founding team.

“Listening sincerely to the needs of the market and harnessing the power of technology to solve challenges faced by businesses and people.”

Through this article, we are pleased to share Toontec’s founding vision and corporate philosophy, along with our commitment to combining the industrial strengths of Japan and Taiwan.

By advancing green computing and the real-world adoption of AI, we aim to transform technological innovation into meaningful new value for industries and society.

Expanding Access to AI with the World’s First DC-Powered AI Server and High-Performance, Cost-Effective Solutions

“I’ve always been a huge baseball fan. I became a fan of Japanese baseball stars Kazuhiro Kiyohara and Ichiro Suzuki during junior high school, and that was what first inspired me to visit Japan,” recalls Ichiro Lin (Lin Shi Qiang).

Lin serves as President and Representative Director of TTS (ToonTec Solutions) Advanced Technology Co., Ltd., a company specializing in the development and sales of AI-related products and services.

After completing graduate studies in Taiwan, Lin initially planned to pursue architecture at a graduate school in Japan. However, the professor he had hoped to study under passed away, leading him to enroll in a graduate program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States. There, he became involved in artificial intelligence research. Fascinated by the field’s potential, he decided to pursue a career in the technology industry.

Following graduation, Lin worked at IBM Taiwan before joining an information security company. In 2006, he made his first visit to Japan to develop the Japanese market. In 2018, he joined six former IBM colleagues in establishing ToonTec in Japan.

After returning to Taiwan due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Lin founded ToonTec Solutions in Taiwan in 2022, expanding its business operations in collaboration with ToonTec Japan.

The company name, “Toon,” is derived from the Chinese word for “pain.” It reflects the founders’ commitment to using technology to address the various pain points people experience—not only physical discomfort, but also everyday difficulties and business challenges.

“What matters most to us is speed. We could have continued our careers at major corporations, but we decided to establish our own company because we were frustrated by situations where customers needed help, yet internal corporate procedures prevented us from responding quickly.”

Today, with operations based in Taiwan, Japan, and Hong Kong, TTS provides a broad range of products and services. These include hardware such as AI servers, digital signage, and edge AI devices, as well as applications including optical character recognition and multilingual AI chatbots. The company also provides system integration, development, and maintenance services.

Through this comprehensive portfolio, TTS delivers AI computing environments that integrate both hardware and software.

Among its flagship offerings is the AROO series, a line of high-performance AI servers developed and marketed under the company’s own brand. With multiple models designed for different applications and performance requirements, the series addresses the specific needs of individual enterprises.

“Taiwan is home to a concentration of the world’s leading server and component manufacturers, giving it strong technological capabilities and cost competitiveness. Our greatest advantage is our close connection between Taiwan’s manufacturing ecosystem and Japanese customers. We can bring customer requirements directly to factories in Taiwan, customize products when necessary, and deliver the latest models at competitive prices.”

With the rise of generative AI, global demand for AI servers has surged dramatically. Yet through his visits to businesses across Japan, Lin has observed that many companies remain hesitant to adopt AI technologies.

“We frequently hear companies say, ‘We want to use AI, but we don’t know where to start,’ or ‘The quotation was several times higher than we expected.’ That’s why we launched our AI server rental service. Customers can start by renting a server, testing its capabilities, and then moving toward full deployment once they see the benefits. This allows businesses to begin using AI without making a substantial upfront investment.”

Lin also identifies the significant electricity consumption of AI servers as another major obstacle to wider adoption.

“This is a global challenge, but electricity prices are particularly high in Japan, making energy costs a major barrier to AI deployment.”

To address this issue, TTS has developed a DC-powered AI server in partnership with DC POWER VIL, a company specializing in direct current power technology.

By reducing energy losses associated with converting alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC), the technology aims to improve energy efficiency while maintaining computing performance.

TTS is also developing operating environments powered by renewable energy sources, including solar power. Demonstration projects are underway in Setagaya, Tokyo, and at Itoshima Science Village in Fukuoka.

Looking ahead, the company aims to expand adoption of its energy-efficient server technology in the data center market, where reducing electricity consumption has become an increasingly important priority.

Lin’s long-term ambition is to establish TTS as one of Asia’s leading AI server companies.

“Currently, AI adoption in Asia is largely concentrated among major corporations with substantial financial resources. But those who truly need AI include small and medium-sized businesses facing labor shortages, as well as local healthcare, education, and public administration organizations.

Our goal is to reduce costs and operational complexity, making AI something ordinary businesses can use as part of their everyday operations. I believe that’s the role companies like ours, as emerging players in the industry, should fulfill.”

To further strengthen TTS’s brand recognition and make AI more accessible to consumers, the company is also developing AI-powered wearable devices and other consumer products designed for athletes and sports spectators. These products are scheduled for release by the end of 2026.

Through his ongoing entrepreneurial endeavors, Lin ultimately hopes to position TTS as a bridge between Taiwan and Japan.

“Our vision is rooted in the idea of being born from Japan and Taiwan, growing across Taiwan and Fukuoka, and reaching out to the world.

Japan’s meticulous approach to craftsmanship and Taiwan’s speed and manufacturing capabilities complement each other exceptionally well. By combining these strengths, we can accomplish things that neither side could achieve alone. That’s what we want to demonstrate.”