On March 14, SingularityNET, which is an AI startup that offers a decentralized Ethereum-based marketplace, announced in a press release that had been posted on Medium that they had partnered with Chinese insurance conglomerate Ping An on a variety of projects. The two companies will initially focus on a small number of subjects, including computer vision, model training and optical character recognition (OCR). SingularityNET, though, has indicated that the partnership will likely expand in the future. This expansion is expected to include multiple initiatives across many industries. The announcement comes right on the heels of SingularityNET's official launch. On February 28, the beta version of their decentralized marketplace went live. The company first made news more than a year earlier when, in January of 2018, they announced a partnership with a startup called Hara, which offers a blockchain-powered data exchange platform for agricultural companies. Their partnership was announced at the World Web Forum. Ping An is believed to be the most valuable insurance company in the world. It currently has a staggering 170 million customers, and in the latest Forbes Global 2000 rankings it ranks as the 10th largest public company in the world. They have also been actively involved in blockchain technology. Last November, they entered into a strategic cooperation agreement with the municipal government of Sanya, which is a resort city on China’s Hainan Island. The agreement will enable SmartCity construction projects using blockchain solutions. At the same time, Ping An Bank — which is a banking subsidiary of the insurance company — announced that they will establish a boutique bank that will utilize the latest in fintech technology. This includes blockchain technology, Internet of Things (IoT) technology and a variety of cloud-based services. Ping An has also been actively involved with AI technology. In 8 Chinese cities, the company's "One Minute Clinics" provide medical consultations using AI, and they are entirely unstaffed.