Japan, Nvidia and SoftBank back five AI startups

Station Ai has teamed with SoftBank and Nvidia to run the AI Boost Program, launched in September 2025, to accelerate five Japanese AI startups toward proof of concept and follow-on funding. The program provides access to compute, engineering support and business mentoring.

The first cohort includes Ollo, which focuses on manufacturing AI; Karakuri, an enterprise AI developer; Cross Medicine, a healthcare startup; Final Aim, a generative AI platform provider; and Playbox, a company that builds computer motion analysis tools.

Participants receive free use of SoftBank’s high-performance GPU systems, direct engineering support from Nvidia staff, business development coaching and introductions to potential investors. The program aims to reduce initial technical and commercial barriers so startups can develop demonstrators and seek additional capital.

Masafumi Asakura, co-founder and CEO of Final Aim, plans to use the GPU access to advance generative AI work while limiting intellectual property risk.

Nvidia has also announced plans to invest in Japan’s robotics sector and began a partnership with Fujitsu in October 2025 to build full-stack AI infrastructure for the local market.

In early April, Microsoft announced a multiyear investment of ¥1.6 trillion, to be deployed in Japan between 2026 and 2029. The company framed the funding as part of a broader effort to expand its presence in the country’s technology ecosystem.

Market data from Tracxn show Japan hosts about 251 AI companies, including 93 startups. By comparison, the United States has roughly 30,000 AI companies, China about 5,000 and Germany around 1,500.

At Japan Fintech Week 2026, Sam Ghiotti, founder and CEO of Habitto, described a cultural difference in startup strategy, contrasting U.S. emphasis on being first with Japan’s focus on correctness. Shin Sakane, co-CEO of TRADOM Inc., said regulators, large firms and many startups in Japan prioritize trusted and compliant systems from the start.

On April 12, SoftBank, NEC, Honda and Sony Group announced a jointly operated company called Japan AI Foundation Model Development to build domestic foundation models. The new company will be led by a SoftBank executive and draw on about 100 senior AI engineers moved from the founding firms. Each of the four principal companies will hold a 10% stake. Nippon Steel and Japan’s three megabanks-MUFG, SMBC and Mizuho-will be minority shareholders.

The private initiatives align with a plan by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry that allocates roughly ¥1 trillion over five years from fiscal 2026 to support development of foundation models at the one trillion parameter scale, funding computing infrastructure, research partnerships and workforce training.

Program backers say connecting startups to global-grade hardware and engineering talent will speed development of advanced models. Some founders say it remains unclear whether long-term success will favor rapid scaling or firms that prioritize robustness and regulatory compliance.