Sony Group Corp., SoftBank Corp., NEC Corp., and Honda Motor Co. established a new company to develop Japanese-made artificial intelligence. Each founding partner holds an equity stake exceeding 10% in the venture. The initiative aims to provide high-performance AI to Japanese businesses to compete with American and Chinese firms.
The venture will apply for the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) support program. This national program offers ¥1 trillion in total assistance. The program spans five years. Funding begins in fiscal 2026.
Engineers from SoftBank and Preferred Networks Inc. will participate in the project.