GAZAI Announces New CEO as Company Shifts to Accelerate Growth of AI Chat App anini

GAZAI Announces Leadership Change

GAZAI, a Tokyo-based company known for developing the AI character chat application anini, has made a notable shift in its leadership. Starting June 1, 2026, co-founders Raito Ichioka and Wise Ongg will step down from their positions as co-CEOs, with Yukiyoshi Maehara taking over the role of CEO. This strategic transition aims to fuel GAZAI's growth during an exciting phase of expansion for its flagship product, anini.

Background of the Transition

Since its closed beta launch in October 2025 and official release in April 2026, anini has seen remarkable growth, expanding sixfold within the last three months. With an impressive user rating of 4.3 on the App Store, this AI character chat app has resonated well with users. To capitalize on this momentum, GAZAI is shifting to a new leadership structure focused around Maehara, who has a proven track record in the entertainment sector, including game development and project management.

Maehara's extensive experience in launching and scaling businesses in areas such as VTubing and gaming will be crucial in leveraging GAZAI's strengths in Japanese creative content and proprietary AI technology. His goal is to propel anini to the next level of growth by integrating his insights from the entertainment industry.

Introducing the New CEO: Yukiyoshi Maehara

Profile

Yukiyoshi Maehara has a rich background that includes working in IT consulting with Japan Research Institute, game engineering and project management at KLab, and founding Ambireal. He launched the VTuber music streaming platform topia, achieving over ¥2 billion in cumulative sales, which led to a successful merger with jig.jp in April 2025. Joining GAZAI in June 2025, Maehara has quickly risen to the position of board member by November of the same year, bringing a wealth of industry expertise.

Maehara’s Vision

In a statement about his new role, Maehara expressed, "anini has rapidly grown its user base since its official launch, and I sensed a strong opportunity for expansion in the market for AI character experiences rooted in Japanese creativity. I aim to deploy everything I've learned in the entertainment sector to elevate anini to its next stage of success while nurturing the business and organization built by the founding members."

Comments from Departing Leadership

Raito Ichioka, co-founder and departing co-CEO, shared his thoughts: "We established GAZAI around the intersection of AI and intellectual property, focusing on the character chat segment with anini. Now that we're entering a rapid growth phase, entrusting the leadership to Maehara, who has substantial success in launching and scaling entertainment applications, is the best decision for both anini and our users. I look forward to seeing the unique user experiences we will provide in Japan."

Wise Ongg, the other departing co-CEO, added, "The technological backbone of anini, including our self-developed SLM and GPU systems, has enabled us to support its rapid growth effectively. Even with this leadership transition, I will continue contributing to the evolution of our core technologies as the head of AI, bringing our unique Japanese AI character experience to a global audience."

About anini

anini is an AI chat application that allows users to interact with Japanese-style creative AI characters. Featuring a blend of anime and light-novel aesthetics, along with character designs by Japanese artists, anini transforms user dialogues into real-time narrative changes, creating a dynamic conversational experience. With capabilities like memory retention for evolving relationships and rich expression through voice and visual elements, anini stands out in the marketplace.