#Japan #Minato, Tokyo #Qlean Dataset #Visual Bank #THE PEN

Visual Bank's Remarkable Recognition for 2026

Visual Bank Inc., led by CEO Masayuki Nagai and headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, proudly announces its selection as one of the 100 leading companies shaping the future market for the second time in the 2026 edition by Nikkei's Cross Trend. This notable achievement follows their selection in the 2024 edition, highlighting their continuous innovation and significant impact in the fields of entertainment and technology.

About the 100 Leading Companies

The annual feature by Nikkei, titled "100 Companies Shaping the Future Market," has been published every December since 2019. It involves extensive research through interviews and surveys with various experts, including venture capitalists, evaluating around 400 companies. These companies are assessed based on three crucial criteria: innovation (newness), growth potential (sales prospects), and societal impact (change in lifestyles). From these evaluations, Nikkei chooses 100 companies expected to thrive and make significant advancements by 2026.

Reasons Behind Visual Bank's Selection

Visual Bank earned its place on this prestigious list due to its pioneering work in the integration of intellectual property (IP) and artificial intelligence (AI) within the entertainment industry. The company’s innovative dataset not only enhances creativity but also supports artists and creators.

In March 2025, Visual Bank was accepted into the GENERATIVE AI ACCELERATOR CHALLENGE (GENIAC), a project supported by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO). This project focuses on constructing and validating a data ecosystem specifically tailored for the AI industry, emphasizing the development of foundational datasets for industry-specific applications.

Visual Bank is committed to evolving its AI development support initiatives and prioritizing advancements across various sectors.

Visual Bank's Business Initiatives

1. THE PEN (IP x AI): This initiative focuses on developing and providing AI-assisted drawing tools for manga artists. It aims to enhance creativity by offering practical tools tailored to the unique expression of individual creators. For more information, visit THE PEN.

2. Qlean Dataset: This service specializes in developing and offering AI training datasets that are rights-cleared. Leveraging images, videos, and audio, Qlean Dataset optimizes machine learning datasets for various industry needs. By managing all aspects of data preparation, including annotation and structuring, Qlean ensures high development efficiency and quality. To learn more, visit Qlean Dataset.

3. Visual Library: As one of Japan's largest stock photo services, this venture upholds over 40 years of history, providing high-quality visual content that is rights-cleared. It serves major companies in advertising, publishing, education, and news media. For details, visit Amana Images.

About Visual Bank Inc.

Established in April 2022, Visual Bank operates on a foundation of over 240 million rights-cleared images through its Visual Library. The company actively develops AI training datasets under the Qlean Dataset initiative and offers AI drawing assistance tools through THE PEN. By intersecting the fields of IP and AI, Visual Bank drives the appropriate onsite implementation of next-generation technologies. In August 2025, the company successfully raised approximately 1.1 billion yen in a Series B funding round to strengthen strategic M&A and core talent acquisition.

For more information about Visual Bank Inc., visit their official website at Visual Bank. The company is affiliated with Amana Images and THE PEN Inc.