#Japan #Nagoya #NVIDIA #SoftBank #AI Boost Program

AI Boost Program Launches with Five Selected Startups

On April 6, 2026, STATION Ai Corporation, headquartered in Nagoya, launched the "AI Boost Program," an initiative designed specifically for Japanese AI startups. Under the esteemed mentorship of SoftBank and NVIDIA, this program aims to provide world-class AI infrastructure, expertise, and opportunities for business creation.

The program's objective is to accelerate the growth of exceptional AI startups, making a significant impact on their respective industries. Following numerous applications, five startups were carefully selected and officially kicked off the program, marking a momentous occasion for Japan's AI landscape.

Selected Startups and Their Innovations

The chosen startups represent a diverse range of industries and innovative ideas:

• - Ollo Co., Ltd. – Focused on enhancing visibility and anomaly detection in manufacturing with the development of Ollo Factory. Ollo Website
• - Karakuri Co., Ltd. – Dedicated to research and development of Japanese LLMs, aimed at implementing AI in contact centers and physical AI-based solutions. Karakuri Website
• - Cross Medicine Co., Ltd. – Innovating voice AI technology to understand infant cries for postnatal depression prevention and child development support. Cross Medicine Website
• - Final Aim, Inc. – Providing a platform called "Final Design" to minimize intellectual property risks in design and creative manufacturing using generative AI. Final Aim Website
• - Playbox Co., Ltd. – A startup from Tsukuba University and Nagoya University that utilizes AI video analysis to compute human movement.

As the program launched, representatives from the five startups converged at STATION Ai, including stakeholders from NVIDIA and STATION Ai itself. This gathering featured presentations by the selected startups, where they shared their business insights and discussed potential collaborations.

Highlights from the Kick-off Event

The opening session featured a speech from Hirotaka Sabashi, CEO of STATION Ai, who expressed his enthusiasm for the program's launch and highlighted the extensive preparations that had taken place. He encouraged the startups to fully leverage the free access to SoftBank’s GPU systems, as well as the technical support provided by NVIDIA’s engineers.

In subsequent discussions, the logistics of the program's operations, communication methods, and weekly progress evaluations were outlined, fostering a spirit of collaboration and networking among the participating companies. Active exchanges on customer acquisition strategies and GPU resource utilization pointed to the excitement and expectations surrounding the initiative.

Program Structure and Support

The "AI Boost Program" is engineered to bolster the growth of participating startups by providing:

• - Free access to SoftBank’s GPU systems for up to four months through the "AI Foundation for Startups" initiative.
• - Technical support from NVIDIA engineers during hands-on workshops.
• - Co-creation and project generation assistance from STATION Ai, facilitating proof of concept (PoC) development.

Startup Impressions

Feedback from the selected startups illustrated their enthusiasm:

• - Kento Kawai from Ollo emphasized the program's alignment with their needs for the future of Japan's manufacturing sector.
• - Shimon Oda from Karakuri expressed confidence that this initiative would boost their LLM implementations.
• - Koga Nakai from Cross Medicine noted the invaluable support during their early startup phase.
• - Masafumi Asakura from Final Aim mentioned the program would enhance their generative AI technology development.
• - Scott Atom from Playbox conveyed the initiative's potential in facilitating business growth and advancing AI development in video processing.

Future Prospects: Demo Day

Looking ahead, the program anticipates fostering development support and business co-creation, with a focus on validating products and commercializing innovations. The next major event, "Demo Day," is scheduled for July 10, 2026, at STATION Ai, where companies will showcase their outcomes and receive feedback from evaluation members, furthering their growth.

This event not only celebrates the startups’ progress but also aims to facilitate business matchmaking opportunities by inviting compatible companies to participate as the audience.

About STATION Ai

STATION Ai aims to foster startups and promote open innovation by providing various support services. With over 1,000 participating startups and partner organizations, it’s a vibrant hub for new business creation in Japan. The facility offers a conducive work environment along with workshops, mentoring, and networking opportunities to address various challenges faced by startups.

The official website for further details is STATION Ai.