Kotoba Technologies Achieves Double Award at Morning Pitch Special Edition 2026

Kotoba Technologies Shines at Morning Pitch Special Edition 2026

Kotoba Technologies, Inc., based in San Francisco with a research and development center in Chiyoda, Tokyo, has made waves in the tech industry by winning both the Grand Prize and Audience Award at the Morning Pitch Special Edition 2026 held on January 28, 2026. This prestigious event was organized by Deloitte Tohmatsu Venture Support and Nomura Securities and featured startups from 2025’s Morning Pitch series. Kotoba was selected from 42 participating ventures, celebrating their true innovation in voice AI technology.

The co-founders of Kotoba Technologies are remarkable figures in the realm of generative AI, having earned their Ph.D.s in the United States. They teamed up with members involved in Japan's leading supercomputer Fugaku to establish the company in 2023. Within just two and a half years, they successfully raised close to 3 billion yen from top venture capitalists both in Japan and the U.S.

Their flagship product, Koto, represents a robust voice AI platform that integrates real-time speech recognition, translation, and synthesis, all while ensuring minimal latency and high naturalness in communication. This technological marvel has already been recognized through multiple rounds of funding from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, along with NEDO's GENIAC subsidy framework.

Breaking Language Barriers

At Kotoba, the ultimate goal is to dismantle language barriers that hinder global communication. The company currently offers two primary services: an AI-powered simultaneous interpretation app available on both Apple Store and Google Play for general users, and a multilingual voice interface designed for wearable devices, which targets global corporations in the U.S., Japan, and South Korea.

User Success and Innovations

The simultaneous interpretation app powered by the latest Koto technology has already reached a user base of over 100,000. It features an average translation delay of less than one second from speech onset to display, facilitating seamless communication in various contexts like meetings, business negotiations, travel, and customer service. The intuitive design allows users without technical expertise to quickly embrace the application.

Supporting languages currently include Japanese, English, Chinese, and Korean, with more languages expected to be rolled out soon. One key feature is the app's superior translation accuracy, particularly for East Asian languages, underlining Kotoba's commitment to quality. In just two months, users can expect the ability to receive simultaneous interpretations that also reflect the speaker's emotions, enhancing real-time interaction.

Furthermore, a team plan targeting businesses is on track to launch by the end of February and aims to strengthen ties with events and meetings, both paid and unpaid. Kotoba Technologies invites inquiries and collaboration through their contact email: [email protected].

Continuous Innovation

Kotoba continuously updates its technologies to ensure users can effortlessly experience the cutting-edge features of its products. A free trial plan is also available for interested users to explore the app further via the App Store or Google Play.

Company Overview

- Headquarters: Levi’s Plaza, 1160 Battery St Suite 100, San Francisco, CA 94111, USA
- CEO & Co-founder: Noriyuki Kojima
- Established: May 2023
- Website: Kotoba Technologies
- Social Media: Twitter - @kotoba_tech

Japanese Subsidiary

- Company Name: 株式会社Kotoba Technologies Japan
- Location: 東京都千代田区大手町一丁目６番1号大手町ビルヂング6階
- Representative: 代表取締役社長小島熙之
- Established: October 2023
- Capital: 10 million yen
- Business: R&D of real-time voice AI models, product development, domestic operations