# Major Japanese companies have established a new firm to develop large-scale artificial intelligence.

*genai · news · 2026-04-12 · Japan Today*

## Key points

- Major Japanese firms have jointly established a new company to develop domestic large-scale AI models.
- The new company will employ about 100 AI engineers and be led by a SoftBank executive.
- SoftBank and NEC will lead development, with Preferred Networks Inc joining later.
- The firm will seek funding from a government body offering up to 1 trillion yen for AI.

**Companies:** SoftBank Corp, Honda Motor Co, Sony Group Corp, NEC Corp, Nippon Steel Corp, Kobe Steel Ltd, MUFG Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp, Mizuho Bank, Preferred Networks Inc
**Countries:** Japan

[Read the full story on Japan Today](https://japantoday.com/category/tech/softbank-other-major-japan-firms-set-up-new-company-for-ai-development)

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