SoftBank backs a high‑performance AI firm

SoftBank, NEC, Sony Group and Honda have set up a new company to build Japanese-made high-performance artificial intelligence for corporate use. (sp.m.jiji.com) Jiji Press reported on April 12 that each of the four companies took a stake of more than 10% in the venture, while other companies are negotiating to join as minority shareholders. Engineers from SoftBank and Tokyo-based Preferred Networks are expected to take part in the development work. (sp.m.jiji.com) The company plans to offer its models to Japanese businesses, not just use them internally. The stated aim is to help domestic companies compete with United States and Chinese groups that now lead large-scale artificial intelligence. (sp.m.jiji.com) A foundation model is the base system underneath tools such as chatbots, coding assistants and factory-control software. The Yomiuri Shimbun reported in December that the new company would first target a model with 1 trillion parameters, a rough measure of model size and complexity. (japannews.yomiuri.co.jp) That plan sits inside a much larger industrial push. The Yomiuri said Japan’s public and private sectors were preparing a roughly ¥3 trillion project, with SoftBank planning to invest ¥2 trillion over six years in data centers for artificial intelligence development and services starting in fiscal 2026. (japannews.yomiuri.co.jp) The venture is also lining up government support. Multiple reports said the company intends to apply for funding from the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization, which is preparing up to ¥1 trillion to support domestic artificial intelligence development. (japannews.yomiuri.co.jp, techinasia.com) SoftBank has been building the rest of that stack in parallel. Nvidia said in November 2024 that SoftBank was building Japan’s most powerful artificial intelligence supercomputer on Nvidia’s Blackwell platform and planned a follow-on system using Grace Blackwell chips. (nvidianews.nvidia.com) SoftBank has also pursued separate commercial partnerships around enterprise software. In November 2025, SoftBank and OpenAI said they would launch SB OAI Japan to sell OpenAI-based services in Japan, with availability planned for 2026. (softbank.jp) The new company points to a different layer of the market: owning the model, the computing infrastructure and the industrial data inside Japan. If the venture secures the engineers, chips and public funding it is seeking, Japan will be trying to build an artificial intelligence supplier for its own manufacturers, banks and telecom groups rather than relying only on foreign platforms. (sp.m.jiji.com, japannews.yomiuri.co.jp, softbank.jp)