--- title: "SoftBank, NEC, Sony, Honda Form New Company To Target Domestic AI Rollout, Close Gap with US And China" type: "News" locale: "en" url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/282484061.md" description: "Japan's leading companies, including SoftBank, NEC, Sony, and Honda, have launched a new venture to develop large-scale artificial intelligence aimed at domestic businesses, with the goal of competing with U.S. and Chinese firms. The initiative, supported by potential government funding, plans to hire around 100 AI engineers and initially deploy AI models in Japan, expanding into factory robotics later. The venture is backed by a 1 trillion yen fund and has attracted investments from major industrial and financial players, with each founding company holding over 10% stake." datetime: "2026-04-13T03:04:02.000Z" locales: - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/282484061.md) - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/282484061.md) - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/282484061.md) --- # SoftBank, NEC, Sony, Honda Form New Company To Target Domestic AI Rollout, Close Gap with US And China Some of Japan's biggest names, including **SoftBank Corp (OTC:SFTBY)**, **NEC Corp (OTC:NECPY)**, **Honda Motor Co** **(OTC:HNDAF)** and **Sony Group Corp. (OTC:SNEJF)** have established a new company focused on large-scale artificial intelligence for domestic businesses, according to a report seen on Sunday. ## **Why It Matters** The initiative was taken to narrow the gap with U.S. and Chinese AI leaders, with expected backing from the Japanese government, according to a report by Japan Today. The group will initially roll out the model to domestic firms, with plans to expand into factory robotics and other applications. The venture is expected to hire about 100 AI engineers and will be led by a SoftBank executive. Development will initially be spearheaded by SoftBank and NEC, with Tokyo-based AI developer Preferred Networks set to join at a later stage. The company is planning to apply for funding from the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), a government-backed body that has earmarked up to 1 trillion yen (approximately $6.3 billion) to support domestic AI development. Major industrial and financial players, including Nippon Steel Corp, Kobe Steel Ltd, Mitsubishi MUFG Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp, and Mizuho Bank, have also invested in the newly established company, signaling broad-based support across sectors. SoftBank, NEC, Sony and Honda each took a stake of more than 10% in the new firm, while several other firms are negotiating to invest as minority shareholders, according to Jiji Press, a Japanese news agency. ## **SoftBank Expanding into AI** Late last month, SoftBank secured a $40 billion bridge loan to fund investments in ChatGPT maker OpenAI and support general corporate needs, underscoring its deepening push into artificial intelligence. **Benzinga Edge Stock Rankings** indicate that SoftBank has Growth score in the 68th percentile. NEC Corp. has a Growth score in the 85th percentile. Honda Group and Sony Group has a Growth score in the 15th percentile and 4th percentile, respectively. _Photo Courtesy: NP27 on Shutterstock.com_ ### Related Stocks - [SONY.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/SONY.US.md) - [6758.JP](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/6758.JP.md) - [HMC.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/HMC.US.md) - [7267.JP](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/7267.JP.md) - [9984.JP](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/9984.JP.md) - [1973.JP](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/1973.JP.md) - [6701.JP](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/6701.JP.md) - [SFTBY.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/SFTBY.US.md) ## Related News & Research - [SoftBank CISO Iida says sovereign AI push aims to keep customer data within Japan](https://longbridge.com/en/news/296442282.md) - [Sony entertainment, technology and services CEO Kenji Tanaka sells 20,000 Sony shares worth USD 476,600](https://longbridge.com/en/news/296384732.md) - [Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. Lowers Stock Holdings in Honda Motor Co., Ltd. $HMC](https://longbridge.com/en/news/296201956.md) - [Sony delays PS6 launch decision amid supply chain strain](https://longbridge.com/en/news/296400877.md) - [OpenAI-backed Thrive Holdings raises $2B to bring AI to the enterprise](https://longbridge.com/en/news/295695520.md)