SoftBank and OpenAI Launch Japan AI Joint Venture

TOKYO, Japan — SoftBank Group and OpenAI announced Wednesday that they have formed a joint venture to sell enterprise artificial intelligence products in Japan.

The new entity, SB OAI Japan LLC, is equally owned by OpenAI and C Holdings Corporation. SoftBank Corp holds a 51% stake in C Holdings, while SoftBank Group Corp owns the remaining 49%.

SB OAI Japan plans to sell a product called Crystal Intelligence in Japan beginning in 2026, according to company statements. 

The offering will combine OpenAI’s enterprise solutions with implementation and operational support. 

The venture will have exclusive distribution rights in Japan and is based in Tokyo’s Minato ward.

SoftBank Corp will be the initial user of Crystal Intelligence, testing its development and integration in corporate processes before it is made available to other companies, according to the companies.

SoftBank Group employees currently use AI tools in their work, according to the company. 

The company reports it has developed about 2.5 million custom GPTs—modified versions of ChatGPT tailored for specific business tasks.

“This joint venture marks a step toward delivering AI to companies worldwide, starting in Japan,” said Sam Altman, chief executive of OpenAI.

Masayoshi Son, chairman and chief executive of SoftBank Group Corp, said AI agents would collaborate and execute business tasks autonomously, advancing what he described as the “AI revolution” to a new stage.

Junichi Miyakawa, President and Chief Executive of SoftBank Corp., said the venture would accelerate the development of Crystal Intelligence and that SoftBank would utilize insights from its own implementation to support business customers.

The companies stated that the venture aims to support the adoption of AI in corporate management and business operations.