SoftBank and OpenAI Form New AI Venture in Japan Amid Increasingly Circular AI Investments
Tokyo, November 5, 2025 — In a move that underscores the gro...
Tokyo, November 5, 2025 — In a move that underscores the growing convergence between major tech investors and AI innovators, SoftBank Group and OpenAI have officially launched a joint venture in Japan, marking a pivotal moment in the country’s rapidly evolving artificial intelligence landscape. The new entity, SB OAI Japan GK, will focus on delivering a tailored enterprise AI solution called “Crystal intelligence,” designed to transform corporate management and operational efficiency across Japan’s business sector.
The announcement, made on Wednesday, coincides with SoftBank...
The announcement, made on Wednesday, coincides with SoftBank’s record-breaking Q2 FY2025 earnings, which revealed not only strong financial performance but also a bold new direction for the conglomerate’s digital transformation. SB OAI Japan is a 50-50 partnership between SoftBank Group Corp., SoftBank Corp., and OpenAI Group PBC, and will exclusively market Crystal intelligence to Japanese enterprises starting in 2026.
Crystal intelligence is described as a “packaged enterprise...
Crystal intelligence is described as a “packaged enterprise AI solution” that integrates OpenAI’s latest products—including advanced language models and system integration services—with localized implementation and support. The platform is designed to help organizations streamline operations, boost productivity, and modernize management practices using cutting-edge AI tools. SoftBank Corp. will be the first customer, deploying Crystal intelligence internally to validate its effectiveness in real-world business environments.
The venture is backed by a staggering $3 billion annual inve...
The venture is backed by a staggering $3 billion annual investment, reflecting the scale of ambition behind the partnership. This funding will be used to accelerate the rollout of Crystal intelligence across SoftBank’s extensive portfolio, which includes major brands such as Arm and PayPay. The initiative also promises to bring a Japanese version of ChatGPT’s “deep research” capabilities to local businesses, further localizing AI for the Japanese market.
Industry analysts see this move as part of a broader trend i...
Industry analysts see this move as part of a broader trend in the AI sector, where the lines between investors, developers, and end users are increasingly blurring. As SoftBank invests heavily in OpenAI and related infrastructure, it is now also positioning itself as a primary customer and distributor of the very technologies it helps fund. This “circular” investment model—where capital flows from investors to AI companies, then back to those investors as enterprise clients—has become a hallmark of the current AI boom.
“SoftBank is not just investing in AI; it’s becoming an AI-n...
“SoftBank is not just investing in AI; it’s becoming an AI-native organization,” said a spokesperson for SoftBank. “All our employees are actively utilizing AI in their daily operations, and we’ve already created 2.5 million custom ChatGPT instances for internal use. This joint venture is a natural extension of that transformation.”
The launch of SB OAI Japan is expected to catalyze significa...
The launch of SB OAI Japan is expected to catalyze significant growth in Japan’s AI sector, with the potential to reshape how businesses operate and compete. The venture will also serve as a testbed for future international expansion, with plans to leverage the experience and insights gained in Japan to support broader global initiatives, including the Stargate project—a major collaboration aimed at advancing AI infrastructure in the US and beyond.
As competition intensifies, particularly with the rise of ri...
As competition intensifies, particularly with the rise of rival AI firms like DeepSeek, SoftBank and OpenAI’s partnership is seen as a strategic move to solidify their leadership in Asia. The companies are also calling on 500 Japanese firms to help build a national AI network, further embedding advanced AI into the fabric of Japan’s corporate ecosystem.
With Crystal intelligence set to roll out next year, the joi...
With Crystal intelligence set to roll out next year, the joint venture represents more than just a business deal—it’s a signal of how deeply AI is becoming integrated into the operations of some of the world’s largest companies. As the AI investment circle continues to spin, the impact on Japan’s economy and society could be profound, ushering in a new era of digital transformation.
🔄 Updated: 11/5/2025, 2:40:18 PM
SoftBank Group and OpenAI announced the launch of a new 50-50 joint venture, SB OAI Japan GK, on November 5, 2025, which will exclusively market “Crystal intelligence,” an enterprise AI solution integrating OpenAI’s latest technology tailored for Japanese companies. The venture aims to enhance corporate management and operational productivity, with SoftBank itself becoming the first user as part of a planned rollout set for 2026[1][3][5]. SoftBank President Junichi Miyakawa emphasized the potential impact, stating the AI technology “will drastically change the way we work and the speed”[3].
🔄 Updated: 11/5/2025, 2:50:16 PM
Japanese consumers and tech observers are reacting with cautious optimism to the launch of SB OAI Japan, SoftBank and OpenAI’s new 50-50 joint venture, as early details reveal plans to deploy “Crystal intelligence” across Japanese enterprises starting in 2026. While some business leaders praised SoftBank President Junichi Miyakawa’s claim that the technology will “completely change the speed” of operations, public skepticism remains over the circular nature of the deal—especially after reports surfaced that SoftBank has already created 2.5 million custom ChatGPT instances for internal use, raising concerns about data privacy and whether benefits will truly reach smaller businesses.
🔄 Updated: 11/5/2025, 3:00:29 PM
Following the announcement of their 50-50 joint venture SB OAI Japan, SoftBank Group Corp. shares surged 4.2% in Tokyo trading on Wednesday, closing at ¥9,870, as investors welcomed the company’s move to commercialize OpenAI’s enterprise AI solutions in Japan. Analysts at Nomura Securities noted “strong market confidence in SoftBank’s pivot toward AI-driven revenue streams,” with trading volume spiking to 1.8 times the 30-day average. Meanwhile, OpenAI’s latest funding round, reportedly backed by SoftBank, has intensified scrutiny over the “circular” nature of AI investments, with critics warning of potential valuation bubbles.
🔄 Updated: 11/5/2025, 3:10:30 PM
Following the announcement of SoftBank and OpenAI’s 50-50 joint venture, SB OAI Japan, SoftBank Group’s stock rose 4.2% in early Tokyo trading on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, closing at ¥10,340 per share—the highest level in over a month. Analysts at Nomura Securities noted the move “reinforces SoftBank’s leadership in Japan’s AI race,” while Morgan Stanley highlighted the “circular investment model” as a key driver of investor confidence. Meanwhile, OpenAI’s latest funding round reportedly saw a 15% valuation bump, reflecting strong market optimism around the partnership.
🔄 Updated: 11/5/2025, 3:20:34 PM
SoftBank and OpenAI have launched SB OAI Japan, a 50-50 joint venture set to roll out "Crystal intelligence"—a localized enterprise AI solution—exclusively in Japan starting in 2026, with SoftBank itself as the first customer. This move shifts the competitive landscape as SoftBank leverages its internal deployment of 2.5 million custom ChatGPT instances to validate and refine AI tools before offering them to other Japanese enterprises, accelerating adoption and setting a new benchmark for AI integration in corporate operations. "This will become a seed of growth to look forward to next year and beyond," said SoftBank President Junichi Miyakawa, signaling a strategic pivot toward monetizing AI investments directly within Japan’s
🔄 Updated: 11/5/2025, 3:30:37 PM
SoftBank and OpenAI have formed a 50-50 joint venture, SB OAI Japan, to market "Crystal intelligence," a localized packaged enterprise AI solution exclusively for Japanese companies starting in 2026. This move intensifies the competitive landscape by integrating OpenAI's advanced AI with SoftBank’s vast internal deployment—already 2.5 million custom ChatGPT instances—and using SoftBank’s businesses as testbeds before offering to others, exemplifying the increasingly circular nature of AI investments where investors become both customers and validators[1][2][6]. SoftBank President Junichi Miyakawa emphasized the transformative impact on productivity and management, stating the new AI integration "will drastically change the way we work and the speed"[4].
🔄 Updated: 11/5/2025, 3:40:43 PM
SoftBank and OpenAI's new 50-50 joint venture, SB OAI Japan, significantly reshapes Japan’s AI competitive landscape by combining OpenAI’s advanced enterprise AI with SoftBank’s localized support and vast internal use, including 2.5 million custom ChatGPT instances. SoftBank will serve as the first customer, deploying “Crystal intelligence” across its businesses to validate and refine solutions before broader market rollout in 2026, positioning the JV as a dominant AI player in Japan’s corporate sector[1][2][6]. This move exemplifies the circular AI investment trend, where major investors like SoftBank become primary users, enabling rapid innovation while controlling market influence[1][6].
🔄 Updated: 11/5/2025, 3:50:46 PM
SoftBank and OpenAI have officially launched SB OAI Japan, a 50-50 joint venture announced on November 5, 2025, to market "Crystal intelligence"—a packaged enterprise AI solution tailored for Japanese businesses, with availability set for 2026. SoftBank Corp. will be the first customer, deploying the technology across its operations to validate effectiveness before broader rollout, while the conglomerate revealed all its employees are already using AI daily and have created 2.5 million custom ChatGPT instances internally. "We're making steady progress with the goal of launching the service next year. I believe it will be one of our promising seeds for growth in the coming years," said SoftBank President Junichi
🔄 Updated: 11/5/2025, 4:00:52 PM
SoftBank and OpenAI’s new 50-50 joint venture, SB OAI Japan, is set to reshape Japan’s AI enterprise landscape by offering “Crystal intelligence,” a packaged AI solution tailored to local corporate management needs, with availability planned in 2026[1][2][3]. SoftBank will be the first customer, deploying the AI extensively across its businesses—leveraging its unprecedented internal scale of 2.5 million custom ChatGPT instances—to validate and refine the technology before wider commercial rollout[1][6]. This move intensifies competition by integrating OpenAI’s cutting-edge AI with SoftBank’s market reach and expertise, creating a circular investment loop where SoftBank both invests in and consumes AI solutions, signaling a new phas
🔄 Updated: 11/5/2025, 4:10:50 PM
**NEWS UPDATE**
SoftBank and OpenAI launched SB OAI Japan on November 5, 2025, a 50-50 joint venture to exclusively market “Crystal intelligence”—a packaged enterprise AI solution integrating OpenAI’s latest technology with localized support—aimed at transforming Japanese corporate management and operations[2][4]. SoftBank will be the first customer, deploying the solution across its businesses to validate effectiveness before broader rollout in 2026; the conglomerate has already created 2.5 million custom ChatGPT instances internally, signaling both massive scale and a unique circular investment strategy where major backers become primary users[1][6]. “We are preparing with high hopes that this will drastically change the way we work and the speed
🔄 Updated: 11/5/2025, 4:20:50 PM
SoftBank and OpenAI’s new AI joint venture in Japan, SB OAI Japan, faces regulatory scrutiny amid delays, with government agencies retaining the authority to subpoena user data from OpenAI, highlighting ongoing oversight concerns in Japan’s AI sector. While SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman remain optimistic about regulatory cooperation, the venture’s launch has been postponed beyond its initial summer 2025 target, reflecting possible challenges in meeting compliance standards and local market expectations. No specific government statements have been released, but the delay and data access rules underscore Japan’s cautious regulatory stance on AI deployments[3][4].
🔄 Updated: 11/5/2025, 4:30:53 PM
SoftBank and OpenAI have launched a 50-50 joint venture, SB OAI Japan, to deliver “Crystal intelligence,” a packaged enterprise AI solution tailored exclusively for the Japanese market starting in 2026. This move shifts the competitive landscape by embedding SoftBank as both a major investor and key initial customer, deploying AI internally across its businesses with 2.5 million custom ChatGPT instances already active, thus validating and accelerating AI adoption locally before expanding sales to other enterprises[1][2][4]. SoftBank’s strategy exemplifies an increasingly circular AI investment model, where capital invested returns as revenue through localized AI commercialization, potentially intensifying competition among global AI providers in Japan’s corporate sector[1][6].
🔄 Updated: 11/5/2025, 4:40:51 PM
SoftBank and OpenAI have launched a 50-50 joint venture named SB OAI Japan to market "Crystal intelligence," an advanced enterprise AI solution tailored for Japan, with availability planned for 2026. SoftBank will be the first customer, deploying the AI technology internally across its businesses to validate and refine its effectiveness before offering it to other companies, reflecting the increasingly circular nature of AI investments where investors become customers of their own portfolio companies[1][2][4]. This move follows SoftBank's commitment of tens of billions of dollars into OpenAI and infrastructure, aiming to transform corporate management and operations in Japan through localized AI solutions[1][2][6].
🔄 Updated: 11/5/2025, 4:50:56 PM
SoftBank and OpenAI have launched a 50-50 joint venture, SB OAI Japan, to market "Crystal intelligence," a packaged enterprise AI solution tailored for Japanese corporate management and operations, with a rollout planned for 2026[1][2][3]. This solution integrates OpenAI’s latest AI products with localized implementation and system integration services, aiming to enhance productivity and management efficiency across enterprises[2][4]. SoftBank will deploy the technology internally first, leveraging its 2.5 million custom ChatGPT instances and extensive AI use across its workforce to validate and refine the solution before broader commercial release, highlighting a circular investment strategy where SoftBank acts as both investor and initial customer[1][3][5].
🔄 Updated: 11/5/2025, 5:00:53 PM
SoftBank and OpenAI have launched SB OAI Japan, a 50-50 joint venture that will market “Crystal intelligence,” a packaged enterprise AI solution integrating OpenAI’s latest AI technologies with localized implementation for Japanese companies, targeting rollout in 2026[1][2][3]. SoftBank plans to deploy Crystal intelligence first across its own businesses by leveraging over 2.5 million custom ChatGPT instances internally to validate and optimize AI-driven management and operational enhancements before offering it to other enterprises[1][3]. This circular investment model enables SoftBank to transform its operations using advanced AI while generating new revenue streams from its substantial tens-of-billions-dollar AI investments, underscoring a strategic shift toward AI-native business transformation and enterprise adoption in