SoftBank Startup Hub in Aichi

Akihabara News (Tokyo) — SoftBank signed an agreement with Aichi Prefecture to be the representative company for the prefecture’s startup hub: Station Ai.

The automotive industry, which is the leading industry in the prefecture, continues to develop in response to Computer-Aided Software Engineering (CASE) and Mobility as a Service (MaaS). Station Ai’s purpose is to maintain and strengthen local industry through startup innovations.

The project will be led by Station Ai Corporation, established by SoftBank on September 1. Hirotaka Sahashi, the president and CEO of Station Ai, has previously been involved in internal entrepreneurship programs and supported various businesses at SoftBank’s subsidiary for new businesses, SB InnoVenture.

SoftBank will utilize 5G, IoT, and AI in tandem with their know-how in startup support and networks with domestic and overseas companies to develop Station Ai as a core base for innovation, not only in Japan but also globally.

The facility will include offices for startups, offices for partner companies, including overseas startup support organizations and universities, a tech lab for prototype production and evaluation, and more.

Aichi Prefecture is part of the Central Japan Startup Ecosystem Consortium approved by the Cabinet Office in July 2020, an association including the Chubu Economic Federation, Nagoya University, Nagoya City, and Hamamatsu City.

Station Ai is an initiative of the Aichi Startup Strategy, serving as the core for the project.

The design and construction period is slated to be from October 2021 to September 2024, and Station Ai is projected to operate from October 2024 to September 2034.

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