Japan to establish special AI startup support category under 2027 budget

Japan’s internal affairs ministry announced plans to create a new aid category for community‑based AI startups. The program, to be funded in the fiscal 2027 budget, will provide unsecured loans from regional financial institutions and special tax grants to local governments, with project caps of ¥30‑55 million. It aims to promote AI‑driven transformation in regional companies, citing a Hokkaido whisky distillery that is using AI to improve blending predictions as an early example.

Separately, AI specialist firm JAPAN AI received the “Special Award – AI Service Award chosen by large enterprises” at the 財界 Best AI100 competition. The award recognized the company’s implementation‑level support for enterprise AI, covering security, data integration and workflow integration across sectors such as sales, marketing and back‑office operations.