Takara Print to Launch AI-Assisted Internal Control Assessment Service "WizLabo Keeper" in September 2026

TAKARA & CO. (TSE Prime, Securities Code 7921) group company Takara Print Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Toshima-ku, Tokyo; President: Kota Shirai; hereinafter "Takara Print"), a provider of disclosure-related systems, announced today that it will launch a new service, "WizLabo Keeper," in September 2026 to support corporate internal control (J-SOX) assessments using AI.

This service will be offered as a joint venture with Julio Inc. (Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Kenji Ubagai, Certified Public Accountant), which developed the technology based on its expertise in accounting and auditing. Julio Inc. will offer the service as "Julio Control Assessment AI," and Takara Print will offer it as "WizLabo Keeper."

By supporting the disclosure (information dissemination) of listed companies, we have supported the trust of the capital markets. As a natural extension of this role, we are expanding our business into the governance domain, which contributes to the prevention of corporate fraud.

1. Background of the Offering: Leveraging Disclosure Trust for Governance

For many years, we have supported the trust of the capital markets by assisting listed companies with their disclosures. The entities to be protected, whether disclosure or governance, remain the trust of the capital markets. This service represents a step into the new domain of internal controls as an extension of that role.

The revised standards for the Internal Control Reporting System (J-SOX) will apply to fiscal years beginning on or after April 1, 2024, requiring management assessments to consider fraud risks. However, due to the increasing complexity of transactions, the growing volume of data, and a shortage of personnel responsible for assessments, manual assessments are reaching their limits. "WizLabo Keeper" is an AI service specialized for internal control assessments that responds to this environment through "collaboration between humans and AI." AI supports accuracy, and humans make the conclusions. This division of roles is at the core of the product design.

2. What is "WizLabo Keeper"? An AI that Reads and Verifies Evidence and Assessment Procedures

"WizLabo Keeper" is an AI service specifically designed for the task of internal control assessment. It reads and cross-references assessment documents such as evidence, assessment procedures, RCMs, and the "3点セット" (three点セット - set of documents including RCM, business description, and flowchart), not only for their format but also for their content, and points out areas requiring attention. This was previously a task that only trained personnel could perform by manually reviewing each item. Unlike general-purpose generative AI (chat AI) tools, this AI is integrated into the assessment procedures themselves, accompanying the AI throughout the entire assessment process.

Assessment Phase

AI Support

Assessment of Control Design

Reads RCMs, business descriptions, and flowcharts (3点セット) across the board and points out inconsistencies. It also suggests candidates for RCM revisions based on assessment results (adoption or rejection is decided by the client company, not the AI).

Assessment of Control Operation

AI reads evidence and verifies it against assessment procedures. It checks the content of entries, such as dates and amounts, and points out areas requiring attention as "requires confirmation." It supports the entire process from the extraction of assessment targets to the receipt and confirmation of evidence.

* Assessment of control design verifies the design of controls, and assessment of control operation verifies the operation of controls.

In both phases, AI is responsible for reading, verifying, and pointing out issues; the assessment conclusions are always made by humans. The record of the assessment, including who confirmed it, how humans made their judgments, and the reasons for those judgments, allows companies to explain the validity of their self-assessments in their own words and present them to auditors with supporting evidence.

Assessment Area

Status

Internal Controls Related to Business Processes

Scheduled for September 2026

Entity-Level Controls

Scheduled for within 2026

Closing and Financial Reporting Processes

Under development

IT General Controls

Under development

We plan to cover all areas of internal control assessment in the future.

3. Core Technology: Julio's Technology Backed by Accountant Expertise and Patents

Julio Inc. is responsible for the core technology of "WizLabo Keeper." General-purpose generative AI cannot directly handle internal control assessments because they do not incorporate the specific procedures and judgments inherent in this specialized professional task. This service is built on Julio's proprietary technology, designed by certified public accountants, and incorporates internal control audit knowledge directly into the assessment procedures. Julio has filed multiple patent applications for technologies related to this service, including its core document verification technology.

Please note that this service supports management's self-assessment of internal controls and does not replace audits by external auditors. It also does not guarantee the prevention or detection of fraud.

4. Future Developments

This service is the first step in a product line designed to address corporate fraud risks. Both companies plan to offer additional features and applications in the future, working together to enhance the internal control assessments of listed companies.

5. Comments from Representatives

Jozo Ikeushi, Executive Officer, ICT Sales Department Manager, Takara Print Co., Ltd.

"We have approached the improvement of trust in the capital markets until now. The expansion into internal controls with "WizLabo Keeper," supported by Julio's advanced technological capabilities, is a significant evolution to truly fulfill that objective. We will continue to expand the WizLabo brand and pursue challenges under the product vision of 'guiding financial closing stakeholders to essential tasks.'"

Kenji Ubagai, President, Julio Inc. (Certified Public Accountant)

"Internal control assessment has entered an era where fraud risks must be considered, and it can no longer be supported by manual labor alone. This service徹底 (tettei - thorough) implements the division of roles where AI supports accuracy and humans make the conclusions. Together with Takara Print, which has supported the disclosures of listed companies, we will protect the trust of Japan's capital markets. This is the first step."

6. Service Overview

Service Name: WizLabo Keeper (offered by Julio as "Julio Control Assessment AI")

Launch Date: Scheduled for September 2026 (for both WizLabo Keeper and Julio Control Assessment AI)

Service Format: Cloud Service (SaaS)

Target Audience: Internal Control and Internal Audit Departments of Listed Companies (support for management's self-assessment)

Pricing: To be announced individually

[Reference Information]

About Julio Inc.

Development of AI services (cloud/SaaS) and custom AI systems specializing in accounting, auditing, and internal control. Also expanding into the financial and customs classification domains.

URL: https://julio.jp/

About Takara Print Co., Ltd.

As a company supporting the creation of disclosure and IR-related documents, we have supported the information disclosure of listed companies and companies planning IPOs for approximately 70 years since our founding. Based on the knowledge and know-how cultivated over many years as a leading company in the disclosure and IR fields, we will further refine our expertise and contribute to the expansion of our customers' corporate value.

URL: https://www.takara-print.co.jp/