CartFit Selected for Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' FY2026 ICT Startup League; Promotes R&D of Add-on AI Autonomous Driving Kit to Instantly Robotize Existing Carts

CartFit Inc. (Representative: Sosuke Shimizu, hereinafter "CartFit") is pleased to announce its selection for the "FY2026 ICT Startup League," a startup support program launched in FY2023 based on the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' "Support Program for Exploratory Research and Development of Startups." CartFit's research theme is "An add-on AI autonomous driving kit to instantly robotize existing carts." The ICT Startup League is a program that promotes accelerated growth for startups through R&D funding, mentoring, and media collaboration.

About the ICT Startup League

The ICT Startup League is a startup support program that began in FY2023, initiated by a project of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. It operates as a system to foster business growth towards social implementation by providing not only R&D funding but also mentoring and information dissemination support.

About the Selected Theme

CartFit is developing an AI autonomous driving kit that can be retrofitted to existing mobile objects such as dollies and carts. Centered around its proprietary recognition module and control algorithm, the kit enables functional expansions like automatic following, autonomous driving, remote operation, and data collection, aiming to reduce labor in transportation operations and mobile object management in logistics, commercial facilities, airports, and factories.

Instead of completely replacing existing high-cost dedicated robots, CartFit's distinctive feature is its add-on kit, which can be introduced for tens of thousands of yen, allowing for phased functional additions while utilizing vehicles already in use on-site. By adopting a retrofittable design intended for application to a wide variety of existing carts, CartFit aims for more realistic robotics adoption while lowering the introduction hurdle.

Future Outlook

With this selection, CartFit will further advance the robotization of existing carts by improving the applicability of its add-on AI autonomous driving kit, enhancing driving control, and expanding demonstration opportunities across multiple use cases. While considering indoor and outdoor operations and compatibility with diverse mobile objects, CartFit will promote the social implementation of robotics that are easy to introduce on-site, contributing to labor saving in transportation and carrying operations.

About CartFit

CartFit is a startup developing add-on AI autonomous driving technology that intelligently evolves existing mobile objects. Rather than complete replacement with dedicated machines, CartFit aims to provide a new option that achieves labor saving, improved convenience, and enhanced safety by utilizing the carts and dollies currently in use on-site.

Company Overview

Company Name: CartFit Inc. Representative: Sosuke Shimizu Business Description: Development of an add-on AI autonomous driving kit for existing mobile objects such as dollies and carts. URL: https://cartfit.ai/ Location: 5-13-12-702, Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo Established: April 2026 Keywords: