Plug and Play Japan Establishes 'AI Center of Excellence' to Promote AX for Japanese Companies

Plug and Play Japan, the Japanese branch of the world's largest accelerator and venture capital firm, Plug and Play, has announced the establishment of the 'AI Center of Excellence (AI CoE)' dedicated to promoting AI transformation (AX) for Japanese companies.

This organization is a new initiative to foster open innovation through co-creation between large enterprises and startups. Composed of professionals with expertise in consulting, AI, and DX, it leverages global knowledge from over 60 locations and its diverse ecosystem to provide end-to-end support, from strategic planning to AI implementation and organizational transformation.

While many Japanese companies recognize the importance of AX, they face challenges in areas such as structural setup, alignment with business strategy, and integration with existing processes, often stalling at the PoC (Proof of Concept) stage. Plug and Play established the AI CoE to address these issues.

While the AI CoE already operates at seven locations in the U.S., Japan is its first hub outside the U.S.

Core Values: 1. Strategic innovation support utilizing the global network. 2. Highly effective business transformation through a multidimensional ecosystem. 3. Human resource and organizational transformation support for sustainable growth.

Moving forward, the AI CoE plans to strengthen its structure in response to the expansion of projects and support areas. To commemorate the launch, the 'AI Center of Excellence Launch Forum' will be held on Tuesday, June 2, 2026.