NTT West Japan Launches Call for Co-Creation Partners to Visualize Unconscious Bias and Advance Corporate DE&I Initiatives

NTT West Japan Corporation (President and CEO: Ryota Kitamura, hereinafter "NTT West Japan") has developed and provides "karafuru AI (Colorful AI)"※1, a solution that leverages generative AI-based conversational training to visualize "unconscious bias (unconscious prejudice or assumptions)" hidden in everyday communication and supports behavioral transformation.

In recent years, there has been growing attention on areas related to "people," such as Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (hereinafter "DE&I"), well-being, and work-style reforms. At the same time, unconscious bias lurking in daily communication can lead to employee turnover, harassment, and loss of hiring and promotion opportunities, potentially becoming a strategic management issue affecting an organization's sustainable growth.

NTT West Japan now aims to create new value by not only fostering "awareness" of unconscious bias and supporting behavioral change but also promoting its integration into organizational culture. Starting Monday, July 13, 2026, the company will begin recruiting co-creation partners who can jointly tackle fundamental challenges in advancing DE&I.

This initiative will be conducted as the 8th edition of the business co-creation program "Business Match-up! For Next Value"※3, which NTT West Japan has been implementing since 2022 at its open innovation facility "QUINTBRIDGE," aiming to realize a future society focused on well-being by combining the assets of startups, companies, research institutions, and the NTT West Japan Group.

※1 Unconscious Bias Check & Training Tool for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) https://www.nttbizsol.jp/service/karafuru-ai/

※2 What is Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I)?

DE&I stands for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, representing a philosophy that values individual differences and aims to create an organization where everyone can thrive.

8th Business Co-Creation Program "Business Match-up! For Next Value" Call for Applications

1. Vision

Using "karafuru AI" as a core asset, we aim to go beyond merely providing awareness of unconscious bias, supporting behavioral change at the individual level and the establishment of inclusive organizational culture to fundamentally address challenges in DE&I advancement.

2. Program Overview

This program aims to co-create businesses by combining the assets of the NTT West Japan Group with innovative products and services from applying companies. NTT West Japan will conduct document screening on applicant companies and invite approximately five selected companies to pitch. From these pitches, business ideas with high synergy potential with NTT West Japan's operations will be selected for co-creation discussions. NTT West Japan will bear the costs of proof-of-concept (PoC) experiments and related expenses as needed.

3. Application Themes

① Visualize and prevent factors that hinder employee performance to create an environment where everyone can continue working

Seeking business partners and ideas that address workplace risks such as harassment and mental health issues, aiming to prevent employee leave, turnover, and serious incidents before they occur.

② Create an environment that supports the hiring, onboarding, retention, and success of diverse talent

Seeking business partners and ideas that aim to create an inclusive environment where talent with diverse backgrounds—including disabilities, nationalities, cultures, and work styles—can be welcomed, retained, and continuously thrive within organizations.

③ Transform invisible human capital into corporate value through data

Seeking business partners and ideas that contribute to systems that address the less visible value of human capital, visualize the relationship between talent investment and organizational outcomes, and link these to enhanced corporate value.

4. Schedule

July 13, 2026 (Mon) – Call for companies to apply for pitch presentation

August 21, 2026 (Fri) – Application deadline

August 28, 2026 (Fri) – Deadline for submission of pitch application documents, document screening begins

September 11, 2026 (Fri) – Announcement of pitch-presenting companies (approx. 5 companies)

October 21, 2026 (Wed) – Pitch evaluation session

Mid-November 2026 – Selection of co-creation partners

Thereafter – Co-creation business discussions (including PoC)

5. Application Overview

Application Period: July 13, 2026 (Mon) – August 28, 2026 (Fri)

Eligibility: Companies, research institutions, and organizations capable of proposing business initiatives utilizing the assets of the NTT West Japan Group and aiming for continuous business collaboration.

<Examples of Available Assets>

① Solutions & Data

● Generative AI-powered conversational unconscious bias assessment and training tool

・Visualizes behavioral tendencies and bias characteristics through dialogue (13 themes, 132 scenarios)

・Provides feedback from both AI and experts

● Accessible and usable analytical data

・Analytical data on unconscious bias

・Diagnostic results of behavioral tendencies (e.g., trend visualization via 5-point scale)

・Statistical analysis data for each organization based on response patterns

② Expert Knowledge

● Expert insights and supervision framework

・Leverage expertise from specialists in DE&I promotion and organizational transformation

・Establish supervision frameworks for service design, diagnostic logic, and feedback content

● Practical, experience-based support

・Reflect practical perspectives from corporate HR, DE&I promotion, and well-being management departments

・Provide hands-on support during PoC and implementation by leveraging expert knowledge

③ Sales Channels

● Sales and proposal system

・Sales offices in 30 prefectures, centered on the western Japan region (with presence in the capital region)

・Sales touchpoints with corporate clients nationwide (HR, DE&I promotion, well-being management departments, etc.)

・Sales and proposal system capable of supporting the journey from PoC to full-scale implementation

④ Customer Base

● Customer touchpoints and prospective customer base

・Connections with companies interested in DE&I and human capital management

・Broad corporate customer base including large enterprises, local governments, and educational institutions

Number of Pitch-presenting Companies: Approx. 5 (subject to document screening results)

Application Method: Please apply via the website below.

(https://www.quintbridge.jp/program/detail/202607131500.html)

Application is complete upon receipt of application documents by the secretariat.

6. Participation Benefits

7. Selection Criteria

Applications will be comprehensively evaluated based on synergy with NTT West Japan's business. Both document screening and final pitch evaluation will emphasize the following criteria:

① Co-Creation Synergy

・The proposal aligns with the application themes, and there is a complementary relationship between karafuru AI and the applicant's assets

・There is a clear necessity for collaboration, and the partnership can create advantages that neither party could achieve independently

② Approach to Challenges

・Goes beyond solving surface-level issues, addressing the root causes of workplace and organizational challenges from a human-centric perspective

・Focuses on individual behavioral change as a pathway to organizational