TIMEWELL Selected for Kanagawa Prefecture's 'Satellite Data Utilization Project' – Verifying Export Destinations with Satellite Data and AI

TIMEWELL Inc. (Headquarters: Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture; CEO: Ryuta Hamamoto), a developer of autonomous AI agents, has been selected for Kanagawa Prefecture’s fiscal year 2026 'Satellite Data Utilization Project Promotion Program.' Announced on July 9, 2026, TIMEWELL is one of eight projects selected from 25 applicants. The selected project is titled 'Research, Development, and Demonstration of an Export Control End-User Reality Verification System Using Satellite Data and AI.' The system will integrate physical verification—confirming the existence and location of end-users (export destinations) via satellite imagery—into the export control AI agent 'TRAFEED,' complementing document-based export control reviews with satellite data.

Implementing Satellite Data and AI-Based Physical Verification into the Export Control AI Agent 'TRAFEED'

Overview of the Selection

Program Name: Fiscal Year 2026 Satellite Data Utilization Project Promotion Program (Implemented by Kanagawa Prefecture)

Program Objective: To solicit projects from local companies aiming to create new business models using satellite data and provide support toward commercialization

Selection Results: 8 out of 25 applications selected (announced by Kanagawa Prefecture on July 9, 2026)

Selected Project Title: Research, Development, and Demonstration of an Export Control End-User Reality Verification System Using Satellite Data and AI (Category: AI Utilization)

Proposer: TIMEWELL Inc.

Support Provided: Partial funding for project implementation (up to 10 million JPY, tax included), along with expert advice on problem-solving and intellectual property. Support period runs from the memorandum signing date to February 28, 2027.

Leveraging its strength as a hub for satellite research, development, and manufacturing, Kanagawa Prefecture supports the creation of new businesses utilizing satellite data. As a local company headquartered in Yokohama, TIMEWELL was selected for its AI utilization project in the export control (security trade control) field.

Background: Documents Alone Cannot Confirm the 'Existence' of Export Destinations

When exporting, companies must verify end-users (final recipients) as part of security trade controls. However, confirming the current status of export destinations using submitted documents or existing map data is difficult, and on-site verification is costly. There are real risks—such as a site declared as a 'large-scale semiconductor manufacturing plant' actually being a small house or vacant lot—that cannot be reliably detected through document review alone.

Meanwhile, violations of the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act carry severe penalties (fines, imprisonment for individuals and corporations, and administrative sanctions such as export bans for up to three years), requiring export control processes to be highly accurate and accountable.

Project Details: Implementing 'Physical Verification' Using Satellite Data and AI into TRAFEED

This project will use satellite imagery data acquired by optical and thermal infrared satellites, as well as satellite data images provided by Japan-based satellite data platforms. AI will analyze this data to verify the existence and location of export destinations. By detecting discrepancies between declared information and satellite-observed reality early, the system will improve the accuracy of detecting impersonation and falsification.

Detecting mismatches between declared information (e.g., 'semiconductor manufacturing, large-scale factory') and satellite-observed reality (e.g., 'small house, vacant lot'). Final judgment remains with humans.

This enables export control officers to:

- Verify without visiting the site: Confirm the existence of export destinations without incurring travel or on-site investigation costs - Identify high-risk partners early: Prioritize investigations based on discrepancies between documents and reality - Final judgment by humans: AI does not replace human judgment but supports faster, more accurate investigations with fewer oversights

The physical verification system will be integrated into TRAFEED, the export control AI agent that visualizes transaction risk in five seconds, aiming to deliver it as a tool usable within corporate export control workflows for daily eligibility assessments and transaction reviews. The demonstration phase is scheduled to conclude by the end of February 2027.

About TRAFEED

TRAFEED is the world’s first※ AI agent in the field of Japan’s security export controls (list controls and catch-all controls). It employs a unique architecture where multiple LLMs (Claude, GPT, Gemini, etc.) make consensus-based decisions, structurally suppressing hallucinations (factual errors) through deterministic rules. By referencing a proprietary database of approximately 200 million items—including academic papers, patents, and researcher information—TRAFEED visualizes the risk level of export transactions in just five seconds and automatically generates evidence-based reports within ten minutes. The core risk (concern level) assessment logic is protected by a technology patent (Patent No. 7862062). Final decisions are made by humans, following a 'human-in-the-loop' principle.

※World’s first in Japan’s security export control field (as of March 2026, based on company research)

TRAFEED is being developed and validated with Okayama University as a design partner, and has already been adopted by over 20 organizations, including manufacturers, trading companies, research universities, and independent administrative institutions.

CEO Statement

Ryuta Hamamoto, CEO and Representative Director: 'In export control operations, even after exhausting documents and databases, there remains a lingering doubt: 'Does the counterparty truly exist?' We have believed satellite data could answer this uncertainty. Being selected for a project by Kanagawa Prefecture, where our headquarters is located, is a great honor. We will elevate the reliability of export control using facts observed from space and deliver this to manufacturing and trading companies across the prefecture and beyond.'

Future Outlook

During the demonstration period until the end of February 2027, TIMEWELL will advance the research, development, and demonstration of the physical verification system using satellite data and AI, aiming to implement the functionality into TRAFEED and launch the service. Moving forward, TIMEWELL will continue developing AI agents to reduce operational burdens in export control, including strengthening responses to regulatory changes such as the upcoming revision of the U.S. Export Administration Regulations (EAR) in 2026.

Product Information

TRAFEED: An AI agent specialized in Japan’s security export control. Visualizes export transaction risk in five seconds and automatically generates evidence-based investigation reports.

Product Website: https://timewell.jp/trafeed?utm_source=prtimes&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=kanagawa-satellite

ZEROCK: A general-purpose AI agent that autonomously performs tasks without waiting for instructions.

Product Website: https://timewell.jp/zerock?utm_source=prtimes&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=kanagawa-satellite

Company Overview

Company Name: TIMEWELL Inc.

Representative: Ryuta Hamamoto, CEO and Representative Director

Headquarters: Minatomirai, Nishi-ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture

Founded: November 1, 2022

Business: Development and provision of autonomous AI agents, including 'ZEROCK' and 'TRAFEED'

PR TIMES Company Page: https://prtimes.jp/main/html/searchrlp/comp