Joyo Bank Launches In-house Use of Business-Specific AI Agent 'JOYO AI AGENT'
Joyo Bank has launched 'JOYO AI AGENT,' a business-specific AI agent, for internal use starting March 26, 2026. Developed with Athena Technologies, a Matsuo Lab startup, the agent operates in a secure, closed environment isolated from the internet. Its implementation follows a successful trial that verified its effectiveness in improving business operations while ensuring data security.
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- 📰 Published: March 30, 2026 at 11:04
Joyo Bank (President: Tetsuya Akino) announces that it has built and commenced internal use of 'JOYO AI AGENT,' a business-specific AI agent (hereafter, local LLM) that operates in a closed environment completely isolated from the internet, starting from March 26, 2026.
Since July 2025, the Bank has been conducting a proof-of-concept experiment for a local LLM in collaboration with Athena Technologies, Inc. (CEO: Takeru Abe), a startup* from the Matsuo Lab that develops generative AI solutions. This experiment confirmed the system's effectiveness in enhancing and streamlining operations while protecting confidential internal information and customer personal data, leading to the decision to formally adopt it.
The Bank will continue to actively utilize the latest technologies to enhance management efficiency, establish a stable management base, and contribute to the sustainable growth of the local community by sharing the knowledge gained through internal use.
*A 'startup from the Matsuo Lab' refers to a select group of startups founded by alumni of the Matsuo Lab or with its support, recognized for their growth potential in both technology and business, who share the lab's philosophy and collaborate in nurturing future talent. (Registered Trademarks No. 6667237, No. 6710069)
1. Background and Features of 'JOYO AI AGENT'
In recent years, while there has been a demand for operational efficiency through generative AI in banking, ensuring the security of data, including confidential and personal information, has become a critical issue.
'JOYO AI AGENT' achieves high security and reduces the risk of data leakage by building the generative AI system environment on a closed cloud that is physically separated from the external internet. Furthermore, it is designed with scalability for adding new features, as it implements multiple agents specialized for each business use case.
For ease of use, it features a 'prompt-less' user interface where processes can be executed simply by uploading a file and clicking a button. This allows employees without specialized AI knowledge to use it smoothly.
2. Implemented Functions (Use Cases)
In this project, along with the construction of the AI agent platform, we have implemented functions in the following two business areas where effectiveness was confirmed during the proof-of-concept. We plan to expand the available use cases for 'JOYO AI AGENT' in the operations of various departments, including branch offices.
Function: Translation
Status: March 2026 / Public
Overview: Performs translation (English to Japanese or vice versa) of highly specialized documents, such as those in the financial sector, capturing technical terms and context.
Function: Masking
Status: March 2026 / Public
Overview: In files containing personal or customer information, the AI detects confidential information within the document and performs anonymization. This enables the use of these files for data analysis with other AI tools where input of personal or customer information is normally restricted.
Function: Approval Document Review
Status: Trial in Progress
Overview: Reviews loan approval documents based on pre-trained internal manuals.
Function: Automatic Generation of Business Documents
Status: Trial in Progress
Overview: Extracts necessary information from materials like financial statements to automatically generate drafts for approval documents and reports.
3. Future Use of Generative AI
The Bank will develop an environment to maximize the use of generative AI and simultaneously proceed with human capital investment to improve the skills of employees who will utilize it. Through radical operational efficiency gains from this initiative, we will create more time for core activities such as customer service and strategic planning, aiming to provide higher quality services.
4. Athena Technologies, Inc. Company Overview
Name: Athena Technologies, Inc.
Establishment Date: December 5, 2023
Representative: Takeru Abe, CEO
Address: Soubunkan Building 3F, 6-25-14 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo
Business Activities: Research, development, design, planning, education, sales, maintenance, and consulting related to AI (Artificial Intelligence).
URL: https://athenatech.jp/
[Reference]
Press release from Athena Technologies, Inc. regarding this project
URL: https://athenatech.jp/news
[JOYO AI AGENT User Interface]
Since July 2025, the Bank has been conducting a proof-of-concept experiment for a local LLM in collaboration with Athena Technologies, Inc. (CEO: Takeru Abe), a startup* from the Matsuo Lab that develops generative AI solutions. This experiment confirmed the system's effectiveness in enhancing and streamlining operations while protecting confidential internal information and customer personal data, leading to the decision to formally adopt it.
The Bank will continue to actively utilize the latest technologies to enhance management efficiency, establish a stable management base, and contribute to the sustainable growth of the local community by sharing the knowledge gained through internal use.
*A 'startup from the Matsuo Lab' refers to a select group of startups founded by alumni of the Matsuo Lab or with its support, recognized for their growth potential in both technology and business, who share the lab's philosophy and collaborate in nurturing future talent. (Registered Trademarks No. 6667237, No. 6710069)
1. Background and Features of 'JOYO AI AGENT'
In recent years, while there has been a demand for operational efficiency through generative AI in banking, ensuring the security of data, including confidential and personal information, has become a critical issue.
'JOYO AI AGENT' achieves high security and reduces the risk of data leakage by building the generative AI system environment on a closed cloud that is physically separated from the external internet. Furthermore, it is designed with scalability for adding new features, as it implements multiple agents specialized for each business use case.
For ease of use, it features a 'prompt-less' user interface where processes can be executed simply by uploading a file and clicking a button. This allows employees without specialized AI knowledge to use it smoothly.
2. Implemented Functions (Use Cases)
In this project, along with the construction of the AI agent platform, we have implemented functions in the following two business areas where effectiveness was confirmed during the proof-of-concept. We plan to expand the available use cases for 'JOYO AI AGENT' in the operations of various departments, including branch offices.
Function: Translation
Status: March 2026 / Public
Overview: Performs translation (English to Japanese or vice versa) of highly specialized documents, such as those in the financial sector, capturing technical terms and context.
Function: Masking
Status: March 2026 / Public
Overview: In files containing personal or customer information, the AI detects confidential information within the document and performs anonymization. This enables the use of these files for data analysis with other AI tools where input of personal or customer information is normally restricted.
Function: Approval Document Review
Status: Trial in Progress
Overview: Reviews loan approval documents based on pre-trained internal manuals.
Function: Automatic Generation of Business Documents
Status: Trial in Progress
Overview: Extracts necessary information from materials like financial statements to automatically generate drafts for approval documents and reports.
3. Future Use of Generative AI
The Bank will develop an environment to maximize the use of generative AI and simultaneously proceed with human capital investment to improve the skills of employees who will utilize it. Through radical operational efficiency gains from this initiative, we will create more time for core activities such as customer service and strategic planning, aiming to provide higher quality services.
4. Athena Technologies, Inc. Company Overview
Name: Athena Technologies, Inc.
Establishment Date: December 5, 2023
Representative: Takeru Abe, CEO
Address: Soubunkan Building 3F, 6-25-14 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo
Business Activities: Research, development, design, planning, education, sales, maintenance, and consulting related to AI (Artificial Intelligence).
URL: https://athenatech.jp/
[Reference]
Press release from Athena Technologies, Inc. regarding this project
URL: https://athenatech.jp/news
[JOYO AI AGENT User Interface]