Hatching Inc. to Launch "AI Another Me" at Beautyworld Japan Tokyo

Hatching Inc. (Headquarters: Fukuoka Prefecture) will announce its AI-powered business support service for beauty salons, "AI Another Me," at Beautyworld Japan Tokyo, held at Tokyo Big Sight from May 18 to 20, 2026. 1. The Worsening Challenges of "Labor Shortage" and "Business Handover" in the Beauty Industry. In recent years, the beauty industry has faced not only a chronic labor shortage but also significant challenges with insufficient business handovers following staff resignations or transfers. Tasks that do not directly contribute to sales, such as responding to LINE messages outside of business hours, handling and confirming appointments, promoting retail products, and encouraging dormant customers to return, have increased the burden on staff. This has left many salons unable to dedicate sufficient time to their core focus: customer service and treatments. This issue is particularly acute in small salons, where owners often handle everything from treatments and customer service to social media management, training, and client communication, making daily operations highly dependent on individuals. 2. "AI Another Me": AI to Support Salon Operations. To address these challenges, Hatching Inc. is launching the AI business support service for beauty salons, "AI Another Me." This service aims to reduce the operational burden and standardize the quality of service by having AI assist with tasks such as appointment scheduling, inquiry responses, post-visit follow-ups, and retail product promotions. By supplementing daily tasks that tend to be person-dependent, the service helps prevent lost opportunities due to staff absence or poor handovers, fostering an environment where staff can concentrate more on providing value to customers. 3. Strengthening Implementation Support through Partnership with SoftBank, with Consultations Available at the Exhibition. This initiative further strengthens our response to the labor shortage and handover challenges in the beauty industry. Through a partnership with SoftBank, we will enhance our support system to include not only AI utilization but also communication infrastructure and implementation assistance. We will promote the adoption of this service in a wide range of businesses facing labor shortages as a key management issue, including beauty salons, nail salons, hair salons, and acupuncture clinics. At the exhibition, we will present use cases for "AI Another Me" and will also be available for specific implementation consultations. Hatching Inc. will continue to contribute to the sustainable growth and increased value of the beauty industry by providing services that are closely aligned with the needs of the frontline. Tokyo BWJ West Hall 1, H019 (at the far end after entering through the central entrance of Hall 1).