Aeromuse Co., Ltd. Secures Seed Funding for Pilot Recruitment Platform "HUD SONiC"

On May 1, 2026, Aeromuse Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director: Masahiro Nojiri), which develops and provides a recruitment platform connecting pilots and airlines worldwide, announced that it has secured seed funding to strengthen the development and provision system of its airline recruitment platform "HUD SONiC" (pronounced: Had Sonic).

This round saw investments from Chiba Dojo Inc. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo) and NTT DOCOMO, Inc. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo). Aeromuse is a startup spun off from "docomo STARTUPⓇ※2," NTT DOCOMO Group's※1 new business creation program.

**Background of Funding and Overview of HUD SONiC**

In the aviation industry, against the backdrop of increasing global travel demand and the rise of LCCs, a shortage of approximately 80,000 airline pilots (hereinafter, pilots) worldwide is projected by 2032※3. As the training of pilots requires enormous time and resources, airlines in various countries are becoming increasingly dependent on mid-career recruitment. On the other hand, existing recruitment methods face management challenges such as difficulty in reaching potential job changers and prolonged recruitment periods due to the time required to confirm specialized data such as flight hours and license information necessary for pilot recruitment.

Furthermore, although pilots are obligated to record flight data in a logbook, the many items to be entered and the insufficient digitization mean that checking requirements against job postings and aggregating flight hours during job changes is cumbersome. As a result, there is a problem of complicated processes from daily flight records to career development.

To solve these issues, Aeromuse developed "HUD SONiC," a platform that combines efficient logbook recording with a recruitment database. For airlines, it provides recruitment support functions that allow efficient approach to pilots who meet their recruitment requirements, and for pilots, it offers a free app that streamlines logbook recording. Preliminary verification conducted in 2025 attracted interest from pilots in 70 countries, and expectations were raised for streamlining airline recruitment processes and supporting pilots' career development.

Moving forward, we aim to become an infrastructure that supports the careers and lifestyles of pilots worldwide and contribute to solving human resource challenges in the aviation industry.

* ※1 "docomo STARTUP" is a registered trademark of NTT DOCOMO, Inc. * ※2 NTT DOCOMO, Inc., NTT DOCOMO Business Inc., NTT DOCOMO Global Inc., NTT DOCOMO Solutions Inc. * ※3 Oliver Wyman "The Airline Pilot Shortage Will Get Worse"

**Features of HUD SONiC**

**<For Airlines>**

**Streamlining recruitment processes** By utilizing data accumulated in the app, airlines can efficiently approach pilots who meet their recruitment requirements, which is expected to shorten the recruitment process.

**<For Pilots>**

**Streamlining flight records** We offer a free app that reduces the effort required for pilots' flight records by 80% through proprietary technology.

**Global compatibility** Flexible data management is possible, compatible with the standards of aviation authorities in various countries, not limited to specific countries or regions.

**Usage Fees / Application Method**

Companies considering the introduction or trial of HUD SONiC are requested to contact us via the inquiry page on the Aeromuse corporate website.

URL: https://www.aero-muse.com/

**Comments from Shareholders / Investors (in no particular order)**

**Kotaro Chiba, General Partner, Chiba Dojo Fund**

As a pilot and investor myself, I have kept flight records in a "paper logbook" after every flight. For pilots, logbook entry is mandatory, and I myself have filled it out after every flight. The digitization of pilots' logbooks, which may seem like a niche area, contains all of a pilot's flight history. In other words, it is raw data like a "resume" or "skill history." However, because it was analog, it was not linked to the recruitment market. The aviation industry's recruitment market is a blank space left behind by digitization and agents. Through a digital logbook, we can visualize the global pilot job change market. As a party involved in the aviation industry, I support the challenge of the Aeromuse team, including Mr. Nojiri, who is from the aviation industry.

**NTT DOCOMO, Inc., Corporate Strategy Department, Business Development Office Manager**