AI Contact Center for Newspaper Distributors "KAMUY" — Selected for the "FY2024 Digital Innovation Creation Subsidy" Promoted by the Sapporo Industrial Promotion Foundation, Results Announced
Alternative Inc. has successfully developed and piloted "KAMUY," an AI-powered contact center SaaS platform for newspaper distributors, under the Sapporo Industrial Promotion Foundation's FY2024 Digital Innovation Creation Subsidy. The platform aims to resolve labor shortages and reduce operational costs by automating back-office tasks and enabling unmanned store operations. Following successful pilot tests, the company plans to expand the service to newspaper distributors nationwide and other delivery-based industries.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: March 30, 2026 at 19:00
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Alternative Inc. (Headquarters: Sapporo, Hokkaido; Representative Director: Ryoko Tanifuji; hereinafter "the Company") is pleased to announce that its application for the "FY2024 Digital Innovation Creation Subsidy (*1)" (hereinafter "the Project"), administered by the Sapporo Industrial Promotion Foundation (hereinafter "the Foundation"), was selected. As a supported project, the Company has completed the development and demonstration testing of the "AI Contact Center for Newspaper Distributors: KAMUY."
Following this selection, the Company reported the business results of "KAMUY," a SaaS platform designed to redesign back-office operations for newspaper distributors, at a results presentation held on March 12, 2026.
Through this project, we will continue to promote initiatives that support the reduction of on-site burdens and significant cost savings, thereby enhancing the sustainability of regional infrastructure.
Background
The newspaper industry faces major challenges, including declining circulation, reduced advertising revenue, and a severe labor shortage.
In particular, newspaper distributors have been required to keep staff on-site to handle early-morning delivery issues and various inquiries, and this operational burden has become a factor putting pressure on distributor management.
This project was implemented to address these regional industrial challenges by creating digital innovation through the use of generative AI, thereby promoting operational efficiency and the development of new businesses.
About the Selected Project "KAMUY"
"KAMUY" is a vertical SaaS platform that redesigns the back-office operations of newspaper distributors and newspaper companies. By utilizing AI to support 24-hour telephone responses and inquiry management, it aims to enable unmanned store operations and resolve labor shortages.
In the demonstration experiments conducted at seven locations nationwide through this project, we confirmed the following results:
- Significant cost reduction: By enabling unmanned operations during early morning and holiday hours, we estimate a cost reduction effect of approximately 1.04 million yen per store annually.
- Advanced AI call handling: The AI summarizes call content and analyzes customer sentiment (negative, positive, etc.) to provide immediate notifications, reducing risks such as missed responses.
- Scalable deployment foundation: We developed a feature that automatically maps customer data from different distributor systems across the country using AI, enabling rapid implementation.
- "KAMUY" Official Website: https://kamuy.works
Future Initiatives
Moving forward, starting with the implementation at Hokkaido Shimbun-affiliated distributors in May 2026, we will contribute to the construction of regional DX infrastructure through expansion to newspaper distributors nationwide, and further into other industries such as meal delivery and milk delivery services.
Overview of the Project
[Table]
Subsidy Name: FY2024 Digital Innovation Creation Subsidy
Name of Subsidized Project: Nationwide Deployment of "KAMUY" AI Contact Center SaaS for Newspaper Distributors
Applicant Company Name: Alternative Inc.
Subsidy Executing Organization: Sapporo Industrial Promotion Foundation (*1) Official Website: https://www.it-sapporo.jp/
About Alternative Inc.
Alternative Inc. is a company that promotes DX (Digital Transformation) in regional industries through business design, IT consulting, and AI development.
We organize operational challenges for companies and regional businesses, providing integrated support from building systems using digital technology to product development.
We are also engaged in the development of industry-specific SaaS products, such as the "KAMUY" AI contact center for newspaper distributors, and aim to build digital infrastructure that allows regional businesses to operate sustainably.
Alternative Inc.
Address: BYYARD FD-062, 15-4 Kita 5-jo Nishi 11-chome, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido
Representative: Ryoko Tanifuji, Representative Director
- Official Website: https://www.alt-nat.jp/
- "KAMUY" Official Website: https://kamuy.works
Following this selection, the Company reported the business results of "KAMUY," a SaaS platform designed to redesign back-office operations for newspaper distributors, at a results presentation held on March 12, 2026.
Through this project, we will continue to promote initiatives that support the reduction of on-site burdens and significant cost savings, thereby enhancing the sustainability of regional infrastructure.
Background
The newspaper industry faces major challenges, including declining circulation, reduced advertising revenue, and a severe labor shortage.
In particular, newspaper distributors have been required to keep staff on-site to handle early-morning delivery issues and various inquiries, and this operational burden has become a factor putting pressure on distributor management.
This project was implemented to address these regional industrial challenges by creating digital innovation through the use of generative AI, thereby promoting operational efficiency and the development of new businesses.
About the Selected Project "KAMUY"
"KAMUY" is a vertical SaaS platform that redesigns the back-office operations of newspaper distributors and newspaper companies. By utilizing AI to support 24-hour telephone responses and inquiry management, it aims to enable unmanned store operations and resolve labor shortages.
In the demonstration experiments conducted at seven locations nationwide through this project, we confirmed the following results:
- Significant cost reduction: By enabling unmanned operations during early morning and holiday hours, we estimate a cost reduction effect of approximately 1.04 million yen per store annually.
- Advanced AI call handling: The AI summarizes call content and analyzes customer sentiment (negative, positive, etc.) to provide immediate notifications, reducing risks such as missed responses.
- Scalable deployment foundation: We developed a feature that automatically maps customer data from different distributor systems across the country using AI, enabling rapid implementation.
- "KAMUY" Official Website: https://kamuy.works
Future Initiatives
Moving forward, starting with the implementation at Hokkaido Shimbun-affiliated distributors in May 2026, we will contribute to the construction of regional DX infrastructure through expansion to newspaper distributors nationwide, and further into other industries such as meal delivery and milk delivery services.
Overview of the Project
[Table]
Subsidy Name: FY2024 Digital Innovation Creation Subsidy
Name of Subsidized Project: Nationwide Deployment of "KAMUY" AI Contact Center SaaS for Newspaper Distributors
Applicant Company Name: Alternative Inc.
Subsidy Executing Organization: Sapporo Industrial Promotion Foundation (*1) Official Website: https://www.it-sapporo.jp/
About Alternative Inc.
Alternative Inc. is a company that promotes DX (Digital Transformation) in regional industries through business design, IT consulting, and AI development.
We organize operational challenges for companies and regional businesses, providing integrated support from building systems using digital technology to product development.
We are also engaged in the development of industry-specific SaaS products, such as the "KAMUY" AI contact center for newspaper distributors, and aim to build digital infrastructure that allows regional businesses to operate sustainably.
Alternative Inc.
Address: BYYARD FD-062, 15-4 Kita 5-jo Nishi 11-chome, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido
Representative: Ryoko Tanifuji, Representative Director
- Official Website: https://www.alt-nat.jp/
- "KAMUY" Official Website: https://kamuy.works