Helpfeel to Establish R&D Hub 'HACK Lab' in Silicon Valley to Accelerate Development of 'AI-Ready' Knowledge Infrastructure for Autonomous AI
Helpfeel Inc. will open an R&D hub, 'HACK Lab', in Silicon Valley, USA, in July 2026. The lab will focus on developing 'AI-Ready' knowledge infrastructure to enable autonomous AI operations ('autopilot mode'), accelerating the company's global expansion. In the future, it plans to open the lab to alliance partners to contribute to improving Japan's overall AI technological capabilities.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: June 4, 2026 at 19:00
- 🔍 Collected: June 4, 2026 at 10:30
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: June 6, 2026 at 23:08 (60h 37m after Collected)
Helpfeel Inc. (Headquarters: Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture; CEO: Isshu Rakusai), a company accelerating the social implementation of AI through the power of knowledge, announces the establishment of an R&D hub, 'HACK Lab' (Helpfeel Advanced Center for Knowledge Laboratory), in Silicon Valley, USA, in July 2026.
'HACK Lab' is a hands-on R&D hub focused on developing 'AI-Ready' knowledge infrastructure for an era where AI autonomously handles business operations. By prototyping based on practical knowledge gained in Silicon Valley, the epicenter of AI development, and iterating testing and improvement locally, Helpfeel will drive its global expansion. In the future, the R&D functions of 'HACK Lab' will be opened to alliance partners, contributing to the advancement of AI technology across Japan.
■ Background for Establishing 'HACK Lab'
When Japanese companies introduce AI, discussions often remain at the level of business improvement, such as 'which AI tool to introduce' or 'how much can we streamline existing operations.' In contrast, Silicon Valley is accelerating the redesign of management resources and business structures themselves, premised on the 'autopilot' of business operations by AI.
The core of this is the development of an 'AI-Ready' knowledge data infrastructure that allows AI to understand and autonomously perform tasks. However, this concept of 'reorganizing data and business processes to make them AI-usable' has not yet fully permeated Japanese companies.
Founded in Silicon Valley, Helpfeel currently supports knowledge infrastructure for over 900 sites (as of April 2026), primarily for domestic enterprise companies, and is now accelerating its global expansion. During a stay in Silicon Valley as part of this expansion, CEO Rakusai witnessed firsthand a city-wide social experiment in AI, where practical knowledge was continuously and rapidly integrated into products. To keep pace with this speed of change, short-term visits are insufficient. Helpfeel concluded that a system for accumulating knowledge through repeated local prototyping, experimentation, and improvement, and quickly feeding it back into products, is essential.
Therefore, Helpfeel will establish 'HACK Lab' as a practical hub to advance research on AI models and the experimentation and implementation of AI-Ready knowledge infrastructure, accelerating the creation of new products.
■ Overview of 'HACK Lab'
'HACK Lab' is a hands-on R&D hub where Helpfeel engineers and business development members rotate for stays of several weeks, simultaneously conducting cutting-edge AI R&D and exploring new business opportunities. Ideas gained from interactions with local hackathons, top engineers, and entrepreneurs will be immediately turned into prototypes, enabling a high-speed cycle of 'prototyping -> experimentation -> improvement -> global expansion.' This will accelerate the R&D of AI products and AI-Ready knowledge data, driving Helpfeel's global expansion.
The hub will initially be operated by Helpfeel employees but will eventually be opened to alliance partners, evolving into an 'innovation creation hub' to elevate the AI capabilities of Japanese companies as a whole.
Name: HACK Lab (Helpfeel Advanced Center for Knowledge Laboratory)
Japanese Name: Helpfeel高度ナレッジセンター (Helpfeel Advanced Knowledge Center)
Opening: July 2026 (planned)
Location: Silicon Valley area, California, USA
Director: Isshu Rakusai (CEO, Helpfeel Inc.)
Concept: A 'residential R&D hub' blending life and R&D in Silicon Valley
Operational Model: Rotation system with stays of several weeks (2-3 members per period). Designed for easy participation even for members with family or projects in Japan.
Main Objectives: Experiencing Silicon Valley's development culture and cutting-edge AI technology; R&D of AI-Ready knowledge data premised on AI model utilization; rapid product evolution through prototyping, experimentation, and improvement; and contributing to Japanese companies through Helpfeel's global market expansion.
First-Year Goal: Dispatch a total of 10 Helpfeel employees during fiscal year 2026.
The name 'HACK Lab' is derived from the initials of 'Helpfeel Advanced Center for Knowledge Laboratory.' The logo design evolves the silhouette into a combination of cubes while retaining the central 'light' that symbolizes the Helpfeel logo. It represents the lab's attitude of 'thinking from multifaceted perspectives and repeating experiments' on the front lines of Silicon Valley, and the will to discover 'new light (knowledge and technology)' from the center of repeated experimentation.
■ Main Activities at 'HACK Lab'
From Local Prototyping to Global Expansion: Leveraging the environment of Silicon Valley, where city-wide AI social experiments occur, the lab will rapidly validate the latest development methods. By assessing technological feasibility through prototyping and demonstration experiments and reflecting findings in products in a timely manner, it will drive expansion into the global market.
Participation in Hackathons and Tech Communities: Actively participating in local hackathons, AI meetups, and tech communities to deepen exchanges with world-class engineers, entrepreneurs, and business development professionals. The lab will absorb practical knowledge on technology selection and AI utilization that cannot be obtained from public information alone, strengthening development capabilities.
Returning Practical Knowledge to Japanese Companies: Practical knowledge gained through local experimentation and validation will be reflected in products tailored to the on-site challenges of Japanese companies. Furthermore, by incorporating this knowledge into support for companies that have adopted Helpfeel, the company will promote the AI-Ready transformation and advanced AI utilization of Japanese enterprises.
■ Comment from 'HACK Lab' Director Isshu Rakusai
'I stayed in Silicon Valley, the birthplace of our company, for several months starting in January 2026. I witnessed a city-wide social experiment in AI, where practical knowledge was being incorporated into products in real-time. It was an intense inspiration for me as both a developer and an entrepreneur. The world is now entering the implementation phase of 'autopilot,' where AI drives operations autonomously.
On the other hand, there is a significant gap between Silicon Valley and Japan in terms of the level of perspective on AI and the speed of implementation. To compete globally, we need to be on this front line, rapidly evolve our products, and deploy them in the global market. 'HACK Lab' is a practical base for this purpose.
We will accelerate Helpfeel's global expansion from Silicon Valley while elevating the AI-Ready transformation of Japanese companies to a global standard.'
'HACK Lab' is a hands-on R&D hub focused on developing 'AI-Ready' knowledge infrastructure for an era where AI autonomously handles business operations. By prototyping based on practical knowledge gained in Silicon Valley, the epicenter of AI development, and iterating testing and improvement locally, Helpfeel will drive its global expansion. In the future, the R&D functions of 'HACK Lab' will be opened to alliance partners, contributing to the advancement of AI technology across Japan.
■ Background for Establishing 'HACK Lab'
When Japanese companies introduce AI, discussions often remain at the level of business improvement, such as 'which AI tool to introduce' or 'how much can we streamline existing operations.' In contrast, Silicon Valley is accelerating the redesign of management resources and business structures themselves, premised on the 'autopilot' of business operations by AI.
The core of this is the development of an 'AI-Ready' knowledge data infrastructure that allows AI to understand and autonomously perform tasks. However, this concept of 'reorganizing data and business processes to make them AI-usable' has not yet fully permeated Japanese companies.
Founded in Silicon Valley, Helpfeel currently supports knowledge infrastructure for over 900 sites (as of April 2026), primarily for domestic enterprise companies, and is now accelerating its global expansion. During a stay in Silicon Valley as part of this expansion, CEO Rakusai witnessed firsthand a city-wide social experiment in AI, where practical knowledge was continuously and rapidly integrated into products. To keep pace with this speed of change, short-term visits are insufficient. Helpfeel concluded that a system for accumulating knowledge through repeated local prototyping, experimentation, and improvement, and quickly feeding it back into products, is essential.
Therefore, Helpfeel will establish 'HACK Lab' as a practical hub to advance research on AI models and the experimentation and implementation of AI-Ready knowledge infrastructure, accelerating the creation of new products.
■ Overview of 'HACK Lab'
'HACK Lab' is a hands-on R&D hub where Helpfeel engineers and business development members rotate for stays of several weeks, simultaneously conducting cutting-edge AI R&D and exploring new business opportunities. Ideas gained from interactions with local hackathons, top engineers, and entrepreneurs will be immediately turned into prototypes, enabling a high-speed cycle of 'prototyping -> experimentation -> improvement -> global expansion.' This will accelerate the R&D of AI products and AI-Ready knowledge data, driving Helpfeel's global expansion.
The hub will initially be operated by Helpfeel employees but will eventually be opened to alliance partners, evolving into an 'innovation creation hub' to elevate the AI capabilities of Japanese companies as a whole.
Name: HACK Lab (Helpfeel Advanced Center for Knowledge Laboratory)
Japanese Name: Helpfeel高度ナレッジセンター (Helpfeel Advanced Knowledge Center)
Opening: July 2026 (planned)
Location: Silicon Valley area, California, USA
Director: Isshu Rakusai (CEO, Helpfeel Inc.)
Concept: A 'residential R&D hub' blending life and R&D in Silicon Valley
Operational Model: Rotation system with stays of several weeks (2-3 members per period). Designed for easy participation even for members with family or projects in Japan.
Main Objectives: Experiencing Silicon Valley's development culture and cutting-edge AI technology; R&D of AI-Ready knowledge data premised on AI model utilization; rapid product evolution through prototyping, experimentation, and improvement; and contributing to Japanese companies through Helpfeel's global market expansion.
First-Year Goal: Dispatch a total of 10 Helpfeel employees during fiscal year 2026.
The name 'HACK Lab' is derived from the initials of 'Helpfeel Advanced Center for Knowledge Laboratory.' The logo design evolves the silhouette into a combination of cubes while retaining the central 'light' that symbolizes the Helpfeel logo. It represents the lab's attitude of 'thinking from multifaceted perspectives and repeating experiments' on the front lines of Silicon Valley, and the will to discover 'new light (knowledge and technology)' from the center of repeated experimentation.
■ Main Activities at 'HACK Lab'
From Local Prototyping to Global Expansion: Leveraging the environment of Silicon Valley, where city-wide AI social experiments occur, the lab will rapidly validate the latest development methods. By assessing technological feasibility through prototyping and demonstration experiments and reflecting findings in products in a timely manner, it will drive expansion into the global market.
Participation in Hackathons and Tech Communities: Actively participating in local hackathons, AI meetups, and tech communities to deepen exchanges with world-class engineers, entrepreneurs, and business development professionals. The lab will absorb practical knowledge on technology selection and AI utilization that cannot be obtained from public information alone, strengthening development capabilities.
Returning Practical Knowledge to Japanese Companies: Practical knowledge gained through local experimentation and validation will be reflected in products tailored to the on-site challenges of Japanese companies. Furthermore, by incorporating this knowledge into support for companies that have adopted Helpfeel, the company will promote the AI-Ready transformation and advanced AI utilization of Japanese enterprises.
■ Comment from 'HACK Lab' Director Isshu Rakusai
'I stayed in Silicon Valley, the birthplace of our company, for several months starting in January 2026. I witnessed a city-wide social experiment in AI, where practical knowledge was being incorporated into products in real-time. It was an intense inspiration for me as both a developer and an entrepreneur. The world is now entering the implementation phase of 'autopilot,' where AI drives operations autonomously.
On the other hand, there is a significant gap between Silicon Valley and Japan in terms of the level of perspective on AI and the speed of implementation. To compete globally, we need to be on this front line, rapidly evolve our products, and deploy them in the global market. 'HACK Lab' is a practical base for this purpose.
We will accelerate Helpfeel's global expansion from Silicon Valley while elevating the AI-Ready transformation of Japanese companies to a global standard.'
FAQ
Where is HACK Lab located?
It is located in the Silicon Valley area, California, USA.
When will HACK Lab open?
It is scheduled to open in July 2026.
What is the purpose of HACK Lab?
To research and develop AI-Ready knowledge infrastructure and accelerate Helpfeel's global expansion.