DeNA x Alumnote to Host AI Product Development Program "AI Builders Camp" for Student Organizations

Alumnote Inc. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Fuyuga Nakazawa, hereinafter Alumnote) and DeNA Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Tomoko Namba, hereinafter DeNA) will jointly host the "AI Builders Camp," an AI product development program for students, from the summer to fall of 2026.

The program will be held in three regions: Tokyo, Tohoku, and Kyoto, with approximately 300 students from 90 student organizations expected to participate. This is a practical program where students from clubs, circles, and research labs will participate as teams to challenge themselves from planning and developing AI-powered products to user verification and business proposal.

Participants will aim to develop products that will actually be used by real users, based on the challenges faced by their own organizations and surrounding communities.

Background and Social Significance

Demand for Practical Opportunities Amidst Widening AI Skill Gap

As of 2026, the shortage of AI/DX personnel is a serious social issue. According to estimates by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Japan is currently facing a shortage of approximately 790,000 AI/DX personnel, with a projected shortage of up to 1.45 million by 2030 (Note 1). Furthermore, an IPA survey reveals that 85.1% of Japanese companies feel a shortage of DX personnel, a significantly higher rate compared to the US (26.4%) and Germany (47.5%) (Note 2).

With the rapid spread of generative AI, an unprecedented productivity gap is emerging in the business world between those who can effectively use AI and those who cannot. Similar changes are occurring in the job market, with an increasing number of companies incorporating AI skills as a selection criterion.

On the other hand, opportunities to systematically learn AI are concentrated in a few universities and companies, and a gap in skill acquisition is becoming entrenched based on "where one learned" and "what environment one is in." There are growing concerns that this structural inequality will directly lead to disparities in future employment and career development.

The AI Builders Camp aims to foster the next generation of AI talent and value creators by providing students with opportunities to practice AI utilization, from problem discovery to product development and user verification.

Why Hold the AI Builders Camp?

Since its founding, Alumnote has supported universities and student organizations through initiatives such as the Giving Campaign, with the mission of "channeling capital into the next generation of education."

Through our engagement with student organizations nationwide, we feel that opportunities to take on new challenges, not just financial support, are essential for student growth.

The AI Builders Camp was planned as an opportunity for student organizations to leverage their problem-finding skills and teamwork cultivated through their daily activities to challenge new value creation. In an era where anyone can bring a product to life with generative AI, we want to provide a space where they can experience its potential through practical application.

Approximately 3,000 organizations are expected to participate in the 2026 Giving Campaign, and this program is a new initiative that utilizes that network to deliver challenging opportunities to student organizations nationwide.

Alumnote will continue to strive for a society where each student's potential can be fully realized through financial support and the creation of challenging opportunities.

To further accelerate these initiatives, we are partnering with DeNA, which is promoting business growth centered on AI and actively working to develop next-generation AI talent, to jointly implement this program.

Program Overview

The AI Builders Camp consists of three stages: Kickoff, Build Day, and Demo Day. It is not merely a hackathon; its distinguishing feature is that participants can experience the entire process from team-based problem discovery to creating an app that actual users will use, and then iterating and improving it through PDCA cycles.

Step

Content

Scale

Kickoff

(Ignition)

Teams conduct problem identification and create app demo screens.

Approx. 30 organizations x 3 areas

Build Day (Implementation)

Selected teams that won the Kickoff gather. An MVP app, including UI/UX, is built in one day from the demo screen.

10 organizations

Demo Day (Results Announcement)

Conducted with selected teams from Build Day. After one month of PDCA, user numbers, DAU/MAU, and improvement process/content are presented. Business pitch experience is provided.

5 organizations

(Planned)

Implementation Outline

Item

Content

Program Name

AI Builders Camp (DeNA x Alumnote)

Organizer

Alumnote Inc.

Co-organizer/Sponsor

DeNA Co., Ltd.

Target Audience

Organizations affiliated with universities/graduate schools engaged in club activities, extracurricular activities, etc., 3-5 people per team.

Implementation Areas

Tokyo, Tohoku, Kyoto

Total Support Fund

Up to 3.3 million yen (maximum daily acquisition amount 300,000 yen)

Participation Fee

Free (student travel expenses subsidized)

Application

Via Cross Campus (https://cross-campus.jp/)

Company Profile

DeNA Co., Ltd.

DeNA develops a wide range of businesses, including games, live communities, sports, community development, and healthcare/medical, driven by the strong passion and high technical capabilities of its ambitious employees. Currently, the company is focused on improving productivity, strengthening the competitiveness of existing businesses, and creating and growing new businesses, primarily through its AI expert team, to drive mid-to-long-term growth centered on AI.

Company Name

DeNA Co., Ltd.

Location

Shibuya 2-21-1, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

Representative

Tomoko Namba, President and CEO

Established

March 1999

Business Activities

Internet service business (entertainment, healthcare, sports, etc.)

URL

https://dena.com/jp/

Alumnote Inc.

A Tokyo University-originated startup with the mission "channeling capital into the next generation of education," engaged in fundraising support services for universities and educational institutions. Through Giving Campaign and Cross Campus, it works to circulate funds to universities and create opportunities for students to take on challenges.

Company Name

Alumnote Inc.

Location

Hibiya Park Front 19F, 2-1-6 Uchisaiwai-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Representative

Fuyuga Nakazawa, Representative Director and CEO

Established

October 2020

Business Activities

Support for universities and student organizations, operation of Giving Campaign, operation of Cross Campus

URL

https://corporate.alumnote.jp/

[Reference Materials]

Note 1: Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry "Survey on IT Human Resource Supply and Demand" and SPONTO Inc. "AI/DX Human Resource Strategy Practice Guide 2026"

Note 2: IPA (Information-technology Promotion Agency, Japan) "DX Trends 2025"

Inquiries regarding this matter

Cross Campus Operations Secretariat (within Alumnote Inc.)

E-mail: crosscampus_student@alumnote.com

URL: https://corporate.alumnote.jp/