SoftBank's 'AGENTIC STAR' Wins Grand Prize at the 3rd Japan New Business Award
At the final screening of the 3rd Japan New Business Award held on April 15, 2026, SoftBank's next-generation autonomous AI agent platform 'AGENTIC STAR' was selected for the Grand Prize. The award recognizes intrapreneurship and open innovation initiatives across various industries.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 27, 2026 at 20:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 27, 2026 at 11:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 28, 2026 at 02:55 (15h 23m after Collected)
Sansan's business card app 'Eight', AlphaDrive, SB Innoventure, ZeroOneBooster, UNIDGE, and Relic co-hosted the 'Japan New Business Award.' Following final screenings on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, it was announced that 'AGENTIC STAR,' a next-generation autonomous AI agent platform originating from SoftBank Corp., won the Grand Prize.
About Japan New Business Award:
Amid the boom in the domestic startup industry, there is an accelerating movement within large and medium-sized corporations to create new value from within. To recognize these intrapreneurial challenges and open innovations involving cross-industry collaborations, this award was established in 2024 by a group of companies that support new business development. The third edition held its final screening during 'Startup JAPAN 2026' on April 15, 2026.
Grand Prize:
Next-generation autonomous AI agent platform 'AGENTIC STAR' (SoftBank Corp., Mr. Ikuma Uehara).
'AGENTIC STAR' is an autonomous AI agent platform service that operates safely in a dedicated virtual environment. It autonomously thinks, plans, and executes while accumulating organizational knowledge through long-term memory. It comes standard with advanced governance features required by enterprises. It targets all industries for automating and enhancing tasks like app development, image/video generation, research/analysis, and environment construction. It is offered in various forms such as SaaS, external connection, and SDK components.
Judge Comment (Yoko Ikeda, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry):
'The 3rd Japan New Business Award has established itself as an ecosystem, with returning participants and former winners joining as partners. I was impressed by keywords like public-private partnership and social problem-solving. Every person challenging themselves today is a protagonist changing society.'
Category Winners:
- Growth Category: AGENTIC STAR (SoftBank Corp.)
- Seed Category: Digital Asset AML Collaboration Initiative (Hitachi, Ltd.)
- Audience Award: Carjany (Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance project)
- Special Jury Awards: Selected from AlphaDrive, ZeroOneBooster, Relic, SB Innoventure, and UNIDGE.
About Japan New Business Award:
Amid the boom in the domestic startup industry, there is an accelerating movement within large and medium-sized corporations to create new value from within. To recognize these intrapreneurial challenges and open innovations involving cross-industry collaborations, this award was established in 2024 by a group of companies that support new business development. The third edition held its final screening during 'Startup JAPAN 2026' on April 15, 2026.
Grand Prize:
Next-generation autonomous AI agent platform 'AGENTIC STAR' (SoftBank Corp., Mr. Ikuma Uehara).
'AGENTIC STAR' is an autonomous AI agent platform service that operates safely in a dedicated virtual environment. It autonomously thinks, plans, and executes while accumulating organizational knowledge through long-term memory. It comes standard with advanced governance features required by enterprises. It targets all industries for automating and enhancing tasks like app development, image/video generation, research/analysis, and environment construction. It is offered in various forms such as SaaS, external connection, and SDK components.
Judge Comment (Yoko Ikeda, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry):
'The 3rd Japan New Business Award has established itself as an ecosystem, with returning participants and former winners joining as partners. I was impressed by keywords like public-private partnership and social problem-solving. Every person challenging themselves today is a protagonist changing society.'
Category Winners:
- Growth Category: AGENTIC STAR (SoftBank Corp.)
- Seed Category: Digital Asset AML Collaboration Initiative (Hitachi, Ltd.)
- Audience Award: Carjany (Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance project)
- Special Jury Awards: Selected from AlphaDrive, ZeroOneBooster, Relic, SB Innoventure, and UNIDGE.