Karakuri Launches 'AgenticCS BPO', an EC-Specialized BPO Service with '200 Yen/Hour AI'

Karakuri Inc. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Shimon Oda; hereinafter 'Karakuri') will launch 'AgenticCS BPO,' a next-generation BPO service for EC companies designed with the premise that AI agents will be operational from day one, starting in April 2026. This service is a hybrid BPO that combines three AI agents—Generative AI chatbot, voice bot, and back-office processing AI—with specialized human talent earning 3,000 yen per hour, which is double the industry standard. Starting at 200,000 yen per seat per month, it achieves less than half the cost of traditional BPO (400,000–600,000 yen per seat) while allowing AI to automatically process approximately 70% of EC-specific inquiries (delivery status, returns, inventory checks, etc.).

Background: Structural Contradictions in BPO and the AI Plateau The contact center BPO market is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 4.1%, reaching 1.2169 trillion yen by 2029. However, the industry has long suffered from structural contradictions. While clients expect BPO vendors to promote efficiency and automation, for traditional vendors, automation means staff reduction, which leads to lower revenue. This conflict of interest has kept AI usage in contact centers limited to 'partial auxiliary tools.'

Since 2025, many major BPO operators and system integrators have announced AI x BPO services, but most are approaches that 'add AI to human-based BPO' without clear pricing models. Karakuri has been providing BPO services using generative AI since June 2024, and 'AgenticCS BPO' is a service redesigned from the ground up with the premise that AI agents are active from the start.

Mechanism of AgenticCS BPO: Collaboration between '200 Yen/Hour AI' and '3,000 Yen/Hour Human' In AgenticCS BPO, three AI agents with different roles operate 24/7, automatically processing about 70% of EC inquiries.

Three AI Agents (AI hourly rate of 200 yen): - GeN (Generative AI Chatbot): Automatically responds to text inquiries. Uses patented 'follow-up' technology to autonomously identify customer situations and guide them to appropriate solutions. - Voice Bot (Phone Response AI): Automatically responds to phone inquiries, handling routine tasks like delivery status checks and return requests. - Back-office Agent (Administrative AI): Integrates with order management and logistics systems to automatically complete administrative tasks such as return processing, inventory checks, and status updates.

Specialized Talent (3,000 yen/hour = approx. double the industry average): Complex cases that cannot be completed by AI (irregular complaints, return negotiations requiring judgment) are handled by experts well-versed in AI operations. They also handle prompt engineering and AI accuracy tuning to continuously improve service quality.

This structure of 'AI for cheap, high-volume tasks and humans for high-quality, complex tasks' enables both half-price seat costs and high response quality.

Three Implementation Strengths for Real-World Success: - Track Record with Enterprise Companies: Since its founding in 2017, Karakuri has developed AI products for customer support, with implementations at major companies like SBI Securities, Takashimaya, Hoshino Resorts, and ZOZO. - Connection Design Technology: To ensure AI 'completes' tasks, we combine API integration with RPA and CUA (direct browser operation), allowing AI to operate systems 'like a human' without modifying existing systems. - Expanding AI Agent Business: Karakuri's AI agent implementations have grown by over 48% on a quarterly average, proving that our AI is being used as the 'core of actual business' by major companies.

Service Overview & Pricing: All-in-One with No Additional Costs The seat price for AgenticCS BPO includes quality management such as AI accuracy tuning and knowledge updates, as well as reporting including monthly reports, VOC analysis, and improvement proposals. No additional costs are incurred.