pluszero and First Partners Group Accelerate AI Fund Development Incorporating Toshiya Matsunami's Expertise, Launch Automated Minutes, and Introduce 'Brain Plus for Sales' for M&A Employees
pluszero and First Partners have started full-scale development of an 'AI Fund' that systematizes investment experts' knowledge. They also launched an automated minutes app for internal audits and the AI sales simulator 'Brain Plus for Sales' for M&A sales staff.
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- 📰 Published: April 2, 2026 at 02:00
pluszero Inc. (Headquarters: Setagaya-ku, Tokyo; hereinafter 'pluszero') and First Partners Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; hereinafter 'First Partners'), which operates an IFA (Independent Financial Advisor) business, are fully promoting an 'AI Fund' project that aims to systematize the knowledge of investment experts using AI and utilize it for fund management.
In this project, they are fully advancing a project that aims to verbalize and systematize the investment expert know-how, including the investment knowledge of Mr. Toshiya Matsunami, who is an external advisor (Chief Economist and Market Strategist) to First Partners, using pluszero's proprietary AI development method 'AEI', and utilize it for fund management. After going through the PoC (Proof of Concept) stage, verification and development are currently continuing.
At the same time, the two companies developed an automated minutes application in the internal audit (compliance check) area and started its production operation. Furthermore, pluszero has started providing 'Brain Plus for Sales', which performs sales role-playing and business negotiation simulations, to First Partners Capital Inc., a group company of First Partners that develops M&A consulting businesses, for its M&A sales employees.
■ Background of Development
In the financial industry, the judgments and know-how of experienced experts play an important role. On the other hand, there is a challenge that such knowledge tends to become personalized as tacit knowledge, making it difficult to utilize in a reproducible manner as an organization.
At First Partners as well, while the knowledge of investment experts utilized in IFA sales and other areas is a major asset, systematization and ensuring reproducibility have been challenges. The two companies launched the AI Fund project with the aim of verbalizing and systematizing this knowledge, making it a reproducible investment decision process, and utilizing it in operations.
Additionally, First Partners conducts compliance checks regarding the business negotiations of IFA employees. Previously, it was necessary to perform audit work while listening to the recordings of the negotiations, leading to an increase in workload and the need to streamline the verification process.
Furthermore, in sales activities in the financial sector, including M&A, communication based on advanced specialized knowledge and experience is often required. Since it is important to create a mechanism to steadily share and pass on the knowledge and responsiveness possessed by senior members to younger members, they are proceeding with the construction of a practical training environment utilizing the AI negotiation simulator 'Brain Plus for Sales'. Through this, they aim for younger members to accumulate practical experience while improving their customer service skills, strengthening the sales structure, and expanding business negotiation opportunities.
■ Initiative 1: AI Fund Launch Project Equipped with Investment Expert Know-How
The two companies aim to verbalize and systematize the investment expert know-how held by First Partners using pluszero's proprietary AI development method 'AEI' and utilize it for fund management.
The know-how to be verbalized in this project includes the expertise of Mr. Toshiya Matsunami, an external advisor (Chief Economist and Market Strategist).
At the PoC stage, it recorded returns exceeding the S&P 500, and algorithm improvements are currently underway with the aim of achieving both further excess returns and stable management.
- Purpose: Verbalization and making reproducible the know-how of investment experts, and its application to operations
- Progress: PoC completed, algorithm improvement phase
- Notes: This project is in the development and verification stage and does not guarantee future operational results.
(Reference)
Mr. Toshiya Matsunami: Engaged in asset management operations such as a fund manager at major life insurance companies and major asset management companies. External Advisor (Chief Economist and Market Strategist) to First Partners since July 2023. Has numerous media contributions and appearances.
■ Initiative 2: Automated Minutes Application in the Internal Audit Area
This application automatically generates and summarizes minutes based on the audio of IFA employees' business negotiations, thereby supporting the efficiency of internal audit operations.
By conducting checks based on the transcribed and summarized minutes, auditors can reduce the operational burden associated with traditional recording checks and speed up the verification process.
- Target Area: Compliance checks (internal audits) regarding business negotiations of IFA employees
- Effect: Reduces check time per case by 50 to 70%
■ Initiative 3: Launch of 'Brain Plus for Sales' for M&A Sales
pluszero has started providing the AI business negotiation simulator 'Brain Plus for Sales' for M&A sales employees to First Partners Capital Inc., a group company of First Partners that develops M&A consulting businesses and other operations.
This service provides a practical training environment for M&A sales employees through AI-driven sales role-playing and negotiation simulations. Since the attributes and scenarios of the negotiation partner can be set in detail, it is possible to train in an environment close to actual business negotiations.
Service details: https://brain-plus.jp/
■ Future Developments
The two companies will continue verification and algorithm improvement with an eye toward the start of operation for the AI Fund launch project, while also proceeding with the establishment of the necessary structure and governance.
Furthermore, in addition to streamlining internal audit operations through the automatic generation and summarization of minutes, they will work on sophistication and efficiency of sales activities in the financial area, including IFA sales and M&A sales, through the utilization of accumulated text data and the provision of 'Brain Plus for Sales'.
In this project, they are fully advancing a project that aims to verbalize and systematize the investment expert know-how, including the investment knowledge of Mr. Toshiya Matsunami, who is an external advisor (Chief Economist and Market Strategist) to First Partners, using pluszero's proprietary AI development method 'AEI', and utilize it for fund management. After going through the PoC (Proof of Concept) stage, verification and development are currently continuing.
At the same time, the two companies developed an automated minutes application in the internal audit (compliance check) area and started its production operation. Furthermore, pluszero has started providing 'Brain Plus for Sales', which performs sales role-playing and business negotiation simulations, to First Partners Capital Inc., a group company of First Partners that develops M&A consulting businesses, for its M&A sales employees.
■ Background of Development
In the financial industry, the judgments and know-how of experienced experts play an important role. On the other hand, there is a challenge that such knowledge tends to become personalized as tacit knowledge, making it difficult to utilize in a reproducible manner as an organization.
At First Partners as well, while the knowledge of investment experts utilized in IFA sales and other areas is a major asset, systematization and ensuring reproducibility have been challenges. The two companies launched the AI Fund project with the aim of verbalizing and systematizing this knowledge, making it a reproducible investment decision process, and utilizing it in operations.
Additionally, First Partners conducts compliance checks regarding the business negotiations of IFA employees. Previously, it was necessary to perform audit work while listening to the recordings of the negotiations, leading to an increase in workload and the need to streamline the verification process.
Furthermore, in sales activities in the financial sector, including M&A, communication based on advanced specialized knowledge and experience is often required. Since it is important to create a mechanism to steadily share and pass on the knowledge and responsiveness possessed by senior members to younger members, they are proceeding with the construction of a practical training environment utilizing the AI negotiation simulator 'Brain Plus for Sales'. Through this, they aim for younger members to accumulate practical experience while improving their customer service skills, strengthening the sales structure, and expanding business negotiation opportunities.
■ Initiative 1: AI Fund Launch Project Equipped with Investment Expert Know-How
The two companies aim to verbalize and systematize the investment expert know-how held by First Partners using pluszero's proprietary AI development method 'AEI' and utilize it for fund management.
The know-how to be verbalized in this project includes the expertise of Mr. Toshiya Matsunami, an external advisor (Chief Economist and Market Strategist).
At the PoC stage, it recorded returns exceeding the S&P 500, and algorithm improvements are currently underway with the aim of achieving both further excess returns and stable management.
- Purpose: Verbalization and making reproducible the know-how of investment experts, and its application to operations
- Progress: PoC completed, algorithm improvement phase
- Notes: This project is in the development and verification stage and does not guarantee future operational results.
(Reference)
Mr. Toshiya Matsunami: Engaged in asset management operations such as a fund manager at major life insurance companies and major asset management companies. External Advisor (Chief Economist and Market Strategist) to First Partners since July 2023. Has numerous media contributions and appearances.
■ Initiative 2: Automated Minutes Application in the Internal Audit Area
This application automatically generates and summarizes minutes based on the audio of IFA employees' business negotiations, thereby supporting the efficiency of internal audit operations.
By conducting checks based on the transcribed and summarized minutes, auditors can reduce the operational burden associated with traditional recording checks and speed up the verification process.
- Target Area: Compliance checks (internal audits) regarding business negotiations of IFA employees
- Effect: Reduces check time per case by 50 to 70%
■ Initiative 3: Launch of 'Brain Plus for Sales' for M&A Sales
pluszero has started providing the AI business negotiation simulator 'Brain Plus for Sales' for M&A sales employees to First Partners Capital Inc., a group company of First Partners that develops M&A consulting businesses and other operations.
This service provides a practical training environment for M&A sales employees through AI-driven sales role-playing and negotiation simulations. Since the attributes and scenarios of the negotiation partner can be set in detail, it is possible to train in an environment close to actual business negotiations.
Service details: https://brain-plus.jp/
■ Future Developments
The two companies will continue verification and algorithm improvement with an eye toward the start of operation for the AI Fund launch project, while also proceeding with the establishment of the necessary structure and governance.
Furthermore, in addition to streamlining internal audit operations through the automatic generation and summarization of minutes, they will work on sophistication and efficiency of sales activities in the financial area, including IFA sales and M&A sales, through the utilization of accumulated text data and the provision of 'Brain Plus for Sales'.
FAQ
What is the main content of the partnership between pluszero and First Partners?
The development of an 'AI Fund' that digitizes expert investment knowledge, automated minutes for internal audits, and an AI sales simulator for M&A sales.
What are the features of the AI Fund?
It aims for algorithmic automated management by verbalizing and systematizing the know-how of investment experts like Toshiya Matsunami using the proprietary AI 'AEI'.
What kind of service is 'Brain Plus for Sales'?
An environment where users can practically train advanced sales skills like M&A through AI-driven sales role-playing and negotiation simulations.