WeWork Japan and SoftBank Launch "AI Foundation Community", a Project to Accelerate the Business Growth of AI Startups

WWJ Corp. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Keitaro Kumagai; hereinafter "WeWork Japan"*¹), which operates flexible offices, and SoftBank Corp. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President & CEO: Junichi Miyakawa; hereinafter "SoftBank") are launching the "AI Foundation Community" (hereinafter "this Project") today. This project accelerates the business growth of AI startups by combining WeWork Japan's community, in which various companies participate, with SoftBank's support program for AI startups, "AI Foundation for Startups"*² (hereinafter "AIFS"). Through this project, WeWork Japan and SoftBank will provide one-stop support ranging from the development and verification of AI (Artificial Intelligence) models by AI startups to the commercialization and business expansion of AI-utilized services and products. While AI technology has rapidly evolved in recent years, there are various challenges for the growth of Japanese startups. These include a lack of resources such as the AI computing infrastructure essential for AI model development, the costs associated with preparing development environments, security risks, and a lack of touchpoints with large corporations and local governments. Due to these factors, many startup initiatives remain in the proof-of-concept stage and fail to lead to commercialization or business growth. To solve these challenges, this project combines WeWork Japan's strong community—which includes member companies of various industries and sizes, from individuals to large enterprises—with the business support provided by SoftBank's AIFS. The project aims to support the business expansion of startups and build a co-creation ecosystem that leads to the creation of unicorn companies originating from Japan and the WeWork community, contributing to Japan's socio-economy. WeWork Japan will provide opportunities for business creation by hosting matching and pitch events for its members, while SoftBank will provide multifaceted support tailored to the business phases of AI startups, including the provision of AI computing infrastructure and sales support. ■ Main Support Details of the "AI Foundation Community" Business Expansion through Provision of AI Computing Infrastructure, etc. Through SoftBank's AIFS, in addition to providing AI computing infrastructure, SoftBank may consider investing in companies that are advancing the commercialization and business expansion of services and products utilizing AI. Business Co-creation through Event Hosting By holding events where companies participating in WeWork Japan's community can share their challenges and proprietary solutions, and events aimed at backing collaboration with large corporations and local governments, we will support business co-creation aimed at building relationships with various companies. Market Expansion Utilizing Customer Networks and Sales Channels Through AIFS, we will support the market expansion of AI models and products utilizing SoftBank's customer networks and sales channels. Furthermore, we will support the expansion of sales routes, including the consideration of overseas expansion leveraging WeWork's global network. For more details about the project, please visit this special site: https://wework.co.jp/lp/oi-aifc ■ About Upcoming Events In this project, we plan to hold various events throughout the year to activate the community and promote co-creation among participating companies.

Timing | Content May 14 | Innovation Promotion Salon Providing the latest information such as project details, the screening process, and future schedules for startups, large corporations, and local governments. June 25 | Innovator Pitch Competition Numerous unique startups will deliver pitches. September | Reverse Pitch Large corporations will present their real business challenges. November | Innovator Pitch Startups will propose concrete solutions to the themes presented by large corporations at the September event. *The timing and content are subject to change. For event details, please visit the WeWork Japan website. *¹ "WeWork Japan" refers to the organizational entity operated by WWJ Corp. that runs the franchise business of flexible office WeWork in Japan. *² For details on AIFS, please refer to SoftBank's press release dated September 26, 2025, "Program for Startups to Support the Development and Commercialization of AI Models, 'AI Foundati