TLDR: SBI Holdings has announced a capital and business alliance with Tokyo-based AI specialist Ridge-i Inc., which will see SBI acquire a substantial stake in the company. This partnership aims to accelerate AI utilization across SBI’s diverse business sectors and foster new AI-driven solutions and ventures.
SBI Holdings, a prominent Japanese financial services group, has entered into a strategic capital and business alliance with Ridge-i Inc., a Tokyo-based company specializing in artificial intelligence. The agreement, announced on September 12, 2025, will result in Ridge-i becoming an equity-method affiliate of SBI Holdings, significantly bolstering SBI’s capabilities in AI-driven innovation.
Under the terms of the alliance, SBI will acquire a total of 974,000 shares in Ridge-i. This includes subscribing for 390,000 new shares through a third-party allotment. Additionally, SBI, via its subsidiary SBI Securities, will acquire 584,000 existing shares from Ridge-i’s Chief Executive Officer, Takashi Yanagihara. These shares are slated for transfer to SBI on September 30, 2025.
Ridge-i, along with its consolidated subsidiary Star Music Entertainment Inc., is recognized for its expertise in Custom AI Solutions and Digital Marketing. The company leverages advanced technologies such as AI and deep learning to provide practical solutions, encompassing consultation, assessment, development, implementation, and ongoing customer operations.
This partnership builds upon existing collaborations between the two entities, which have included applying Ridge-i’s AI technology to both financial and non-financial data across SBI’s group companies, as well as engaging in digital marketing projects with SBI Neo Media. SBI Holdings stated that this tie-up is designed to create ‘a unified team that goes beyond a conventional outsourcing relationship,’ aiming to accelerate AI-driven innovation throughout its organization.
The alliance outlines several key initiatives. These include leveraging generative AI to enhance productivity, developing novel investment experiences through data-driven services, and expanding into digital marketing and Web3-enabled entertainment businesses. Furthermore, the companies plan to explore AI-based models for valuing creative talent and intellectual property, and to jointly develop financial products specifically tailored for the media and entertainment sectors.
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SBI Holdings operates a broad portfolio of businesses, spanning financial services, asset management, private equity, crypto-assets, and next-generation fields such as bio-healthcare and Web3. The integration of Ridge-i’s AI expertise is expected to drive digital transformation, particularly in regional areas through SBI Group’s corporate network, and to foster the creation of new solutions and businesses by applying AI to SBI’s extensive data holdings.
