OSHIAI

OSHIAI Inc. is a technology company that operates "OSHIAI," an AI chat application designed to create new fan experiences ("oshi-katsu"). Founded in November 2024 by CEO Ryota Arashi and CTO Yasunobu Sasaki, the company aims to deepen the connection between fans and their idols, such as artists, VTubers, and live streamers. The platform allows users to converse with an AI persona, known as an "AI (eye)," which is crafted to replicate the personality and speech patterns of the actual public figure.

The founders bring significant experience from the entertainment and technology sectors. CEO Ryota Arashi previously worked at Recruit Marketing Partners and later joined SHOWROOM Inc., where he became the head of the vertical theater app "smash." and led collaborations with famous artists. CTO Yasunobu Sasaki was a co-founder and CTO of the live streaming service SHOWROOM, having previously developed social games and music distribution apps at DeNA Co., Ltd. Their shared goal is to create a world-leading entertainment app originating from Japan.

The OSHIAI app is primarily a B2C platform that monetizes through a freemium model; while basic use is free, users can purchase tokens to have more extensive conversations with the AIs. The platform also facilitates direct communication, as the real personalities can send messages to their fans through the app and review the AI conversations. In March 2025, OSHIAI raised 70 million yen in a seed round from DeNA's venture capital arm, Delight Ventures, to accelerate its development and market presence.

Keywords: AI chat, fan engagement, Oshi-katsu, virtual idols, VTuber, creator economy, AI persona, mobile application, entertainment technology, interactive entertainment, fan communication, AI voice chat, celebrity AI, DeNA, SHOWROOM