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Press Release
FastLabel Joins “GENIAC-PRIZE 2026,” a National Project Implemented by METI and NEDO to Develop Open Foundation Models for Training Physical AI Developers, as a Supporting Company ～Supporting the Young Talent Who Will Drive Physical AI Development in Japan～
FastLabel Inc. (Headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Takeshi Suzuki; hereinafter “FastLabel”), a company that supports the development of robot foundation models and domain-specific VLA (Vision-Language-Action) models, is pleased to announce that it will participate as one of the supporting companies (cooperating companies and organizations) in Theme 2, “Development of Open Foundation Models for Training Physical AI Developers (Students),” of “GENIAC-PRIZE 2026,” implemented by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (hereinafter “NEDO”).
This theme is a talent development initiative run under the NEDO prize-based program (NEDO Challenge). It supports student teams developing open foundation models for future use in physical AI by offering a total of 30 million yen in prize money and providing high-spec GPU computing resources worth up to 400 million yen free of charge. Student teams will work on required tasks using the computing resources provided by NEDO, and prize money will be awarded based on their results.
Through its support for robot foundation model and domain-specific VLA (Vision-Language-Action) model development, FastLabel has built up practical, real-world knowledge in data collection, simulation environment construction and generation, curation, annotation, and model development. By sharing this knowledge, FastLabel will help the next generation of young talent who will lead physical AI development in Japan take their first steps into the field and steadily move their challenges forward. This support will include training sessions, open labs, and internships.
Overview of “GENIAC-PRIZE 2026” Theme 2
Item | Details |
|---|---|
Program Name | GENIAC-PRIZE 2026 Theme 2: “Development of Open Foundation Models for Training Physical AI Developers (Students)” |
Organizers | Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI); New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) |
Support and Collaboration | Matsuo-Iwasawa Laboratory, The University of Tokyo (in collaboration with its LLM course); cooperating companies and organizations |
Prize Money | 30 million yen in total |
Computing Resources | High-spec GPUs worth up to 400 million yen (provided free of charge to each team) |
Eligibility | Students who hold Japanese nationality and were born between April 2, 1996 and April 1, 2014 (enrolled as of April 1, 2026 in a school or similar institution, in Japan or overseas, as defined under the School Education Act) |
Preliminary and Final Screening | Preliminary: around November–December 2026 Final: around December 28, 2026 to around March 2027 (tentative) |
Results Announcement and Awards Ceremony | Scheduled for Monday, March 29, 2027 |
Official URL |
About FastLabel
FastLabel Inc. is a data solutions company dedicated to supporting Data-Centric AI development by providing high-quality data and building data pipelines and data management infrastructure. Focusing on the field of Physical AI, including robotics, FastLabel supports a wide range of companies developing robot foundation models through services such as data collection, assistance in building simulation environments, model development support, and data pipeline construction.
Company Name: FastLabel Inc.
Headquarters: Shinjuku Sumitomo Building 24F, 2-6-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Representative: Takeshi Suzuki, President and CEO
Business: Provider of professional services and products supporting Data-centric AI development
Website: https://fastlabel.ai/service/robotics
Media Contact
Corporate Communications
FastLabel Inc.
E-mail: pr@fastlabel.ai
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