HEROZ
HEROZ built Shogi-beating AI and now sells HEROZ ASK, an enterprise generative AI platform that switched to unlimited-use pricing in January 2026.
About HEROZ
What is HEROZ (2026 update)
HEROZ is a Tokyo-based, publicly listed AI company (ticker 4382) that got its start building AI engines strong enough to beat professional players at Shogi (Japanese chess), Chess, Go, and Backgammon, and has since applied that same decision-making AI technology, branded internally as “HEROZ Kishin,” to enterprise software and security products. Its main commercial product today is HEROZ ASK, a generative AI SaaS platform for businesses.
What is new in 2026
In 2026 HEROZ organized its business around what it calls “HEROZ 3.0,” an “AI BPaaS” (business process as a service) strategy that shifts the company from selling standalone AI software tools toward automating entire business processes with generative AI and AI agents, spanning its AIX (AI transformation) and AI Security segments. On the product side, HEROZ ASK gained an integration with Box cloud storage, added support for the newer GPT Image 1.5 image generation model, and in January 2026 moved from per-user-ID billing to an unlimited-use pricing model aimed at driving company-wide adoption inside customer organizations. On the consumer side, HEROZ marked the 14th anniversary of its Shogi Wars app in June 2026 with an early-access “Tsume-Bato” one-on-one speed mode for premium members, and launched “Kishin Chat” on YouTube with Asahi Shimbun, using a Shogi-specialized LLM to give natural language commentary on top-level professional Shogi matches.
Key features
- HEROZ ASK, an enterprise generative AI SaaS for internal knowledge search and chat
- Box cloud storage integration for document-grounded AI answers
- Support for recent generation models including GPT Image 1.5
- AI Security business segment alongside the core AIX generative AI business
- Consumer Shogi, Chess, and Backgammon apps (Shogi Wars, CHESS HEROZ, BackgammonAce) as the original proving ground for its AI
- Kishin Chat, an LLM-based commentary service for professional Shogi matches
Pricing in 2026
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Legacy per-ID plan | Reported around 900 yen/month per ID | Prior standard billing model before the 2026 pricing change, being phased out |
| Team/shared plan | Reported around 100,000 yen/month | Shared access for a team under the older pricing structure |
| Unlimited-use plan (2026) | Custom, usage-based | Company-wide HEROZ ASK deployment without per-ID billing, contact HEROZ for a quote |
| Enterprise/large deployment | Custom | Quoted separately for larger organizations |
HEROZ prices its B2B services in Japanese yen without published USD tiers, so international buyers should check directly with HEROZ for a current quote in their currency.
Who should use it
HEROZ ASK fits mid-size to large Japanese enterprises that want an internal generative AI assistant connected to their existing documents and cloud storage, especially organizations that plan to roll it out to many employees and prefer predictable unlimited-use pricing over per-seat licensing. The company’s broader AI BPaaS direction also targets businesses looking to automate multi-step processes rather than just add a chat interface. It is less relevant to individual consumers, aside from the Shogi Wars and CHESS HEROZ game apps.
Limitations and alternatives
HEROZ ASK’s pricing and go-to-market are focused on the Japanese market, with contracts, billing, and much of the product documentation in yen and Japanese, so non-Japanese businesses may find it harder to evaluate or purchase compared to global platforms. Public pricing detail for the new unlimited-use model was limited at the time of writing, so check directly with HEROZ for current rates. For comparable enterprise generative AI platforms, alternatives include Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365, Glean, and Notion AI, each with different pricing models and levels of Japanese-market focus.
Frequently asked questions
What does HEROZ actually sell in 2026?
HEROZ's main commercial product is HEROZ ASK, an enterprise generative AI SaaS platform, alongside an AI Security business and its original consumer Shogi, Chess, and Backgammon game apps.
How much does HEROZ ASK cost?
HEROZ ASK moved from a per-user-ID model (previously reported around 900 yen/month per ID) to an unlimited-use, usage-based pricing model in January 2026. Pricing is quoted directly by HEROZ and is not published in fixed USD tiers, so check with HEROZ for a current quote.
Is HEROZ related to Shogi AI?
Yes, HEROZ started by building AI engines that could beat professional Shogi, Chess, Go, and Backgammon players, and it later applied that same AI technology, branded HEROZ Kishin, to its enterprise products.
What is new for HEROZ in 2026?
2026 changes include the HEROZ ASK unlimited-use pricing model, Box integration, GPT Image 1.5 support, the Tsume-Bato mode in Shogi Wars, the Kishin Chat Shogi commentary service with Asahi Shimbun, and a broader company shift toward an AI BPaaS business model.
Information last verified: September 2026.
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