Preferred Networks, GMO Internet Group and GMO Cybersecurity by Ierae to Establish Joint Venture GMO Preferred Security
New joint venture to deliver secure, Japan-built AI environment from hardware to software
Tokyo, March 6, 2026 - Preferred Networks, Inc. (PFN), GMO Internet Group, Inc., and GMO Cybersecurity by Ierae, Inc. today announced that on March 2, 2026 they agreed to form a capital and business alliance and establish a joint venture, GMO Preferred Security, Inc.
Scheduled to be established on March 27, 2026, GMO Preferred Security will be headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, with Tomohiro Uchida serving as CEO. The joint venture will be owned 49.0% by PFN, 25.5% by GMO Internet Group, and 25.5% by GMO Cybersecurity by Ierae.
With the goal to build and implement an integrated AI environment in which security is embedded at every layer from hardware to software, the new joint venture will combine PFN’s expertise in AI chips and generative AI, GMO Cybersecurity by Ierae’s advanced vulnerability assessment and security evaluation capabilities, and the GMO Internet Group’s infrastructure and digital certification technologies. GMO Internet Group will also invest in PFN to further strengthen the partnership and support PFN’s semiconductor business.
As generative AI adoption accelerates, ensuring end-to-end security in design, development and operations of semiconductors and generative AI has become increasingly critical in Japan. The joint venture aims to address this need by delivering a secure, Japan-built AI infrastructure that reduces reliance on overseas technologies at a time when economic security is a growing priority.
Key Areas of Focus
1. Chip-level security
GMO Cybersecurity by Ierae will conduct vulnerability assessments and security evaluations on PFN-designed AI chips and AI software that operates on them, validating security from the design stage.
2. Chain of trust through digital certification
Leveraging digital certification technologies from GMO GlobalSign, the joint venture will establish a chain of trust to verify the authenticity and integrity of AI chips and software.
3. Secure AI software and operations
The joint venture will provide secure execution environments for generative AI and other AI applications, along with security monitoring, authentication, and related services.
