JX Press

About JX Press

JX Press Corp., operating as a virtual news agency in Japan, was founded in January 2008 by Katsuhiro Yoneshige while he was still a university student. The idea for the company stemmed from Yoneshige's earlier experience running an airline news website during middle and high school, which led him to identify the high-cost structure of traditional journalism as a key industry challenge. JX Press was established to address this by leveraging technology to automate the news-gathering process, operating without a single journalist on staff and instead relying on a team primarily composed of engineers.

The company's business model centers on two primary products. The first is "FASTALERT," a subscription-based SaaS platform for corporate clients that uses AI to detect and deliver real-time risk information on disasters, accidents, and other incidents by analyzing data from social media and other sources. This service is the main revenue driver and serves a wide range of clients, including major media organizations like NHK and TV Asahi, government bodies, and corporations in sectors such as infrastructure, transportation, and insurance. The second product is "NewsDigest," a free news summary application for the general public, which has surpassed 5 million downloads and generates revenue through advertising. Additionally, the company provides automated public opinion and election polling services at a lower cost than traditional methods.

JX Press differentiates itself by using proprietary AI and machine learning algorithms to scan social media posts, analyzing text and images to quickly verify and report on breaking news, often ahead of traditional media outlets. This technological approach allows for the rapid collection of information while filtering out a high percentage of false reports. The company has secured significant financial backing from notable investors, including Nikkei, Mitsubishi UFJ Capital, Kyodo News, and TV Asahi Holdings. In a Series C funding round in 2021, JX Press raised 2.2 billion yen, bringing its total funding to approximately 3.5 billion yen.