AiRato Wins the “DATERISE! PITCH CONTEST 2025,” a Global Startup Event Hosted by the City of Sendai

AiRato Inc. (Headquarters: Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture) is pleased to announce that it won the main program, the “DATERISE! PITCH CONTEST 2025,” at “DATERISE! 2025,” a startup event hosted by the City of Sendai on August 23, 2025.

AiRato, Japan’s first radiation therapy AI startup, is developing AI-powered treatment planning support software for radiation therapy.

• Features： By introducing AI into the planning process of IMRT (intensity-modulated radiation therapy) (*1), treatment planning that previously required six hours can now be reduced to approximately 20 minutes. The applicable areas include head and neck cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer, cervical cancer, and more. The software also includes auto-contouring and automated planning technology. (*1) Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT): a treatment method in which the amount (intensity) of radiation delivered from multiple directions is varied during irradiation.
• Issues Addressed：Radiation therapy, one of the three major cancer treatments, places very little physical burden on patients and is becoming increasingly important as a cancer treatment in a super-aging society, demonstrating high therapeutic effectiveness. However, due to social challenges such as “variability in therapeutic outcomes depending on physician experience” and a “shortage of medical personnel (and the resulting overwork),” IMRT is not being delivered to as many patients as it should. By developing and commercializing AI-powered radiation treatment planning software, our company aims to solve these issues and create a world where all cancer patients can receive radiation therapy.

The “DATERISE! PITCH CONTEST 2025” is one of the main programs of “DATERISE! 2025,” an event under the theme “SENDAI to Global!” designed to support startups, student entrepreneurs, and future challengers from Sendai and the Tohoku region in their efforts to expand globally. It is a pitch contest for startups based in the Tohoku region that are aiming to expand overseas.

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Our victory this time was highly evaluated for its social impact, such as reducing the burden on medical sites and improving access to treatment through the automation and advancement of radiation treatment planning, as well as for the continuous refinement of AI algorithms based on clinical data and operational know-how in medical practice. In addition, the contribution to addressing healthcare challenges in markets including Asia, along with our strategic policy toward commercialization, were also recognized, leading to our win

Comment from AiRato Inc.

CTO Noriyuki Kadoya

We are deeply honored to have won the “DATERISE! PITCH CONTEST 2025.” At AiRato Inc., under the mission of “saving as many cancer patients as possible through radiation therapy,” we are working on the development of Japan’s first AI technology for radiation therapy. This award is made possible by the support of all those who have supported us so far, and I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude.

In July 2025, we entered into an exclusive overseas distribution agreement with Sumitomo Corporation in order to prepare for the sale of our AI-powered treatment planning software beginning in 2026. With this agreement, we are now preparing for expansion into Asia from 2026 onward. Moving forward, leveraging this award as momentum, we will strive to expand our technology from Sendai to Asia and the world, aiming to become a company that saves more cancer patients through radiation therapy. We sincerely appreciate your continued support.

Event Overview

• Event Name: DATERISE! 2025
• Date: Saturday, August 23, 2025
• Host: City of Sendai
• Co-Hosts: Tohoku University (National University Corporation), Tohoku Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI Tohoku), Miyagi Prefecture, Michinoku Academia-Startups Co-Creation Platform, JETRO Sendai, NTT Urban Development Corporation, The 77 Bank, Ltd.