The new industry association brings together companies, startups, universities, government and experts to move bio-AI from research into real-world use and strengthen Japan's international competitiveness

TOKYO, September 18, 2026 - The Bio-AI Association (BAIA) has launched to promote research, development and real-world deployment at the intersection of biotechnology and AI and to help strengthen the international competitiveness of a Japan-born bio-AI industry. Craif Inc., a bio-AI company developing a urine analysis platform for early detection of cancer and other diseases, founded the association and leads it, and Craif COO Mika Mizunuma serves as its chair.

Four companies working where biology and AI meet joined at launch: Craif, Taxa Technologies, bitBiome, Inc. and digzyme, Inc. Going forward, companies, startups, universities and research institutions, government and experts will work together across organizations and fields to address the challenges of putting bio-AI into practice.

Background

AI is now used across a wide range of the life sciences, including drug discovery, diagnostics, omics analysis, research automation and biomanufacturing. Technology that helps decode biological processes and makes experiments and development more efficient is opening the way to new treatments, products and manufacturing methods. Turning that potential into real-world use takes more than technology development. It also requires shared work on common challenges: using data and knowledge across organizations, training people who understand both biology and AI, funding that carries work from research through commercialization, and rules and regulations that keep pace with the technology.

BAIA was formed as a forum to discuss these challenges across companies and fields and to work toward solutions through dialogue and collaboration among industry, academia and government. It will turn practical field experience into public communication and policy proposals, and work to build an environment in which bio-AI research steadily grows into businesses and industries.

Main activities

• Communicating the potential and social value of bio-AI. Through study sessions and events, the association will present bio-AI technologies and use cases, explain what they could change in areas such as healthcare and manufacturing, and encourage public understanding and participation from a wide range of fields.
• Policy proposals to support real-world deployment. The association will organize the challenges member companies face in R&D and commercialization and discuss rules and regulations, talent development, data use and funding. Through dialogue with government and related bodies, it will propose measures to build an environment that supports bio-AI deployment.
• Creating opportunities for research and business collaboration. The association will bring together companies, universities, research institutions, investors, government and experts to share technical and business challenges and turn cross-field exchange into joint research and business partnerships.

Bio-AI Summit 2026

To mark its launch, the association hosted Bio-AI Summit 2026, with support from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) and LINK-J. All four founding companies, Craif, Taxa Technologies, bitBiome and digzyme, led sessions. The association plans to continue holding the summit as a venue for dialogue among bio-AI companies, researchers, and stakeholders, and to build on it through future activities and new partnerships.

Association overview

• Name: Bio-AI Association (BAIA)
• Chair: Mika Mizunuma, COO, Craif Inc.
• Founder and lead organizer: Craif Inc.
• Founding companies: Craif Inc., Taxa Technologies, bitBiome, Inc., digzyme, Inc.
• Website: https://bio-ai.jp/
• Association inquiries: Bio-AI Association Secretariat, info@bio-ai.jp

About Craif

Craif is a bio-AI company founded in 2018 that develops non-invasive tests for the early detection of cancer. Its platform combines proprietary biomarker detection from urine and other bodily fluids with AI to assess disease risk. Building on one of the world's largest urine datasets, Craif aims to create a urine analysis platform that detects a wide range of diseases early, with cancer as the first step. The company is based in Tokyo and operates a wholly owned laboratory in San Diego, opened in 2026. Learn more atcraif.com.

Media inquiries
press_us@craif.com