Kotoba Partners with jig.jp to Bring Real-Time AI Interpretation to SABERA Smart Glasses

Breaking the language barrier on smart glasses with high-speed AI simultaneous interpretation

Kotoba Technologies, Inc. (HQ: San Francisco, USA; principal R&D base: Chiyoda, Tokyo; CEO: Noriyuki Kojima; "Kotoba" or "the Company"), which develops real-time voice AI models optimized for East Asian languages, today announced a strategic partnership with jig.jp Co., Ltd. (Head office: Sabae, Fukui; President & CEO: Sho Kawamata; TSE Growth Market: 5244), the developer and seller of the next-generation smart glasses (AR glasses) "SABERA," to deliver a world-class simultaneous interpretation experience.

Through this partnership, the two companies will combine SABERA's AR display technology with Kotoba's cutting-edge real-time voice AI. By connecting Kotoba's ultra-low-latency real-time translation app with the SABERA app, the companies aim to deliver an experience where simply wearing SABERA displays the other person's words in your field of view in real time—allowing people to communicate naturally without being conscious of the language barrier. Starting with this app integration, the two companies will pursue mutual customer referrals and joint solutions, working to build a new communication infrastructure that transcends language.

Background & Purpose

Built on its proprietary voice AI foundation model "Koto," Kotoba provides real-time voice AI simultaneous interpretation optimized for East Asian languages. The user base of its interpretation app, "Kotoba," continues to grow rapidly, centered on the East Asian market.

As real-time voice AI—from simultaneous interpretation to AI agents—becomes more widespread, the interfaces best suited to it continue to evolve, with smart devices at the center. Against this backdrop, Kotoba has positioned AI wearables as one of its key focus areas, and as part of that effort, is beginning a collaboration with SABERA, the highly refined smart glasses born from Sabae's manufacturing heritage.

Users of the Kotoba app have also long expressed a desire to use it on smart glasses. This partnership is a direct and early response to those voices. From overseas business negotiations and collaboration with foreign staff on manufacturing floors to inbound hospitality and overseas travel, the two companies will jointly create new communication experiences for every situation where a language barrier exists.

About SABERA

SABERA is a next-generation smart glass from Sabae, Fukui, combining a design that blends into everyday life with AR functionality. By fusing the manufacturing expertise cultivated in Sabae—Japan's eyewear capital—with state-of-the-art AR technology, it displays information such as real-time translation and transcription within the wearer's field of view, delivering an entirely new communication experience. Since launching pre-sales on the crowdfunding platform Makuake, SABERA has drawn a strong response and high expectations from individual users, businesses, and media alike, attracting significant interest as a new information device that breaks down language barriers.

About the Kotoba App

The Kotoba interpretation app is a real-time voice translation and transcription app powered by the Company's proprietary voice AI model, "Koto." It supports a wide range of language pairs, with Japanese, English, Chinese, Korean, and Spanish as primary targets. By predicting the flow of a conversation and displaying the translation before the speaker has finished, the AI minimizes wait time and enables a natural, fluid dialogue experience. From business negotiations to everyday conversation, Kotoba makes it possible to communicate smoothly without losing the timing or the lead in a conversation.

The Future of the Partnership

Both companies regard this collaboration not as a simple feature integration, but as a long-term strategic partnership. Looking ahead, they aim to deliver mutual value to their respective users through joint solutions that combine SABERA with Kotoba's services, as well as joint proposals and bundled offerings for the enterprise market. By bringing together each company's strengths, they are working toward a society in which people around the world can speak with one another without ever being conscious of the language barrier.

Comment from Kotoba's CEO

"It is an honor to work alongside jig.jp, the team behind SABERA—a beautifully refined pair of smart glasses born in Sabae. We are proud to answer the demand among Kotoba app users for a smart-glasses experience and to take AI simultaneous interpretation to the next level." — Noriyuki Kojima, CEO, Kotoba Technologies

Comment from jig.jp's CEO

"A future where, through SABERA, we cross the language barrier and speak freely with people all over the world. We are truly delighted to take on the challenge of creating a world-class simultaneous interpretation experience together with Kotoba. By fusing both companies' technologies and expertise, we will work toward a society where everyone can connect without being conscious of the language barrier." — Sho Kawamata, President & CEO, jig.jp Co., Ltd.