Comparison
Last updated: October 2026
How much does PoC development cost in Japan? Published prices compared
Japanese guides put a small AI proof of concept at about ¥1 million to ¥3 million. Firms that publish a price on their own sites range from ¥800,000 for a PoC of two weeks or more to ¥2,000,000 for a package of about five weeks (read 17 October 2026). Urbano DX's two-week PoC is a fixed ¥1,880,000 to ¥2,780,000.
Quick DX PoC: £9,500-£13,500 · 2 weeks
What Japanese guides say a PoC costs
The Japanese guides that come up in a search for PoC開発 費用 相場 give ranges, not prices. They agree on one point: scope, data and evaluation decide the bill, not the label.
- swooo: ¥1 million to ¥3 million for a small application built to test an idea, under ¥1 million for an internal check, and possibly ¥10 million or more when generative AI accuracy is evaluated.
- WEEL: ¥500,000 to ¥2.5 million for a generative AI PoC, and from about ¥1.5 million for a small one.
- AI Expert: ¥1 million to ¥5 million for a PoC, and ¥400,000 to ¥2 million for the requirements work before it.
Published prices, firm by firm
Few firms that sell PoCs in Japan publish a price. The four in the table below publish, on their own pages, a price for a first step: a PoC or a diagnosis before one. Each price buys different work, so compare the deliverables as well as the number.
- Uravation: PoC from ¥800,000 before tax, two weeks at the shortest, with an evaluation report for production.
- AsiaQuest: AI-PoC Standard, ¥2,000,000 before tax for about five weeks, announced on 17 June 2026.
- AI Expert (Orga G.K.): an AI suitability diagnosis at ¥150,000 or ¥300,000 before tax, offered before any PoC.
- Urbano DX: a two-week PoC at ¥1,880,000 to ¥2,780,000, or a ¥110,000 teardown first.
What moves the price
Two quotes for a PoC can differ by millions of yen because they buy different things. Before comparing numbers, check these five points in each proposal.
- Data: whether your real data is ready, or must be cleaned and labelled first.
- Evaluation: whether the price includes measuring accuracy against agreed criteria, or only a demo.
- Integration: how many existing systems the PoC must read from or write to.
- Deliverables: a demo only, or also an evaluation report, source code and an estimate for production.
- Ownership: which code is handed over. AsiaQuest keeps its common RAG, agent and evaluation base and delivers the parts specific to you; Urbano DX hands over the project code and states in the contract which existing components stay separate.
What ¥1.88 million to ¥2.78 million buys at Urbano DX
Our two-week PoC turns one narrow app, API, LLM feature or AI workflow into a working prototype that supports the next investment decision. The price is agreed in writing before work starts.
- A written scope and written acceptance criteria.
- A working UI, API or demo screen, with test data or a live API connection.
- A demo every week and a summary in Japanese and English.
- A final PoC demo and a roadmap; a ¥110,000 teardown fee is credited if you start with one.
Which one to choose
Choose by the decision the PoC must support, not by the lowest number.
- Uravation, if you want the lowest published starting price, help checking subsidy requirements, and a three-month free fix period after its production build.
- AsiaQuest, if one of its ready menus, such as data dashboards or an internal FAQ, matches your use case and five weeks suits you.
- AI Expert, if you first want a low-cost diagnosis of where AI fits before you pay for a PoC.
- Urbano DX, if you want a fixed two weeks built by the senior engineer who scoped it, with bilingual documents and the go or stop decision written into the acceptance criteria.
Sources and method
Published by Urbano DX on 17 October 2026. Prices come from each firm's own page, read on that date, exactly as they show them; before tax is noted where the firm says so. Urbano DX prices come from its published Japanese price list.
- Uravation: uravation.com/service/ai-development/
- AsiaQuest: asia-quest.jp/information/20260617 (its AI-PoC Standard announcement of 17 June 2026).
- AI Expert: column.ai-expert.jp/ai-jutaku-kaihatsu-hiyou-souba/
- Guides: swooo.net/dev/poc-system/ and weel.co.jp/media/faq/contract-development-cost/
PoC and diagnosis prices published on the firms' own pages (read 17 October 2026)
| Criteria | Urbano DX | Uravation | AsiaQuest | AI Expert (Orga G.K.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | ¥1,880,000 to ¥2,780,000, fixed | From ¥800,000 before tax | ¥2,000,000 before tax, fixed | Diagnosis ¥150,000 or ¥300,000 before tax |
| Length | 2 weeks | 2 weeks at the shortest | About 5 weeks | 2 weeks (diagnosis) |
| What you receive | Working prototype, weekly demos, results against written acceptance criteria, roadmap | Prototype checked with real data, evaluation report for production | Source code (app and infrastructure), evaluation report, production estimate | A diagnosis of whether and where AI fits, before a PoC |
| Next step and its price | MVP sprint, ¥3,880,000 to ¥5,280,000, 4 weeks | Production build from ¥3,000,000 before tax, 2 to 4 months | Production estimate delivered with the PoC | Time-based contract, or fixed builds from ¥300,000 |
| Choose it if | You want the engineer who scopes it to build it, in two fixed weeks | You want the lowest published starting price and subsidy help | A ready menu matches your use case | You want a low-cost diagnosis before paying for a PoC |
Prices as each firm shows them on its own page on 17 October 2026; before tax is noted where the firm says so. Urbano DX prices come from its Japanese price list; on the UK list the same PoC is £9,500 to £13,500.
Buyer FAQs
How much does a PoC cost in Japan?
Japanese guides put a small PoC at about ¥1 million to ¥3 million, and say it can reach ¥10 million or more when generative AI accuracy is evaluated. Firms that publish prices show ¥800,000 and up for two weeks or more, and ¥2,000,000 for about five weeks, before tax (read 17 October 2026).
What decides the price of a PoC?
Mostly data readiness, how accuracy is evaluated, how many existing systems are connected, security review and documents, and length. Two offers both called a PoC can differ by millions of yen because one is a demo and the other includes an evaluation report and source code, so compare the deliverables.
How long does a PoC take?
The published examples run from two weeks to about five weeks. Urbano DX's PoC takes two weeks after the scope is agreed, with a demo each week. If a PoC needs several months, splitting it into smaller PoCs, one per decision, usually makes each result clearer and easier to approve.
What does the Urbano DX PoC price include?
Two weeks to turn one narrow app, API, LLM feature or AI workflow into a working prototype. It includes a written scope and acceptance criteria, weekly demos, a Japanese and English summary, a final demo and a roadmap. If you start with the ¥110,000 teardown, that fee is credited to the PoC.
Should we choose the cheapest PoC?
Choose by the decision that follows. If you only need to know whether something works technically, a low-priced short PoC is enough. If the result must justify a production budget, check that the price includes real data, acceptance criteria, an evaluation report and clear terms for handing over the code.
Get a fixed PoC price for your workflow
Send the workflow, the data you can share and the decision the PoC must support. We reply with a written scope, acceptance criteria and a fixed price before any work starts.
Scope a 2-week PoC