Yap has signed a definitive agreement with Italy's Icarus to adapt an AI that handles healthcare providers' incoming calls as the first point of contact for the Japanese market, and will begin research into specifications for Japan.
Yap Co., Ltd. signed a definitive agreement (service agreement) on 25 August 2026 with Icarus S.r.l. of Italy, which provides AI that automates telephone response for healthcare providers under the Icarus Technology brand. The two companies signed a memorandum of business partnership on 28 May 2026 and will begin detailed research for the Japanese market. The review of specifications for Japan will proceed as the first of three phases, with the companies aiming to introduce the service on a trial basis at healthcare providers in the future. The launch date in Japan has not been determined at this time.
In Japan, telephone response is a major source of workload for healthcare providers, and many facilities, including clinics, reportedly handle appointments and inquiries by telephone as their starting point. Although AI telephone services already exist in Japan, calls also include sales calls and internal communications in addition to appointment requests, making operational issues such as deciding whether to route a call a challenge.
Icarus's AI voice-response service is operated at family physicians' offices in Italy and is designed to handle initial reception, call routing and appointment processing as an integrated process. For the Japanese market, the service is planned to be adapted to specifications that place particular emphasis on compliance with Japan's requirements for the protection of personal information and medical information management, as well as immediately transferring urgent calls to a person. The service will be called Kyoko AI in the Japanese market. The companies also plan to expand beyond Japanese clinics to hospitals and dispensing pharmacies.
Under the division of responsibilities in the definitive agreement, Icarus will provide and maintain the telephone response system, while Yap will conduct research into Japan's healthcare settings, establish specifications for Japan, verify relevant Japanese regulations and systems, and act as a bridge to healthcare providers. Future collaboration may also include integration with Yap's drug delivery service, Yap Care Link.