Japan Deep Learning Association
Japan Deep Learning Association (JDLA) is a Tokyo-based nonprofit founded in 2017 that certifies deep learning talent (G検定, E資格), runs a 100,000+ member community (CDLE), and organizes the DCON student contest while partnering with government and industry on AI governance and adoption in Japan.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Japan Deep Learning Association does
Japan Deep Learning Association (JDLA) is a Tokyo-based general incorporated association (一般社団法人) established on June 1, 2017 to advance deep learning adoption across Japanese industry. The organization operates as the country's primary certification body for deep learning talent, offering the G-Certificate (G検定) for generalists testing business application knowledge, the E-Certificate (E資格) for engineers requiring implementation skills, and a newer Generative AI Test focused on generative AI literacy. The E資格 pathway is gated by completion of JDLA-certified preparation programs delivered by partner training companies (AVILEN, キカガク, DL4E), which qualify for government training subsidies of up to 70%. Distribution is multi-modal: G検定 runs through an online examination portal operated by JTP Corporation, E資格 uses in-person test centers, and the AI For Everyone course reaches a global audience through Coursera in partnership with DeepLearning.AI.
The organization's ecosystem extends beyond certification. CDLE (Community of Deep Learning Evangelists) is a 100,000+ member community for credentialed practitioners, while DCON is an annual national contest for technical college (Kosen) students that generates a startup pipeline; JDLA itself co-invested in HIBARI Co., Ltd., a DCON2024 digital-twin manufacturing startup, alongside Deep30 Investment Limited Partnership in February 2026. Revenue is generated through examination fees (G検定 general ¥13,200, student ¥5,500, retake ¥6,600), tiered corporate membership (Platinum, Gold, Silver, Regular), referral/referral economics from certified-program partners, and minor income from Coursera's optional $49 certificate and advisory services such as the AI Development Consultation Desk.
JDLA is governed by academic and industry leadership, with Prof. Yutaka Matsuo of the University of Tokyo serving as Representative Director and Chair. The organization holds a quasi-regulatory position in Japan's AI ecosystem through partnerships with METI, MEXT, the Digital Agency, and IPA, and has positioned itself as a governance thought leader via study groups producing frameworks such as the Generative AI Development Contract Guidelines, the Generative AI Usage Guidelines, and the AI Governance Ecosystem Database. Corporate adoption spans SoftBank, NTT Communications, YASKAWA Electric, Marui Group, Tokio Marine, TOTO, and 千代田化工建設, with regional expansion into SME manufacturing through initiatives like the Shizuoka AI Utilization Seminars.
Japan Deep Learning Association firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Japan Deep Learning Association
- Legal name
- Japan Deep Learning Association
- Website
- https://jdla.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Japan Deep Learning Association (JDLA) is a Tokyo-based nonprofit founded in 2017 that certifies deep learning talent (G検定, E資格), runs a 100,000+ member community (CDLE), and organizes the DCON student contest while partnering with government and industry on AI governance and adoption in Japan.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Japan Deep Learning Association industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Certification and AI Education Services
- NAICS
- Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114), Business Associations (813910)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Data, Analytics & AI Training (BI, Data Engineering, ML/GenAI) (BPAEANAH)
Keywords
Where Japan Deep Learning Association is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tokyo
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices2 records
Markets served
Japan Deep Learning Association business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Certification Examination Fees: Revenue from G検定 examination tickets sold at ¥13,200 (general) and ¥5,500 (student), plus E資格 examination fees. Also includes discount programs for retakers and members.
- Membership Fees: Revenue from JDLA member companies and organizations across different tiers including supporting members, regular members, expert members, and administrative members.
- Certified Program Fees: Revenue from JDLA-certified E資格 preparation programs offered by partner companies. Programs qualify for government training subsidies up to 70%.
- AI For Everyone Course: Free course on Coursera platform with optional $49 certificate. Revenue from certificate issuance.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | General Ticket for G検定 |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Student Ticket for G検定 |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Retake Discount |
| Subscription | Annual | Supporting Member Discount |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | AI For Everyone Graduate Discount |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | AI For Everyone Course |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Japan Deep Learning Association product offering
Product offeringCore offering
JDLA is a nonprofit industry association that develops, administers, and operates Japan's primary deep learning certification exams (G検定 for generalists, E資格 for engineers, Generative AI Test), delivers AI education (including the free AI For Everyone Coursera course co-produced with DeepLearning.AI), and runs the 100,000+ member CDLE community of certified professionals. It also organizes the DCON national deep learning contest for technical college students, the JDLA Connect event series, corporate group examination programs, and an AI Development Consultation Desk for businesses.
Product overview
JDLA operates as an industry association centered on deep learning certification, education, and ecosystem development rather than a unified software product. Its portfolio is organized into three main pillars: (1) Certification examinations — G-Certificate for general business professionals, E-Certificate for engineers (both requiring certified program completion), and Generative AI Test; (2) Education and community — AI For Everyone (free Coursera course co-produced with DeepLearning.AI), a learning content library, and CDLE, a 100,000+ member community for certified holders hosting hackathons and study sessions; and (3) Events and advisory — DCON national student contests, JDLA Connect conferences, regional AI utilization seminars, and an AI development consultation desk. Supplementary outputs include the AI Governance Ecosystem Database and study group publications. A centralized JDLA PORTAL provides access to member resources.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- G検定 (G-Certificate) A certification exam for generalists testing knowledge of deep learning fundamentals and business application skills. The online exam format is approximately 220 multiple-choice questions administered over 120 minutes, covering AI basics, machine learning, deep learning, and ethics. Available to individuals at ¥13,200 (general) or ¥5,500 (student), with corporate group examination options and supporting member discounts.
- E資格 (E-Certificate) An engineer-level certification exam for deep learning developers and data scientists, requiring prior completion of a JDLA-certified program from partner companies (AVILEN, キカガク, DL4E, etc.) and testing implementation abilities. Eligible for government training subsidies up to 70% for individuals and corporations.
- Generative AI Test A mini-test focused on knowledge and literacy regarding generative AI, confirming understanding of generative AI's benefits, risks, and practical tool usage. Status noted as 試験終了 (exam ended) on the official site.
- AI For Everyone A free entry-level online course on Coursera covering AI and deep learning basics (neural networks, ML, DL, data science, AI ethics), co-produced by DeepLearning.AI and JDLA with instructor Yutaka Matsuo, adding Japanese DX-focused content. Optional $49 certificate of completion.
- CDLE (Community of Deep Learning Evangelists) A community platform exclusively for G-Certificate and E-Certificate holders, with over 100,000 members, hosting hackathons (CDLE Hackathon), study sessions, and networking events for AI professionals in Japan.
- DCON (National College of Technology Deep Learning Contest) An annual national contest for technical college students (高専) where teams develop deep learning-powered business ideas and pitch to VC judges for investment and company valuation. DCON2022 received 41 team applications with 8 teams advancing to finals and 3 teams achieving ¥10億+ valuation.
- JDLA Connect A recurring professional event series organized by JDLA focused on AI strategy, governance, and community collaboration.
- AI Development Consultation Desk (ディープラーニング案件相談窓口) A consultation service for businesses seeking guidance on deep learning development projects, providing expert advice on AI implementation.
- AI Utilization Seminars (AI活用セミナー) Hands-on workshops organized by JDLA in collaboration with local governments (e.g., Shizuoka Prefecture), focused on AI and deep learning applied to manufacturing and anomaly detection for SME workforce development.
Quantifiable outcome
- 100,000+ members in CDLE community
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Japan Deep Learning Association
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Japan Deep Learning Association technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Japan Deep Learning Association partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- 静岡県 (Shizuoka Prefecture)minorShizuoka Prefecture hosts and co-organizes AI utilization seminars with JDLA managing content and speakers. Targets SME manufacturing workforce in the region.
- DeepLearning.AIcorePartnership with DeepLearning.AI to create the Japanese version of AI For Everyone course on Coursera. JDLA adds Japan-specific content with Prof. Matsuo as instructor. Course leverages DeepLearning.AI's global platform and curriculum.
- 独立行政法人 情報処理推進機構 (IPA)minorListed as partner organization. IPA is a Japanese government-affiliated IT development organization.
- (一社) データサイエンティスト協会 (Data Scientist Association)minorListed as partner organization. Cross-promotion of data science and deep learning education.
- (一社)ソフトウェア協会 (Software Association of Japan)minorListed as partner organization. Collaboration on software and AI development standards.
- JTP株式会社 (JTP Corporation)coreOutsourced examination delivery partner handling G検定 online examination system. Manages ticket sales, exam scheduling, and customer support. Contracted since 2017 for exam operations.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Japan Deep Learning Association competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- DeepLearning.AI: Andrew Ng-founded AI education company offering courses on Coursera including the 'AI For Everyone' course co-produced with JDLA. Direct peer in AI literacy education and a strategic partner; comparable target audience of professionals entering AI concepts.
- Software Association of Japan (SAJ): Japanese industry association collaborating with JDLA on software and AI development standards. Peer as a Japan-based industry association with overlapping membership and policy influence in the Japanese software/AI ecosystem.
- Data Scientist Association: Japan-based general incorporated association offering data science and analytics skill certifications. Listed as JDLA's official partner organization for cross-promotion of data science and deep learning education; directly comparable as a Japanese professional certification body in adjacent AI/data domains.
Broad incumbents
- NVIDIA Deep Learning Institute: Global AI training provider offering deep learning courses and certifications tied to NVIDIA hardware ecosystem. Comparable to JDLA in deep learning curriculum and certification model, but operates globally with vendor-tied content and much larger corporate backing.
- AWS Training and Certification: Amazon's cloud and AI/ML certification program (including AWS Machine Learning Specialty). Competes with JDLA for Japanese enterprise training budgets with globally portable, employer-recognized credentials backed by hyperscaler marketing.
- Google Cloud Training: Google's cloud and AI certification suite including Machine Learning Engineer and Generative AI credentials. Comparable as a globally-recognized AI certification competing for the same Japanese enterprise upskilling budgets as JDLA.
- Microsoft Learn: Microsoft's training and certification platform covering Azure AI, Data & AI Fundamentals, and generative AI credentials. Competitor in the enterprise AI certification space with deep employer integration across Microsoft toolchains used in Japan.
Others
- Coursera: Online learning platform hosting JDLA's 'AI For Everyone' course and global AI certifications from top universities and vendors. Channel partner rather than competitor, but adjacent in the broader AI upskilling market where JDLA competes for learner mindshare.
- Information-technology Promotion Agency (IPA): Japanese government-affiliated IT development organization that publishes skill standards referenced by JDLA's certifications. Partnered with JDLA on AI talent development; comparable as a quasi-regulatory body defining AI/IT competency standards in Japan.
Emerging players
- fast.ai: Independent AI education organization offering free practical deep learning courses. Comparable in mission to democratize deep learning education; competes for self-directed learners who might otherwise take JDLA's G検定.
Market position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Japan Deep Learning Association social profiles
Digital presenceJapan Deep Learning Association financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Japan Deep Learning Association leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Japan Deep Learning Association funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Japan Deep Learning Association M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments1 record
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Frequently asked questions about Japan Deep Learning Association
What does Japan Deep Learning Association do?
JDLA is a nonprofit industry association that develops, administers, and operates Japan's primary deep learning certification exams (G検定 for generalists, E資格 for engineers, Generative AI Test), delivers AI education (including the free AI For Everyone Coursera course co-produced with DeepLearning.AI), and runs the 100,000+ member CDLE community of certified professionals. It also organizes the DCON national deep learning contest for technical college students, the JDLA Connect event series, corporate group examination programs, and an AI Development Consultation Desk for businesses.
Is Japan Deep Learning Association a public or private company?
Japan Deep Learning Association is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Japan Deep Learning Association founded?
Japan Deep Learning Association was founded in 2017. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Japan Deep Learning Association based?
Japan Deep Learning Association is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does Japan Deep Learning Association make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Certification Examination Fees are the primary driver. The others are membership Fees, certified Program Fees and AI For Everyone Course.
Who are Japan Deep Learning Association's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are DeepLearning.AI, Software Association of Japan (SAJ) and Data Scientist Association. Broad incumbents are NVIDIA Deep Learning Institute, AWS Training and Certification, Google Cloud Training and Microsoft Learn. Others are Coursera and Information-technology Promotion Agency (IPA). fast.ai is listed as an emerging player.
Does Japan Deep Learning Association have an API?
No public API is recorded for Japan Deep Learning Association.
What industry is Japan Deep Learning Association in?
Japan Deep Learning Association's product category is Professional Certification and AI Education Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAEANAH, Data, Analytics & AI Training (BI, Data Engineering, ML/GenAI). Its NAICS code is 61143 and its SIC code is 8200.