From the World of Finance to an AI Company
‐On the front lines of sales with a diverse team‐
Group Alliance Division —
Sayaka Kato（Interview conducted in 2025）
-You previously worked in finance. What made you decide to join Neural Group?
Kato：In finance, I had many opportunities to encounter cutting-edge companies and business topics, and to speak directly with entrepreneurs. That naturally led me to want hands-on experience creating game-changing businesses myself. I had known about Neural Group through its IPO distribution—one of the fastest listings in the Japanese market—and I saw an energetic company working with leading-edge AI technologies and strong future prospects. That prompted me to request an initial casual conversation. As those conversations progressed, I was drawn to the business of creating new value for society through AI image analysis—a demanding field with immense potential—and to the talented people with diverse backgrounds. That’s why I decided to join.
-How did your impressions change after joining?
Kato：When choosing a company, I placed the most weight on the line of business and the people. After joining, I was pleasantly surprised by the open communication across the hierarchy. It feels less like “subordinates and superiors” and more like a group of colleagues who share an ambitious mission. You’re expected to voice your opinions, and that is recognized. I had previously been in environments where “speaking up to your manager” was discouraged, so at first I hesitated. Now I appreciate how essential healthy debate is. With teammates of many nationalities and backgrounds, discussions are active.
-What are your teammates like?
Kato：Interestingly, none of our sales members come from IT. They come from trading companies, consulting, manufacturers, and more. What they share is a desire to use cutting-edge technology to make people’s lives more convenient—and a perspective on how to create new businesses and spread them throughout society. Working in such an environment, I am inspired everyday. We also work very closely with engineers, which makes it easy and fun to learn about new technologies.
-Is there a project that left a strong impression on you?
Kato：Introducing a new solution at a newly opened commercial facility stands out. We carefully coordinated requirements, deliveries, and construction schedules with many companies, while internally conveying the customer’s needs, desired functions, and detailed nuances to the development team and tracking progress daily. The final three months before completion were a whirlwind of adjustments and checks all happening at the same time - it was all quite hectic. All the more reason why, after opening, I cannot forget my happiness of seeing the solution actually running—helping visitors use the facility smoothly and improving the operator’s efficiency. It was very rewarding to feel that the technology we worked on was truly useful in people’s lives and in business.
-What is distinctive—or challenging—about sales in the AI field?
Kato：Our sales role requires more than the ability to sell. It demands the skill to listen to the potential challenges faced by the customer, applying consulting techniques to propose solutions, and even product planning and product management capabilities. Our customers range from the private to the public sector and across many industries, meaning every day we have to deal with specific challenges that vary from customer to customer. That’s why it’s essential to take a broad view of the problems and elevate them into highly generalized, reusable solutions. This is quite different from conventional sales—it’s challenging, and that’s exactly what makes it so rewarding.
-Finally, what kind of people would you like to work with?
Kato：People who love to take on new challenges—those who get more motivated when the task is tough. We’re a fast-moving company where it wouldn’t be surprising to be working on a new product or business a year from now. If you can keep that sense of excitement, this is an environment where you can have fun and develop your skills.
