Singapore, 28 August 2026 - Misumi Kaizen | MIRAI Ventures, the professional services and venture building division of Misumi Kaizen OÜ Group, today announced the completion of LISA 2.0, a full-stack artificial intelligence platform for the ASEAN automotive aftermarket, developed in partnership with the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU) under the veNTUre programme. The platform enters live beta across Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand this month, serving as the technology backbone of the Misumi Kaizen | MIRAI Automotive partner network.

The engagement marks the second consecutive programme run between Misumi Kaizen | MIRAI Ventures and NTU veNTUre. Where Run 01 delivered LISA 1.0 - a GenAI-powered car advisor that proved the commercial viability of an ASEAN-tuned automotive large language model - Run 02 evolved the platform into a comprehensive automotive intelligence ecosystem with six integrated modules spanning predictive maintenance, real-time sound analysis, workshop operations, vehicle digital passports, and cross-border parts marketplace connectivity.

From Conversation to Operating System

The NTU veNTUre programme pairs NTU students with industry partners on structured, time-boxed engagements. For Misumi Kaizen | MIRAI Ventures, the model provides access to technically current talent while accelerating the product roadmap at a fraction of traditional development cost. Under the direct sponsorship of Mohamed Hardi, Chief Operating Officer ASEAN, the Run 02 team was held to the same engineering standards as the Group's internal development teams.

LISA 2.0 now delivers six integrated capabilities designed for the structural realities of the ASEAN aftermarket:

• GenAI Car Advisor - a conversational diagnostic interface supporting multi-turn fault diagnosis, VIN-based technical lookup, and real-time parts intelligence with multi-currency pricing across Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand.

• Predictive Maintenance Engine - statistical failure pattern models applied to OBD-II telemetry, converting unplanned downtime into scheduled maintenance windows for fleet operators.

• Sound Analysis Module - machine learning classification of engine and exhaust audio signatures to detect mechanical degradation before it becomes visible or triggers diagnostic codes.

• Workshop Dashboard - unified job card management, inventory tracking, customer vehicle history, and GST-compliant invoice generation for independent workshops and fleet depots.

• 3D Vehicle Passport - a persistent digital record aggregating technical specifications, service history, and genuine parts catalogues linked by VIN, designed to travel with the vehicle across workshop changes.

• Multi-Country Marketplace Aggregator - cross-border parts sourcing with automatic currency conversion, landed cost estimation, and quote-locking to protect against exchange rate volatility.

The platform is deployed on sovereign on-premise infrastructure with NVIDIA DGX Cloud, providing complete data sovereignty and compliance with ASEAN data residency requirements. All large language model inference is routed through the Alibaba Cloud Qwen 3.6 Plus API. Security features include automated security scanning, role-based access control, backup and disaster recovery, and an email hygiene framework with automated registration risk scoring to protect against fraudulent signups.

Unlike mature Western markets where unified workshop management systems dominate, the ASEAN aftermarket is characterised by fragmented supply chains, currency volatility, diverse regulatory regimes, and a predominance of micro-enterprises that lack dedicated IT staff. LISA 2.0 is architected specifically for this environment: Singapore workshops benefit from automated compliance reporting and premium parts sourcing; Malaysian multi-brand operators gain VIN decoding for right-hand drive imports and cross-border quote aggregation from Thailand and Singapore; Indonesian fleet managers access multi-depot analytics for high-mileage vehicles across vast geographic spread; and Thai workshops receive EV-specific diagnostic profiles alongside integration with domestic manufacturing catalogues.

"From our UK perspective, what Misumi Kaizen | MIRAI Ventures has built in ASEAN is a blueprint for how automotive intelligence platforms should be designed for emerging markets. The combination of sovereign infrastructure, domain-tuned GenAI, and real workshop integration is something we simply do not see in European, Japan or North Asian deployments. LISA 2.0 proves that the future of automotive aftermarket digital transformation is being written in Southeast Asia first."

Candy Wu, Head of Advanced Automotive Systems, Misumi Kaizen | MIRAI Automotive UK

The LISA 2.0 platform was designed, architected, and built by Steven Octavianus Rahmat, a final-year student at Nanyang Technological University, who served as Lead Developer for Run 02 with sole technical responsibility for system architecture, backend and frontend development, LLM integration, and production deployment. Rudra Ganesh Prasadh, returning from Run 01, contributed code cleanup and supporting refinement. Both students worked under the direct sponsorship of Mohamed Hardi, COO ASEAN, with remote guidance from the Misumi Kaizen | MIRAI Automotive UK engineering team.

"The veNTUre model works because it is built on mutual accountability. We do not hand students a toy problem and watch from the sidelines. We give them a live product, real infrastructure, and a genuine customer base - then we hold them to the same standard we hold our own engineering team. Steven and Rudra exceeded that standard."

Mohamed Hardi, Chief Operating Officer ASEAN, Misumi Kaizen | MIRAI Ventures

The Misumi Kaizen | MIRAI Ventures and NTU veNTUre partnership has now completed two successful consecutive programme runs specifically for LISA, each delivering incrementally more sophisticated platform capabilities. The model has demonstrated three structural advantages over traditional graduate hiring or outsourced development: speed to value - ten weeks from brief to beta deployment with no recruitment overhead; risk-adjusted cost - programme fees materially lower than contractor rates, with output held to identical quality gates through Misumi Kaizen | MIRAI Automotive UK engineering oversight; and talent pipeline - high-performing students graduate with ten weeks of codebase familiarity already accumulated, positioning them for post-graduation engagement.

"The Misumi Kaizen | MIRAI Ventures collaboration has become one of the most impactful industry partnerships in the NTU veNTUre portfolio. Rather than shadowing or observing, students are delivering production code on sovereign infrastructure under real commercial pressure, with tangible consequences for their work. The quality of the LISA 2.0 deliverable fully validates this model. We look forward to deepening the partnership through Run 03 and beyond."

Ryan Hong, Assistant Director, Experiential Programmes, NTU Career & Attachment Office,

Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

Looking Ahead

Run 03 of the NTU veNTUre programme is scheduled for Q3 2026, with a mandate to evolve LISA from an intelligence platform into a comprehensive automotive ecosystem. Planned enhancements include fleet management dashboards, garage operations automation, customer relationship management, localised invoicing aligned with country-specific tax frameworks, inventory demand forecasting, and eCommerce self-service portals. The objective is to make the Misumi Kaizen | MIRAI Automotive partner network more productive, reduce manpower costs through automation, and more competitive in meeting the ever-challenging market dynamics of the ASEAN automotive aftermarket. The platform is, in the words of Misumi Kaizen | MIRAI Ventures, not a software product - it is the infrastructure layer of the ASEAN automotive aftermarket. Every workshop that joins the partner network is not buying a tool; it is plugging into an intelligence layer that makes it more competitive than larger, better-funded competitors.

For partnership enquiries, licensing opportunities, or further information about the LISA platform, please contact Misumi Kaizen | MIRAI Ventures at m@misumikaizen.com, and the NTU Career & Attachment Office at cao_experiential@ntu.edu.sg for further information about the veNTUre programme.

About Misumi Kaizen | MIRAI Ventures

Misumi Kaizen | MIRAI Ventures is the deep tech innovation division of the Misumi Kaizen OÜ Group, an ASEAN-based professional services company and venture builder. Specializing in drone technology, artificial intelligence (AI), cloud solutions, and robotics, Misumi Kaizen | MIRAI Ventures is strategically positioned across Singapore, Johor (Malaysia), Batam (Indonesia), Bangkok (Thailand) and Hanoi (Vietnam). The company drives digital transformation initiatives throughout Southeast Asia, focusing on high-impact sectors such as AI, robotics automation, GPU cloud computing, healthcare, advanced automotive systems, smart logistics, eGovernment, and supply chain enablement.

About Misumi Kaizen OÜ Group

Misumi Kaizen OÜ Group is a Japanese-Estonian privately held innovation and technology company headquartered in Estonia with operations across Southeast Asia, Japan, and Europe. Operating since 2013, the company specialises in automotive professional services, technology advisory, venture building, and digital transformation for enterprises and early-stage innovators. The Group remains privately held and committed to maintaining complete independence and ownership. The name 'Misumi' reflects the commitment to purity and excellence in automotive innovation. The Group is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or related to MISUMI Group Inc. (Japan), any of its subsidiaries or other MISUMI entities.

ASEAN Startup Fund I is an internal capital allocation of the Misumi Kaizen OÜ Group for IP acquisition and venture support. It does not manage third-party capital or operate as a collective investment scheme.

Media Contact:

Mika Nakamura

Head, Corporate Services

Misumi Kaizen | MIRAI Ventures

Misumi Kaizen OÜ Group

Email: m@misumikaizen.com

Phone: +65 6679 6287

Website: miraiventures.ai | misumikaizen.com

Ryan Hong

Assistant Director, Experiential Programmes

NTU Career & Attachment Office

Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

Email: cao_experiential@ntu.edu.sg

Website : For Employers | NTU Singapore

Misumi Kaizen | MIRAI : Building the Integrated Future of ASEAN Innovation