Layer8 Co., Ltd. 2026

Tokyo, Minato Ward

Layer8 Co., Ltd. is a cybersecurity company born out of the challenge that “while attacks evolve daily, practical verification by those on the defensive side is limited to just a few times a year.” We provide continuous vulnerability assessments for web applications and APIs by combining our proprietary AI agents with human experts. Precisely because our team has been in operation for less than a year, we prioritize not just chasing detection numbers, but ensuring that results are reproduced by humans and that the scope of impact and remediation methods are carefully communicated. We are developing the research that began with the IPA’s “Mitou Advanced” program into a security foundation that companies can utilize repeatedly whenever needed.

Layer8 Co., Ltd.'s Main Innovation
INNOVATION

Commercialization of an Autonomous AI Penetration Testing Platform

Due to cost constraints and a shortage of specialized personnel, traditional penetration testing is typically limited to a few occasions each year—such as once a year—making it difficult for verification to keep pace with daily service updates. With our autonomous AI penetration testing platform, “Layer8 Trident,” we aim to enable high-frequency, low-cost security verification. Through this league, we will advance the real-world implementation of this service—which companies can use on an ongoing basis—by deploying it on actual web applications and APIs and incorporating feedback from customers.

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Layer8 Co., Ltd. Representative Introduction
REPRESENTATIVE

Representative Takumasa Okamoto Takumasa Okamoto
After graduating from the Faculty of Economics at Kyoto University, he worked in corporate planning at Sony. He taught himself programming and studied at 42 Tokyo, then joined DeNA in 2023, where he was responsible for server-side development for large-scale web services. In the 2025 IPA Mitou Advanced Program, he researched AI penetration testing and co-founded Layer8. The AI he developed achieved an 84.07% accuracy rate in PortSwigger exercises and ranked first globally (as of August 29) in the HackerOne 2026 Q3 VDP Individual competition.
Main Achievements - As of August 29, 2026: Ranked No. 1 worldwide on HackerOne’s “2026 Q3 VDP Individual” list
- August 2026: Began offering a continuous vulnerability assessment service in collaboration with GeNEE
- February 2026: Valid vulnerability report accepted by the U.S. Department of Defense VDP
- December 2025: PortSwigger Web Security Academy—227 out of 270 questions (84.07%)
- October 2025: Filed a patent application for AI penetration testing (Patent Application No. 2025-183158)
- June 2025: Selected for the IPA’s “Mitou Advanced Project” for the first half of fiscal year 2025
Childhood Dream When I was a child, I looked up to architects who design buildings and entrepreneurs who create businesses based on their own ideas. In both cases, the work involves creating forms and systems from scratch and producing something that will leave a lasting impact on society. That admiration continues to inspire me today.
Influential People, Things, and Events - People: My peers and seniors whom I met at DeNA. I was influenced by their approach to technology and work, and I co-founded Layer8 with one of them, Tatsuya Abe.
- Things: Jules Verne’s *Journey to the Center of the Earth*. I read it as a child and became captivated by the story of exploring an unknown world. It’s a book that sparked my curiosity about worlds I hadn’t yet discovered.
- Experience: The time I spent learning while writing code with my peers at 42 Tokyo.

Layer8 Co., Ltd. Basic Informaton
BASIC
INFORMATION

Company Name Layer8 Co., Ltd.
Representative Name Takumasa Okamoto
Address 3rd Floor, Mitsuhashi Building, 1-3-3 Kita-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Official Site and Social Media, etc. LinkedIn ( Company )
LinkedIn ( Representative )
HackerOne
Official Website
Founding Date November 25, 2025
Awards - June 2026: Selected for the ICT Startup League Support2
- March 2026: Received the GENIAC PRIZE “Mirai Vision Award”
- June 2025: Selected for the IPA’s “Mitou Advanced Project” (First Half of FY2025)
- 2024: Hardening 2024 Convolutions—Team Champion

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