What kind of company is Genspark? Can you buy its stock? [Latest 2026]
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Popular in CMs! What is Genspark?
Since February 2026, there has been an increasing opportunity to see advertisements for Genspark on TV and in trains within Tokyo. The impressive commercial, featuring a woman in a Gothic Lolita costume, stars voice actress Ayaka Takamura and has become so popular that many searches for "Who is the Gothic Lolita girl in the commercial?" are occurring on social media. There are two versions of the commercial, with broadcasts starting on February 9, 2026.
As awareness of the advertisement grows, more people are asking, "What kind of company is Genspark?" and "Can I buy its stock?". This article will organize and explain Genspark's company profile, founders' backgrounds, funding status, and shares.
Genspark is not just an AI chat tool; it's an "integrated AI workplace" that allows you to use over 70 AI models, including ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini, across the board. For basic usage and features, please also refer to How to make the most of the free plan.
What is the operating company "MainFunc"?
Genspark is developed and operated by MainFunc, Inc., an American company. Its headquarters are located in Palo Alto, California, the heart of Silicon Valley, where global tech companies like Google and Meta also have their bases. (Source: saiteki-ai.com)
Some may wonder if it's a Chinese company, but MainFunc is an American company founded and registered in the United States. While the founders have a Chinese background, leading to some pointing out a connection with China, its headquarters and development bases are in the United States. In January 2026, the Japanese subsidiary "Genspark Co., Ltd." was also established, and the sales and marketing system in Japan is being developed. (Source: Toyo Keizai / Infoseek News)
Company Name: MainFunc, Inc.
Service Name: Genspark
Established: December 2023
Headquarters: Palo Alto, California, USA
Japanese Subsidiary: Genspark Co., Ltd. (established January 2026)
Japanese Sales Agent: SOURCENEXT Corporation
Backgrounds of Founders and Executives
One of Genspark's strengths is its foundation by an elite team that has been responsible for search and AI development at world-leading tech companies such as Microsoft, Google, Meta, and YouTube. (Source: EnterpriseZine)
CEO: Eric Jing
Co-founder and CEO Eric Jing joined Microsoft in 2006 and was involved in the launch of the search engine as a founding member of Microsoft Bing. He later moved to Baidu, where he served as Vice President and Corporate Vice President. In AI-related businesses, he achieved over $5.5 billion in cumulative revenue. He became independent in December 2023 and founded the current Genspark (MainFunc). (Source: EnterpriseZine / RAMEN TECH Global Summit)
CTO: Kay Zhu
Co-founder and CTO Kay Zhu joined Google in 2011, where he was involved in the development of AI-driven search ranking technology. In 2013, he is known as the person who introduced the world's first deep neural network ranking model into a production search system. He is also the engineer who co-invented the "Google Panda Update." (Source: EnterpriseZine)
COO: Wen Sang
COO Wen Sang also spoke at the Japan entry announcement event, stating Genspark's mission as "liberating humans from incidental tasks that consume 80% of their working hours." He also mentioned collaboration with Microsoft, touching upon Microsoft highlighting Genspark as a key GenAI company for its Microsoft Agent 365 platform in November 2025. (Source: EnterpriseZine)
CEO Eric Jing was involved in the founding of Microsoft Bing, and CTO Kay Zhu developed Google's search AI. The phrase "AI created by former Google and Microsoft executives" is based on the careers of these two individuals.
The Path to Becoming a Unicorn Company
Genspark's growth rate is remarkable even within the AI industry. In less than 20 months since its founding in December 2023, its valuation exceeded $1 billion, joining the ranks of unicorn companies (unlisted startups with a valuation exceeding $1 billion).
In November 2025, Genspark completed a Series B funding round, raising $275 million (approximately 40 billion yen) led by Silicon Valley VC (Venture Capital) Emergence Capital Partners. Its post-money valuation reached $1.25 billion (over 180 billion yen). SBI Investment, LG Technology Ventures, Pavilion Capital, and Uphonest Capital also participated in this round, with all existing investors doubling their investments. (Source: EnterpriseZine)
Furthermore, it achieved astonishing growth, exceeding $50 million in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) within just 5 months of its founding and reaching $100 million in ARR within 9 months. It already has collaborative relationships with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure, and its implementation実績 (track record) at companies like NTT Data, Panasonic Connect, and SBI Investment in Japan has also been announced.
December 2023: Founded
Within 5 months of founding: ARR exceeds $50 million
9 months of founding: ARR reaches $100 million
November 2025: Raises $275 million in Series B, becomes a unicorn company with a valuation of $1.25 billion
January 2026: Full-scale entry into the Japanese market, announces AI Workspace 2.0
Full-scale Entry into the Japanese Market
On January 28, 2026, Genspark held a press conference in Tokyo to announce its entry into Japan. The CEO, CTO, and COO visited Japan, and a demonstration of AI Workspace 2.0 was conducted at the event, which welcomed comedians Nishikigoi (Masanori Hasegawa and Takashi Watanabe) and Hikorohi as special guests. (Source: EnterpriseZine)
CEO Eric Jing pointed out at the press conference that "over 70% of Japanese companies feel a shortage of personnel who can master AI," and stated, "Users do not need to learn AI. We aim for a world where work can be completed simply by treating AI like a real human and talking to it." In Japan, the company is actively deploying TV commercials and train advertisements, indicating a focus on increasing awareness.
For details on Genspark's features and the differences between the free and paid versions, please also see Thorough explanation of the differences between Genspark free and paid versions.
Can You Buy Shares?
In conclusion, general investors cannot currently purchase shares of Genspark (MainFunc). This is because Genspark is an unlisted company that has completed Series B funding, and its IPO (Initial Public Offering) on the stock market has not yet taken place.
Current investors are limited to VCs and institutional investors, and there is no principal way for individuals to directly acquire shares. Since it is not possible to purchase them through Japanese securities companies or investment apps, unfortunately, there is currently no means for those who "want to buy Genspark stock for investment purposes."
Please be very careful about solicitations such as "You can buy Genspark stock" or "We are selling unlisted shares." Fraudulent investment solicitations claiming to sell unlisted shares exist. There is currently no legitimate channel for selling Genspark shares to the general public.
However, there is a strong possibility that Genspark, a rapidly growing company, will conduct an IPO in the future. As an AI unicorn company, it is attracting significant attention, and its future movements are likely to continue to be closely watched. IPO information is expected to be reported periodically by tech media such as EnterpriseZine.
If you want to be involved in Genspark's growth, making full use of the service itself is more realistic than stock investment. Following its full-scale entry into the Japanese market, business opportunities such as partnerships and agency programs may also expand in the future.
Summary
Genspark is an AI startup founded in Silicon Valley in December 2023 by top engineers who were involved in the AI development of Microsoft Bing and Google. It became a unicorn company in less than 20 months since its founding and made a full-scale entry into the Japanese market in January 2026. It is rapidly expanding its recognition in Japan through TV commercials and train advertisements.
- Operating Company: MainFunc, Inc. (Palo Alto, California, USA)
- CEO: Eric Jing (Former Microsoft Bing founding member, former Baidu Vice President)
- CTO: Kay Zhu (Former Google, AI search ranking technology developer)
- Valuation: $1.25 billion (over 180 billion yen) unicorn company
- CM Character: Voice actress Ayaka Takamura (Gothic Lolita costume)
- Shares: Currently unlisted, therefore not available for general purchase
If you want to try the service for free first, please visit the Genspark official website. For details on what you can do with the free version, please also refer to How to maximize slide features with the free plan.