SmartRead
: How to use it, features, and the business problems it solves

What is SmartRead?

SmartRead is an AI-OCR service for businesses provided by Cogent Labs, Inc. (Minato-ku, Tokyo). It reads both printed and handwritten text from paper documents, scanned images and PDFs and turns it into data. The company describes it as going "beyond AI OCR" and positions it as an IDP (intelligent document processing) solution that handles sorting → reading → exporting documents in a single flow.

Character recognition is powered by an AI engine the company developed in-house using deep learning. Even when you upload different types of documents together, SmartRead identifies and sorts them page by page, and the results can be exported as Excel, CSV or searchable PDF, or passed to downstream systems via API or RPA. In addition to the cloud edition, there is an on-premises edition that runs without connecting to external networks.

How to use

1. Start with the free trial or an inquiry The free trial on the official site lets you process up to 500 pages. After you apply, a staff member checks your needs and situation, and the account is issued in about one week. Individuals and existing customers are not eligible. A full deployment goes through inquiry → hearing → proposal and quote → contract.
2. Register a template of the documents you want to read as a "task" In the browser, you simply click the positions on the document you want to read to define the fields. If you register templates of the documents you want sorted as a "task," the sorting setup is done too. Tasks can be reused within a group.
3. Upload documents in bulk When you upload a mixed set of files, the AI distinguishes them by layout and type, sorts them and goes straight on to reading. Orientation, skew and distortion are corrected automatically, so faxed documents can be handled the same way.
4. Review and correct the results Sorting errors are fixed by drag and drop. Reading results are checked on the "Smart Verify" screen by comparing them with the image, and corrections can be made using only the keyboard.
5. Export or integrate Download the results as Excel, CSV or searchable PDF, either as separate files per document or merged into one. To automate daily processing, use the Web API, the RPA connectors or "SmartRead AutoLoader," which watches folders.

Features

It sorts documents before reading them, so no manual pre-sorting is left

Even after introducing AI-OCR, people often still have to sort incoming documents by type. SmartRead has sorting as a standard feature: for documents with a set format, such as purchase orders, application forms and surveys, you register the format once and SmartRead identifies each page of a batch upload. Sorting also has its own unit price on the pricing table (¥1–2 per automatic sort), so the product is designed to be used together with reading.

On reading accuracy for handwritten and printed text, the company cites 99.2% based on its own evaluation data, noting that it does not guarantee this recognition rate for every document.

Pricing

The cloud edition has three annual plans, and the on-premises edition starts at ¥2,400,000 per year. All plans have no initial fee, a one-year contract and invoice payment (official pricing page, as of November 2026; all prices exclude tax).

"SmartRead PLUS+," which delivers data checked by operators, is priced per unit.

For unstructured documents, both per-page and per-field fees apply. If you send sample documents, they will estimate an approximate price for free.

For documents you can't leave entirely to AI, "SmartRead PLUS+" delivers human-checked data

If you also want to cut the work of checking results in-house, there is the new service "SmartRead PLUS+." Using a "human-in-the-loop" approach in which specialist operators supervise and correct the AI's sorting and reading, you simply hand over documents and receive data ready to use. Document pickup, scanning and data processing are available as options.

Operations are carried out by specialist operators at NX Wanbishi Archives, an information-asset management company (and one of Cogent Labs' major shareholders), under a partnership.

Track record and reputation

The official site lists 30 companies and organizations that have agreed to be named, including Asahi Mutual Life Insurance, At Home, Gunma Prefecture, Sugi Pharmacy, Sendai Bank, SOMPO Oaks, Timee, Tajima Bank, TOPPAN, transcosmos, FANCL and Yanmar. Cogent Labs says it has provided document processing with its own AI since 2017 and has processed more than 700 million pages for central government ministries and major financial institutions (including contracted pages), according to its press release of October 15, 2026.

Security and data handling

• Encrypted communication and access restrictions: Communication between users and SmartRead is encrypted with TLS 1.2. IP address restrictions and password expiry settings are standard
• Certifications: It has obtained ISO/IEC 27017, the cloud security standard, and also holds ISO/IEC 27001 certification. It obtained the PrivacyMark on July 8, 2026
• Documents that can't leave the company: The on-premises edition runs without connecting to external networks and can be installed on existing private clouds or virtual environments without a GPU. The company recommends the on-premises edition for high-volume processing of documents containing confidential or personal information

How it differs from other AI-OCR tools

SmartRead stands out for handling sorting and reading in a single screen and for fixed annual pricing (with a free allowance). Because the bill does not change with monthly fluctuations, budgets are easy to plan on a yearly basis.

*Columns for other products reflect what is stated on each product page as of its check date.

• If you want AI agents to automate handwritten and unstructured forms including the steps before and after, see DX Suite (provided by AI inside)
• If you want to focus on receiving invoices and hand off payment and journal entries, see invox 受取請求書
• If you want to build matching and transcription after reading without code, see Document Force
• If you want to cover accounting tasks such as expense reimbursement and invoice receipt in one suite, see バクラク

FAQ

Q. How much does SmartRead cost?

A. The cloud edition is ¥360,000/year (Small), ¥960,000/year (Standard) and ¥2,400,000/year (Enterprise); the on-premises edition starts at ¥2,400,000/year (all excl. tax, no initial fee, 1-year contract). In the cloud edition, unit prices such as ¥1–2 per field are deducted from a free allowance equal to the annual fee.

Q. Can I try it for free?

A. There is a free trial that processes up to 500 pages. It is for businesses, not individuals. The account is issued about one week after you apply. A paid trial is also available, for example if you want to try it without showing your forms to staff.

Q. Can it read handwriting?

A. Yes. It reads hiragana, katakana, kanji, numbers, the alphabet and symbols, whether printed or handwritten. The recognition rate on the company's evaluation data is 99.2%, but this is not guaranteed for every document.

Q. Can it connect to RPA or internal systems?

A. It offers a Web API and free connectors for UiPath, BizRobo! and WinActor. There is also "SmartRead AutoLoader," which automatically processes files placed in a folder.

Q. What if documents can't be sent to an external cloud?

A. The on-premises edition "SmartRead On-Premises" runs without connecting to external networks. No GPU is required, and the usability is the same as the cloud edition.

Q. How does it differ from COGENT AI?

A. COGENT AI is a managed AI service announced by Cogent Labs on October 15, 2026. It automates everything from receiving documents to reading, matching, review, approval and integration with core systems, through processing flows designed for each company, with the company also running the operations. Pricing is quoted individually based on work, volume and steps. SmartRead is an AI-OCR in which you upload documents yourself and read and export them.