SoftBank Corp. announced on Thursday that it will launch trial services for its taxi-hailing platform this fall by teaming up with Chinese mobility tech giant DiDi Chuxing.

SoftBank and DiDi set up a joint venture last month called DiDi Mobility Japan to run the platform, which the firms say will improve the efficiency and quality of cab services and eventually help the industry grow.

Japan already has several similar ride-hailing services, but the entry of DiDi — whose 550 million clients make it one of the largest in the world along with SoftBank — will raise the bar on the competition.