Nvidia-Backed Sakana AI Secures $100M to Establish World-Class AI Lab in Japan

Tokyo-based artificial intelligence firm Sakana AI has raised over $100 million in a Series A funding round, with a mission to establish a cutting-edge AI lab in Japan. The round, led by New Enterprise Associates, Khosla Ventures, and Lux Capital, also saw significant participation from Nvidia, positioning Sakana AI as a key player in the country’s AI landscape.

The company, founded in 2023 by Llion Jones, a pioneering researcher in transformer neural networks, plans to leverage this new influx of capital to address critical challenges Japan faces, including its declining population, growing geopolitical tensions, and reduced competitiveness in the tech sector. By focusing on nature-inspired, sustainable AI technologies, Sakana AI is set to foster innovation and talent within the country.

The collaboration with Nvidia will play a pivotal role in Sakana AI’s ambitions. Jensen Huang, Nvidia’s founder and CEO, emphasized the importance of Sovereign AI, a concept whereby countries develop large language models (LLMs) to capture and codify their unique data, culture, and language. “The team at Sakana AI is democratizing AI in Japan,” said Huang, adding that the partnership will help the country retain its competitive edge in AI development.

Sakana AI has already made waves in the AI community, releasing several AI models designed specifically for Japanese speakers earlier this year. The new lab will focus on AI research, the development of efficient foundation models, and the construction of advanced AI infrastructure in Japan, further supported by Nvidia’s latest technologies.

In addition to technological development, Sakana AI aims to nurture Japan’s AI community through hackathons, university outreach, and events aimed at fostering talent. “With the resources gathered from our Series A, we aim to continue to invest in talent and build one of the highest talent-dense AI companies,” Sakana AI said in a statement.

The firm’s commitment to AI-driven solutions for global issues underscores its broader goal of making Japan a key AI hub in the world. By bringing together cutting-edge technology and talented researchers, Sakana AI is poised to play a significant role in shaping the future of artificial intelligence in Asia and beyond.