Japan’s rapidly expanding AI sector has received a significant boost, with leading startups Sakana AI and Turing jointly securing ¥35 billion in new funding. The fresh capital highlights renewed global confidence in Japan’s AI innovation and its growing ambition to compete with major AI hubs in the US and China.
Sakana AI—founded by former Google Brain researchers—is developing biologically inspired AI architectures designed to deliver higher efficiency and adaptive learning. The new investment will accelerate the company’s research roadmap, strengthen compute capacity, and support large-scale hiring.
Turing, another fast-rising Japanese AI firm, specialises in enterprise-focused generative AI solutions. Its platforms are increasingly being adopted by corporations seeking secure, locally trained AI systems that comply with Japan’s stringent data governance standards.
According to investors, the combined funding ranks among the largest AI investments in Japan in recent years. It underscores the country’s strong technical talent pool and the rising demand for sovereign AI solutions that protect national data and intellectual property.
Japan’s government has also intensified support for homegrown AI to reduce reliance on foreign technologies. Both Sakana AI and Turing are expected to play pivotal roles in advancing national AI capabilities.
The new capital will fuel advancements in multimodal AI, robotics integration, and sector-specific AI applications across manufacturing, healthcare, finance, and logistics.
Analysts say this milestone positions Japan’s AI innovators to influence the next generation of safe, efficient, and globally competitive AI systems—potentially marking a new era for Japan in the global AI race.
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