Sakana AI, a Tokyo-based startup backed by Nvidia, is seeking to attract more strategic investors in Japan as U.S.-China tensions drive the country to bolster its artificial intelligence ecosystem. With growing geopolitical risks, interest in Sakana AI has surged following the company’s recent $100 million-plus funding round, which includes Nvidia, according to co-founder and CEO David Ha.
Ha noted in an interview with Bloomberg TV that Japan’s strong economy positions it to develop its own AI ecosystem. Sakana AI, with its focus on multiple small models working together rather than a single large foundational model, aims to be a key player in this effort. This approach has generated significant interest in Japan, which is exploring energy-efficient AI solutions due to its reliance on energy imports.
Sakana AI’s collaboration with Nvidia will extend to AI infrastructure, including research and data centers in Japan. The company, currently a team of around 20, is co-founded by Ha, a former Google Brain leader in Tokyo, and Llion Jones, one of the authors of a seminal AI paper.
