Nvidia will invest tens of millions of dollars in Tokyo-based Sakana AI, a startup co-founded by former Google researchers. Although the exact amount was not disclosed, the U.S. chipmaker is set to become the largest contributor in Sakana AI’s Series A round, estimated at $137 million.
Other investors include U.S. venture capital firms New Enterprise Associates, Khosla Ventures, and Lux Capital.
We want to use the funds from Nvidia to help set up a world-class AI research center in Japan.
Sakana AI COO Ito Ren
In an earlier statement, Nvidia CEO and Founder Jensen Huang said, “The team at Sakana is helping spur the democratization of AI in Japan by developing cutting-edge foundation models to automate and speed scientific discovery with NVIDIA’s accelerated computing platform.”
Meanwhile, Sakana AI COO Ito Ren told local media, “We want to use the funds from Nvidia to help set up a world-class AI research center in Japan.”
Nvidia’s collaboration with Sakana AI is a strategic alignment that enhances both companies’ capabilities and positions them at the forefront of AI development. It is also a shareholder in other Japanese start-ups like Ubitus and Abeja.
