Top 13 AI startups in Japan
Nov 20, 2025
Like
18
1
Funding: $229.3M
Sakana AI develops LLM models for Japan. Founded in 2023 by former Google researchers, it creates accessible generative AI models that perform well on small datasets and are optimized for the Japanese language and culture. The company focuses on the defense and manufacturing sectors. Its technological research is inspired by the natural principles of evolution and collective intelligence. The developers say that evolution in nature is a masterful search algorithm, generating complex solutions over millennia and they aim to adapt this incredible search algorithm to AI-based research.
Sakana AI develops LLM models for Japan. Founded in 2023 by former Google researchers, it creates accessible generative AI models that perform well on small datasets and are optimized for the Japanese language and culture. The company focuses on the defense and manufacturing sectors. Its technological research is inspired by the natural principles of evolution and collective intelligence. The developers say that evolution in nature is a masterful search algorithm, generating complex solutions over millennia and they aim to adapt this incredible search algorithm to AI-based research.
2
Funding: $125M
Ubie, a Tokyo based health-tech startup, provides AI-based healthcare products. Hospital SaaS product and AI symptom checker.
Ubie, a Tokyo based health-tech startup, provides AI-based healthcare products. Hospital SaaS product and AI symptom checker.
4
Funding: ¥44.6B
Preferred Networks develops technologies related to autonomous driving and connected cars. They also apply machine learning and deep learning to robotics and machine tools, and conduct research and development of object recognition, control, anomaly detection, and optimization technology, medical images such as CT and MRI, and develop systems to allow early diagnosis of cancer using blood samples.
Preferred Networks develops technologies related to autonomous driving and connected cars. They also apply machine learning and deep learning to robotics and machine tools, and conduct research and development of object recognition, control, anomaly detection, and optimization technology, medical images such as CT and MRI, and develop systems to allow early diagnosis of cancer using blood samples.
5
Funding: $236M
SoftBank Robotics develops robots and offers robot-related products and services, including “Pepper”.
SoftBank Robotics develops robots and offers robot-related products and services, including “Pepper”.
6
Funding: $175.9M
Mujin develops automation solutions for industrial robots to simplify factory and logistics automation and increase worldwide productivity.
Mujin develops automation solutions for industrial robots to simplify factory and logistics automation and increase worldwide productivity.
7
Funding: ¥13.6B
AI Medical Service is developing AI software to help detect gastric cancer
AI Medical Service is developing AI software to help detect gastric cancer
9
Funding: $42.4M
Cinnamon is an AI startup that develops products aimed at reducing the amount of time people spend on mundane tasks. Its Flax Scanner takes lengthy documents and extracts only the most pertinent information, while Lapis Engine is an natural language processing (NLP) based search engine designed to give recommendations for applications such as e-commerce or a recruiting platform, and Scuro Bot is a chatbot which can also process natural languages.
Cinnamon is an AI startup that develops products aimed at reducing the amount of time people spend on mundane tasks. Its Flax Scanner takes lengthy documents and extracts only the most pertinent information, while Lapis Engine is an natural language processing (NLP) based search engine designed to give recommendations for applications such as e-commerce or a recruiting platform, and Scuro Bot is a chatbot which can also process natural languages.
11
Funding: ¥3.1B
RevComm is the startup company developing Voice x AI-enabled cloud services .
RevComm is the startup company developing Voice x AI-enabled cloud services .
12
Funding: $3.7M
Studio Ousia develops artificial intelligence question answering system that understands questions and returns answers in seconds allows to automate customer helpdesks and work FAQs.
Studio Ousia develops artificial intelligence question answering system that understands questions and returns answers in seconds allows to automate customer helpdesks and work FAQs.
13
Funding: ¥450M
Heroz develops mobile media, mobile marketing and SNS-related services. It has developed the most cutting edge artificial intelligence, “Ponanza” programme to play Japanese chess 'Shogi', which defeated an active professional player in a public match for the first time ever,
Heroz develops mobile media, mobile marketing and SNS-related services. It has developed the most cutting edge artificial intelligence, “Ponanza” programme to play Japanese chess 'Shogi', which defeated an active professional player in a public match for the first time ever,
★
See also:
