Sakana AI raises $135 million in Series B, valued at $2.65 billion
Investing.com -- Tokyo-based Sakana AI has secured a ¥20 billion ($135 million) Series B funding round, pushing the company’s valuation to $2.65 billion post-money, up from $2.5 billion pre-money, according to CEO David Ha.
The AI startup, founded in 2023 by former Google researchers Llion Jones, Ren Ito and Ha, develops affordable generative AI models optimized for Japanese language and culture that work effectively with small datasets.
The funding round attracted both new and existing investors, including Japanese financial giant Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) and global venture capital firms Khosla Ventures, Macquarie Capital, NEA, Lux Capital and In-Q-Tel (IQT).
"We plan to deploy the new capital for not only R&D, including [AI] model development, but also to expand our workforce for engineering, sales, and distribution teams in Japan," Ha said.
Sakana AI has strengthened its presence in Japan this year through partnerships with major local enterprises, including Daiwa and MUFG, while developing AI solutions.
The company plans to expand its enterprise business beyond finance into industrial, manufacturing, and government sectors in 2026. Ha’s background includes leading research at Stability AI and working at Google and Goldman Sachs.
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