Sakana AI Raises $100M in Series A: Partners with NVIDIA
Sakana AI, an emerging player in artificial intelligence based in Tokyo, Japan, has announced a successful Series A funding round, securing over $100 million from prominent investors. This significant financial boost will enable Sakana AI to advance its mission of developing transformative AI technologies inspired by nature.
Excited to announce our Series A!
We raised more than $100M to grow Sakana AI into a World Class AI Lab in Japan. We’re going to really push the frontiers of what’s possible with AI.
As a founder mode startup, we operate much faster than most frontier AI labs at a global level. https://t.co/SEXKdO67A5
In a noteworthy development, Sakana AI raised substantial capital in its Series A funding round, led by New Enterprise Associates, Khosla Ventures, and Lux Capital, with additional participation from NVIDIA. The funds will be allocated towards expanding talent acquisition and enhancing infrastructure to support their pioneering research in AI.
“We are thrilled to partner with such esteemed investors and NVIDIA, as we work towards building world-class AI capabilities in Japan,” said a spokesperson for Sakana AI. This infusion of capital underscores the growing confidence in Sakana AI’s innovative approach to AI development.
Strategic Partnership with NVIDIA
A key highlight of Sakana AI’s recent developments is its collaboration with NVIDIA. This partnership will focus on three core areas:
Research Collaboration: Leveraging NVIDIA’s advanced GPU technologies, Sakana AI aims to explore new techniques for foundation model development, including evolutionary optimization and sparsity.
Data Centres in Japan: Sakana AI will benefit from early access to NVIDIA-supported data centres in Japan, facilitating initial testing phases crucial for model development.
AI Community Development: Together, Sakana AI and NVIDIA plan to elevate Japan’s AI community through events, hackathons, and outreach programmes at universities.
NVIDIA’s Founder and CEO, Jensen Huang, highlighted the importance of this collaboration, stating, “The team at Sakana AI is helping spur the democratization of AI in Japan by developing cutting-edge foundation models to automate and speed up scientific discovery with NVIDIA’s accelerated computing platform.”
Addressing Japan’s AI and Technological Challenges
Sakana AI’s ambitions extend beyond technological advancements; the company aims to address broader challenges facing Japan. With a declining population and increasing geopolitical tensions, Sakana AI is committed to using AI to bolster Japan’s global competitiveness and provide solutions to these pressing issues.
🚨 Funding announcement! 🚨
Proud to co-lead @SakanaAILabs' over $100M Series A with @NEA and @khoslaventures! Sakana is pioneering nature-inspired AI, and we're excited to support their new collaboration with @nvidia on AI research and infrastructure in Japan 🐟…
“The resources from our Series A will enable us to build a top-tier AI lab in Japan and invest in sustainable, energy-efficient AI technologies,” said Sakana AI’s spokesperson. The company’s goal is to ensure that Japan and its allies remain at the forefront of AI innovation.
Conclusion
Sakana AI’s successful funding round and partnership with NVIDIA mark a significant milestone for the Japanese AI sector. By integrating nature-inspired intelligence into their research and fostering a robust AI community, Sakana AI is well-positioned to influence the future of AI both within Japan and globally. The commitment to developing advanced AI technologies and addressing national challenges highlights the company’s potential to drive substantial impact in the field.
