Japan

SoftBank Japan

SoftBank Converts Old Sharp Factory into AI Hub in $676M Deal

Chris McKay• March 14, 2025 • 2 min read

SoftBank is acquiring a former Sharp LCD manufacturing plant in Osaka for $676 million, repurposing it into an AI data center to support its collaboration with OpenAI and advance AI infrastructure in Japan.

Microsoft Japan

Microsoft Launches First AI Research Lab in Japan, Focusing on Robotics and Society

Chris McKay• November 18, 2024 • 2 min read

The lab's mission isn't just about advancing technology; it's also about talent development. Microsoft Research Asia Tokyo plans to run joint research initiatives, offer internships, and host visiting scholars.

NVIDIA SoftBank Japan

NVIDIA and SoftBank to Build Japan's AI Grid

Chris McKay• November 12, 2024 • 2 min read

The companies plan to build Japan's most powerful AI supercomputer, launch the world's first AI-enabled 5G network, and create a secure marketplace for AI services.

Venture Capital Startups Japan

Sakana AI Expands Series A to $200 Million, Gains Backing from Top Japanese Firms

Chris McKay• September 17, 2024 • 1 min read

The expanded round now includes investments from Japan's three largest banking groups: Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG), Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC), and Mizuho Financial Group.

Venture Capital Startups Japan

Sakana AI Secures Over $100M in Series A Funding to Advance Nature-Inspired AI

Chris McKay• September 4, 2024 • 2 min read

In addition to the funding, Sakana AI announced a collaboration with NVIDIA spanning research, infrastructure, and AI community building in Japan.

Japan

Sakana AI Launches New Models for Ukiyo-e Art Generation and Colorization

Chris McKay• July 22, 2024 • 2 min read

Sakana AI sees these models as tools for education, content creation, and cultural promotion. They show how AI can connect traditional culture with modern technology, offering new ways to engage with cultural heritage in the digital age.

Cohere Japan

Cohere and Fujitsu Partner to Develop Advanced AI Models for Japanese Enterprises

Chris McKay• July 15, 2024 • 1 min read

One of the key developments from this partnership is the launch of an LLM tentatively named ‘Takane,’ based on Cohere’s Command R+ model.

OpenAI Japan

OpenAI Expands Global Footprint with Tokyo Office and Japanese GPT-4 Model

Chris McKay• April 15, 2024 • 3 min read

The Tokyo office will be led by Tadao Nagasaki, former president of Amazon Web Services in Japan, as OpenAI's new President of Japan operations.

Microsoft Japan AI Infrastructure

Microsoft Invests $2.9 Billion in Japan to Boost AI and Compute Infrastructure

Richard Banfield• April 9, 2024 • 2 min read

Microsoft has pledged to empower 3 million full-time and part-time workers in Japan over the next three years through AI skilling initiatives.

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