In 2026, artificial intelligence is no longer just about chatbots and automation — it’s rapidly transforming scientific research itself. One of the startups leading this frontier is Sakana AI, a Tokyo-based AI research company focused on nature-inspired intelligence and innovations in foundational AI models. The startup’s early funding story exemplifies how deep-tech ventures can attract top-tier global capital while pursuing audacious goals in science and machine intelligence.

A Vision Grounded in Nature and Collective Intelligence

Sakana AI was founded in 2023 by a team of AI researchers and engineers with deep experience from organizations like Google Brain, Google DeepMind, and other leading AI labs. Its mission is to develop new types of foundational AI models inspired by natural processes, such as evolution and collective behavior — a radically different path from the conventional scaling-based approach most large language model developers take.

The company’s name reflects this philosophy: “Sakana” (さかな) means “fish” in Japanese, and its logo symbolizes a school of fish coordinating simple actions into complex, coherent behavior — a metaphor for how the startup approaches distributed intelligence and evolutionary AI design.

$30 Million Seed Round: Breakthrough Funding from Global VCs

In January 2024, Sakana AI announced a $30 million seed funding round — an unusually large amount for an early-stage AI research startup — demonstrating strong investor confidence in its long-term scientific vision.

Who Led the Seed Round

• Lux Capital: Known for backing frontier science and deep-tech startups (early backer of Hugging Face and Runway).
• Khosla Ventures: One of the earliest institutional investors in OpenAI, with a history of funding high-risk, high-reward AI R&D.

In addition to these Silicon Valley firms, Sakana AI’s seed funding attracted participation from Japanese corporate and tech giants — including NTT Group, KDDI CVC, and Sony Group — highlighting local ecosystem support alongside international capital.

Why This Funding Matters

The significance of this seed round goes beyond the dollar amount:

• Global Recognition: Sakana AI is one of the first Japanese AI startups to secure major seed-stage backing from top Silicon Valley investors, signaling that world-class AI research can originate outside Silicon Valley.
• R&D-First Investment: Investors like Lux Capital and Khosla Ventures explicitly cited Sakana’s focus on nature-inspired foundational models and collective intelligence — fields that may yield more efficient and adaptable AI systems — as a key reason for backing the company.
• Ecosystem Support: Participation from Japanese strategic partners reflects growing interest in developing homegrown AI innovation that meets cultural, linguistic, and sovereign technology needs.

Building an AI Scientific Research Platform

Rather than chasing incremental improvements on existing transformer-style models, Sakana AI is exploring new architectures and methods that emulate evolutionary processes, collective behavior, and adaptive systems. This includes efforts like “The AI Scientist”, an autonomous research agent designed to ideate, experiment, analyze data, and even write research code — a capability that points to future AI systems performing scientific discovery at unprecedented scale and speed.

The seed capital is being used to:

• Expand research teams with world-class AI experts from institutions like Google Brain and Google DeepMind.
• Develop new foundational models optimized for efficiency and domain adaptation.
• Collaborate with corporate partners on practical AI applications across finance, industry, and government research.

Beyond Seed: Continued Funding and Scaling

Sakana AI’s seed round laid the foundation for rapid follow-on growth. In late 2025, the company raised a Series B round of around $135 million, valuing the startup at approximately $2.6 billion and highlighting sustained investor belief in its long-term potential.

This combination of extensive early funding, international and domestic investor support, and a research-driven mission positions Sakana AI as a standout example of how deep scientific AI platforms can attract capital and compete on the global stage.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Sakana AI’s seed funding?
Sakana AI raised $30 million in its seed round in January 2024, led by Lux Capital and backed by Khosla Ventures and Japanese corporate investors.

Why was the seed round notable?
It’s rare for deep-tech AI research startups — especially ones based outside Silicon Valley — to secure such substantial seed capital, indicating strong belief in Sakana AI’s innovative approach to AI research.

What does Sakana AI focus on?
The company develops nature-inspired foundation models and autonomous research systems, aiming to make AI more efficient, scalable, and capable of assisting or performing scientific discovery.

Who invested in Sakana AI?
Leading global investors like Lux Capital and Khosla Ventures participated, along with Japanese tech and corporate partners such as NTT Group, KDDI CVC, and Sony Group.

What’s next after seed funding?
Sakana AI has since raised significant Series A and Series B funding, increasing its valuation into the billions and enabling expansion of research and commercialization efforts.