Coordinate multiple AI models through a single orchestration API.
Sakana AI Funding History
Sakana AI develops AI systems and business applications from Tokyo. Its research explores model combination and self-improvement, while its applied work adapts AI to specialized enterprise tasks in Japan.
Company Overview
Sakana AI
Founded 2023 · Tokyo, Japan
Official WebsiteSakana AI Funding Timeline
Series B
¥32 billion (approximately US$200 million)
Sakana updated its Series B announcement on April 9, 2026. The revised total includes the original close and subsequent strategic participation. The announcement names additional investors; displayed investor identities are partial.
Participation included Khosla Ventures, Salesforce Ventures, Google, Datadog, NEA, Lux Capital.
Source · sakana.ai ↗Series A
Approximately US$200 million
Sakana AI disclosed this Series A in 2024-09-04. The amount records this financing, rather than the company valuation. The announcement names additional investors; displayed investor identities are partial.
Led by NEA, Khosla Ventures, Lux Capital. Participation included NVIDIA, 500 Global.
Source · sakana.ai ↗Seed
$30M
Sakana AI disclosed this Seed in 2024-01-16. The amount records this financing, rather than the company valuation. The announcement names additional investors; displayed investor identities are partial.
Led by Lux Capital. Participation included Khosla Ventures, NTT, 500 Global, Basis Set Ventures, Geodesic Capital.
Source · sakana.ai ↗
Sakana AI Founding Team
The founding team brings together AI researchers David Ha and Llion Jones with Ren Ito. A separate Applied Team develops enterprise deployments and partnerships in Japan.
Sakana AI Products
Sakana AI Company Development
A Tokyo Research Company Gains International Backing
Founded in July 2023 by David Ha, Llion Jones and Ren Ito, Sakana AI began with nature-inspired research rather than a commitment to train one ever-larger model. A $30 million seed in January 2024 was followed by an approximately $200 million Series A in September. The latter combined international venture investors, NVIDIA and Japanese financial and industrial partners.
Research Becomes an Applied Business
Sakana AI established an Applied Team in 2025, building relationships in finance and other specialized fields. Its Series B announcement connects research spending with implementation in Japan. The updated disclosure reports ¥32 billion, approximately $200 million, across the round; that revised total incorporates an extended fundraising process rather than a new $200 million round on the update date.
Fugu Turns Orchestration into a Product
The June 2026 Fugu launch made coordinated use of multiple models accessible through a single API. This gives Sakana a commercial route for its collective-intelligence research alongside enterprise projects. The service combines a trained coordinator with a pool of third-party models.
Financial Institutions Become Strategic Partners
Citi announced a strategic investment in February 2026, following Sakana’s Series B, alongside plans to collaborate in financial services. The relationship builds on Sakana’s work with Japanese banks and securities firms. The company did not disclose a separate amount for Citi’s investment.
FAQ
Where is Sakana AI based?
Sakana AI is based in Tokyo and was founded in July 2023.
Who are its founders?
David Ha, Llion Jones and Ren Ito founded the company.
Does Sakana AI only build foundation models?
No. Its work includes research, enterprise applications and products such as Fugu, which orchestrates other models.
What is Sakana Fugu?
Fugu provides multi-agent model orchestration through one API. Its coordinator delegates work to an agent pool.
What does the Series B amount mean?
The company’s updated announcement reports approximately $200 million for the Series B as a whole. Later strategic investments should not automatically be added again.