Sakana AI, a Tokyo-based startup founded by former Google AI experts Llion Jones and David Ha, has raised $30 million in seed funding. The round was led by Lux Capital and Khosla Ventures, with participation from NTT Group, KDDI CVC, Sony Group, and several other investors. The company aims to develop nature-inspired generative AI models capable of producing text, images, code, and multimedia content. Jones, who contributed to the development of the first Transformer architecture, and Ha, the former head of Google Research in Japan, seek to create AI systems that are sensitive and adaptive to changes in their environment, similar to natural systems with collective intelligence.
Most sovereign nations will want their own native foundational models, both for national security reasons and to better interact with regional dialects, cultures, and values. [...] Sakana AI is poised to leverage regional talent to harness the potential that this talent has.
Vinod Khosla, Founder of Khosla Ventures