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Sakana AI Raises $30 Million for Compact AI Models Inspired by Nature

Sakana AI, an AI startup founded by former Google employees David Ha and Llion Jones, has secured $30 million in seed funding to focus on developing compact AI models. The Tokyo-based company draws inspiration from the collaborative nature of animals like fish and bees, using technology that mimics flocking birds and schools of fish to make tiny models work together more effectively. The funding round, led by Lux Capital with participation from Sony Group Corp., NTT, Khosla Ventures, and others, values Sakana at $200 million.

Unlike competitors creating larger AI systems, Sakana aims to create less data-intensive models. Notable investors include Clément Delangue, CEO of HuggingFace, Alexandr Wang, CEO of Scale AI, and Jeff Dean, head of Google's AI and research activities. Lux Capital's Brandon Reeves, joining Sakana's board, emphasized the belief in finding more efficient ways without exorbitant costs, challenging the approach of companies like OpenAI.

With a team of approximately ten employees, Sakana plans to use the funding to expand its workforce and continue developing proof-of-concept models and software tools for constructing modest AI models. The founders, Ha and Jones, envision Sakana as a catalyst for highlighting AI startups in Japan and fostering collaboration with local tech companies, aiming to strengthen the Japan-based AI ecosystem.

Ren Ito, the company's COO, alongside Ha, Jones, and Reeves, forms Sakana's board of directors. The startup aims to contribute to Japan's tech scene, covering local services' costs for other companies and promoting a collaborative approach with regional cloud providers.