Asia
Japan AI startups & tech ecosystem (2026)
Enterprise AI and robotics leaders. Japan is home to 171 AI & tech startups, 34 investors, and 0 tracked founders and operators, with the largest hub in Tokyo. Total tracked funding to date: $85.5B.
Across 24 cities, the largest startup hubs are Tokyo (131 startups, $68.4B raised), Osaka (5 startups, $540.0M raised), and Kyoto (5 startups, $76.7M raised). The most active sectors are Robotics, Entertainment, Video Games, Gaming, and Fintech.
Top Japan startups by total score include Rapidus, NTT DATA, FromSoftware, Line Corp, and Moneytree — browse the full ranked list below or jump straight into search.
- 1Rapidus85Tokyo$13.4B
- 2NTT DATA85Tokyo$30.0B
- 3FromSoftware78Tokyo$263.0M
- 4Line Corp72Tokyo$1.4B
- 5Moneytree70Tokyo$1.0B
- 6Axelspace70Tokyo$63.0M
- 7KIOXIA70Tokyo$3.6B
- 8Sakana AI70Tokyo$135.0M
- 9Yamaha Motor65Iwata$15.0B
- 10Nexon64Tokyo$883.0M
- 11Nanofiber Quantum Technologies63Tokyo$22.5M
- 12SOUNDRAW63Tokyo
- 13Rapyuta Robotics63Tokyo$55.0M
- 14Paidy62Tokyo$273.0M
- 15T262Tokyo$77.0M
- 16ispace technologies Inc.62Tokyo$853.0M
- 17gen Design62Koto$63.0M
- 18Andpad60Tokyo$103.0M
- 19Autify60Tokyo$25.5M
- 20Spiber Inc.60Tsuruoka$489.8M
- 21Tier IV60Nagoya$458.2M
- 22Galaxea60Tokyo$589.6M
- 23Cinnamon Inc.60Tokyo$24.0M
- 24Terra Drone Corp59Tokyo$98.4M
- 25The Pokémon Company58Tokyo
- 26Astroscale58Tokyo$630.8M
- 27GITAI58Tokyo$66.7M
- 28Rutilea57Tokyo$61.2M
- 29Preferred Networks56Tokyo$291.6M
- 30PayPay56$279.0M
- 31Ubie55Tokyo$189.4M
- 32Sansan54Tokyo$14.0M
- 33CureApp54Tokyo$93.0M
- 34TimeTree54Tokyo$14.4M
- 35HiJoJo Partners54Tokyo$2.1B
- 36Sensyn Robotics54Tokyo$35.4M
- 37Elephantech54Tokyo$19.8M
- 38aiESG54Fukuoka$6.2M
- 39Mujin54Tokyo$101.0M
- 40WHILL53Tokyo$75.5M
| # | Company | City | Funding | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rapidus A Japanese advanced semiconductor manufacturer focused on developing and mass-producing next-generation 2nm logic chips. | Tokyo | $13.4B | 85 |
| 2 | NTT DATA Global IT services and consulting company driving digital transformation through innovation and expertise. | Tokyo | $30.0B | 85 |
| 3 | FromSoftware A video game developer known for its action role-playing games. | Tokyo | $263.0M | 78 |
| 4 | Line Corp A major Japanese internet company formed by the merger of LINE, Yahoo Japan, and Z Holdings. | Tokyo | $1.4B | 72 |
| 5 | Moneytree Personal finance management and financial data platform for individuals and businesses. | Tokyo | $1.0B | 70 |
| 6 | Axelspace Empowering the world with Earth observation data from microsatellites. | Tokyo | $63.0M | 70 |
| 7 | KIOXIA Japanese multinational manufacturer of computer memory and solid-state drives, known for NAND flash technology. | Tokyo | $3.6B | 70 |
| 8 | Sakana AI Japan-focused efficient AI models using bio-inspired evolution to build capable, compact foundation models. | Tokyo | $135.0M | 70 |
| 9 | Yamaha Motor Japanese multinational manufacturer of motorcycles, marine products, and other motorized vehicles. | Iwata | $15.0B | 65 |
| 10 | Nexon South Korean-Japanese video game developer and publisher specializing in live-service games. | Tokyo | $883.0M | 64 |
| 11 | Nanofiber Quantum Technologies Develops and manufactures hardware for quantum communications. | Tokyo | $22.5M | 63 |
| 12 | SOUNDRAW AI music composition tool for creators to generate and customize royalty-free songs in seconds. | Tokyo | — | 63 |
| 13 | Rapyuta Robotics Developing AI-powered robotics solutions for logistics and industrial automation. | Tokyo | $55.0M | 63 |
| 14 | Paidy A digital payment service offering buy now, pay later options. | Tokyo | $273.0M | 62 |
| 15 | T2 Developing AI-powered solutions for the logistics and supply chain industry. | Tokyo | $77.0M | 62 |
| 16 | ispace technologies Inc. Japanese company developing robotic lunar landers and rovers for exploration and resource development. | Tokyo | $853.0M | 62 |
| 17 | gen Design A game development studio known for its innovative and enigmatic projects. | Koto | $63.0M | 62 |
| 18 | Andpad A construction management application for users throughout Japan. | Tokyo | $103.0M | 60 |
| 19 | Autify A no-code test automation platform for web applications. | Tokyo | $25.5M | 60 |
| 20 | Spiber Inc. Developing and producing advanced materials from microbial fermentation. | Tsuruoka | $489.8M | 60 |
| 21 | Tier IV Developing autonomous driving software and systems. | Nagoya | $458.2M | 60 |
| 22 | Galaxea Developing full-stack embodied AI systems, including humanoid robots and foundational AI models for versatile automation. | Tokyo | $589.6M | 60 |
| 23 | Cinnamon Inc. AI company automating document data extraction and business processes. | Tokyo | $24.0M | 60 |
| 24 | Terra Drone Corp Global industrial drone solutions provider for surveying, inspection, agriculture, and UTM. | Tokyo | $98.4M | 59 |
| 25 | The Pokémon Company A Japanese multinational entertainment company that manages the intellectual property of Pokémon. | Tokyo | — | 58 |
| 26 | Astroscale Astroscale is a global leader in on-orbit servicing and space sustainability solutions. | Tokyo | $630.8M | 58 |
| 27 | GITAI Developing autonomous robots for space exploration and in-orbit servicing. | Tokyo | $66.7M | 58 |
| 28 | Rutilea Develops AI-powered solutions for the manufacturing industry. | Tokyo | $61.2M | 57 |
| 29 | Preferred Networks Developing advanced AI and deep learning technologies for various industries. | Tokyo | $291.6M | 56 |
| 30 | PayPay Japan's leading mobile payment app. | — | $279.0M | 56 |
| 31 | Ubie Provides an AI-powered healthcare triage service. | Tokyo | $189.4M | 55 |
| 32 | Sansan A cloud-based contact management service for businesses. | Tokyo | $14.0M | 54 |
| 33 | CureApp Developing digital therapeutics for various medical conditions. | Tokyo | $93.0M | 54 |
| 34 | TimeTree A shared calendar application for families and groups. | Tokyo | $14.4M | 54 |
| 35 | HiJoJo Partners A fintech group specializing in connecting investors with mid-to-late stage private companies and startups. | Tokyo | $2.1B | 54 |
| 36 | Sensyn Robotics Developing AI-powered robots for inspection and maintenance in industrial environments. | Tokyo | $35.4M | 54 |
| 37 | Elephantech Developing proprietary nano-ink technology for inkjet printing of printed circuit boards (PCBs). | Tokyo | $19.8M | 54 |
| 38 | aiESG AI-powered ESG analysis platform for supply chains, visualizing impacts and risks. | Fukuoka | $6.2M | 54 |
| 39 | Mujin AI-powered robotics for intelligent automation in manufacturing and logistics. | Tokyo | $101.0M | 54 |
| 40 | WHILL Designing and manufacturing innovative personal mobility devices. | Tokyo | $75.5M | 53 |
Frequently asked questions about Japan startups
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Japan AI startup ecosystem — frequently asked
How many AI startups are in Japan?
StartupHub.ai tracks 171 startups headquartered in Japan, with $85.5B in total tracked funding across 24 cities.
What are the top startup cities in Japan?
The top startup cities in Japan are Tokyo (131 startups), Osaka (5 startups), Kyoto (5 startups), Tsukuba (2 startups), Toyota City (2 startups).
Which sectors are Japan startups focused on?
The most common sectors for Japan startups are Robotics, Entertainment, Video Games, Gaming, Fintech.
How many investors are active in Japan?
There are 34 investors tracked in Japan on StartupHub.ai — venture capital firms, angel investors, corporate investors, and family offices. Browse all Japan investors.
How is Japan startup data sourced?
Every Japan profile on StartupHub.ai is built from structured HQ-country fields, public registry data (Companies House, SEC, INSEE, OrgBook, etc.), founder LinkedIn signals, and verified company websites. Profiles are refreshed continuously as new funding rounds and team changes are detected. More on our methodology.
What is the total startup funding in Japan?
Startups headquartered in Japan have raised a total of $85.5B in tracked funding on StartupHub.ai.