Artificial intelligence startup Sakana AI has successfully raised $30 million in a seed funding round, marking a significant leap in AI innovation. The Tokyo-based company, inspired by the collaborative behaviors of animals like fish and bees, is poised to take the industry to new heights with its unique approach.
Rethinking AI Size: Smaller Models, Bigger Impact
Contrary to the trend of developing larger AI systems, Sakana AI, founded by former Google luminaries David Ha and Llion Jones, focuses on crafting smaller models, per Nikkei Asia. These compact models draw inspiration from the coordinated movements of schools of fish and flocking birds, demonstrating efficiency that surpasses larger, conventional models.
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Strategic Investors Driving Vision
Lux Capital led the seed funding round, joined by influential investors such as Khosla Ventures, Sony Group Corp., NTT, and a distinguished group of AI leaders, including Jeff Dean from Google, Alexandr Wang of Scale AI, and Clément Delangue from HuggingFace.
The funding positions Sakana AI at a valuation of approximately $200 million, affirming the industry's confidence in its innovative approach.
How Sakana Started
Established in 2023, Sakana AI is the brainchild of David Ha and Llion Jones, renowned industry researchers with a rich background in AI-related systems at Google's Alphabet Inc.
What's more, the startup's methodology opens avenues for potentially more cost-effective AI training and usage, challenging the status quo in the industry.
Divergent Paths: Sakana AI vs. Industry Giants
While industry giants like OpenAI favor a centralized approach, consolidating data into large AI programs, Sakana AI's method involves deploying a series of small models. This distinctive strategy could reshape the AI landscape, offering alternatives to existing technologies, particularly in generative AI applications.
"A belief we have is if you have to spend a billion dollars to do something there's probably a better way to do it," Lux Capital investor Brandon Reeves said.
Elevating Japan's Tech Ecosystem
Ha, serving as Sakana's CEO, and Jones, the Chief Technology Officer, aspire to not only give a new meaning to AI but also elevate Japan's standing in the global tech arena, per Bloomberg.
The duo plans to support local tech entities, fostering a Japan-centric ecosystem. According to Ha, they are collaborating with the "local cloud providers to develop more of a Japan-based ecosystem."
With approximately 10 employees presently, Sakana AI intends to leverage the funding for expanding its team and sustaining operations over the coming years.
The company is actively developing software tools for constructing its small AI models and experimenting with proof-of-concept models to showcase the transformative potential of its approach.
Sakana AI's Board of Directors
The board of directors includes David Ha and Llion Jones, respectively serving as CEO and CTO, alongside Ren Ito, the company's COO. Ren Ito, with a background as the former COO of Stability AI, brings valuable operational expertise.
On the other hand, Lux Capital partner Grace Isford also contributes as a board observer, reflecting the strategic guidance of the investor team.
As Sakana AI charts its course with this substantial funding injection, the AI industry watches closely, anticipating the emergence of a transformative force in artificial intelligence.
Sakana thinks that being an AI-centered startup is not only all about chatbots-something that OpenAI did with ChatGPT. What the small organization aims is to provide a more effective yet smaller AI model away from the norm.
