“日本版OpenAI”创下估值新高！Transformer八子之一创办，老黄也投了

Core Viewpoint - Sakana AI has achieved a record valuation of approximately 400 billion yen (about 2.635 billion USD) following its recent Series B funding round, making it the highest-valued startup in Japan's history [4][42]. Group 1: Company Overview - Sakana AI was founded in July 2023 and has quickly gained attention due to its innovative approach to AI, particularly in developing a nature-inspired intelligence model [6][20]. - The company is co-founded by Llion Jones, a notable author of the Transformer paper, and David Ha, a former senior scientist at Google Brain [7][16]. Group 2: Funding and Valuation - The recent Series B funding raised 20 billion yen (approximately 135 million USD), contributing to a total valuation of around 400 billion yen [4][5]. - The investment consortium includes major players like Nvidia, Khosla Ventures, NEA, and Japanese financial giants such as Mitsubishi UFJ and Shikoku Electric Power [5]. Group 3: Technological Innovation - Sakana AI aims to develop AI models inspired by natural evolution, focusing on efficiency and performance while reducing computational costs [20][21]. - The company has introduced "The AI Scientist," a comprehensive AI system capable of automating the entire scientific research process, including generating and publishing academic papers [27][28]. Group 4: Research and Development - The AI Scientist has evolved, with its second version successfully passing peer review at the ICLR conference, demonstrating its capability to generate high-quality research [38][42]. - Sakana AI has maintained a rapid research output, releasing multiple studies and innovations on a monthly basis, further solidifying its position in the AI landscape [42][44]. Group 5: Market Comparison - In comparison to OpenAI's valuation, Sakana AI's growth trajectory positions it as the closest equivalent to a "Japanese version of OpenAI," despite its unique approach [43][45].