Noetra CEO says the company is Japan's "last chance" for AI, securing 380 billion yen in government funding and support from 44 companies

ChainCatcher news, Hironobu Tamba, CEO of Noetra—a company developing fundamental models for physical AI and robotics with support from the Japanese government—said in an interview that the company represents Japan’s “last chance” to boost domestic supply capabilities of key technologies. In its first year, Noetra received over 380 billion yen (about 2.33 billion US dollars) in government funding and support from SoftBank , Honda , Sony and 44 other companies. The company plans to purchase 27,500 Nvidia Rubin chips, and will start building AI infrastructure in April 2027, with operations to begin in June 2028.

Tamba stated that Noetra will provide reliable and secure fundamental models to Japanese enterprises, enabling them to independently manage their data. The Japanese government aims to deploy 10 million AI robots in the fields of manufacturing, shipbuilding, and care by 2040, while advancing key technology projects such as chip foundry company Rapidus to enhance self-sufficiency and technological levels in the China-US AI competition.