Sakana AI

Sakana AI is a Tokyo-based artificial intelligence research lab and startup founded in 2023 by former Google researchers David Ha and Llion Jones (a co-author of the original Transformer paper), together with Ren Ito (former Japanese diplomat). The company's name derives from the Japanese word for 'fish' (魚), reflecting its nature-inspired approach to AI: using collective intelligence and evolutionary principles rather than building ever-larger monolithic models. Sakana AI focuses on developing foundation models and methods including evolutionary model merging, the AI Scientist framework for autonomous research, and Transformer² self-adaptive LLMs. The company became Japan's fastest unicorn in September 2024 after a Series A round led by NEA.