Tokyo AI startup Akari takes stake in Akita motor maker Aster
What's the deal? Akari Inc., a University of Tokyo-born AI startup, signed a capital and business partnership with next-generation motor maker AsterDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → in August 2026. Akari is subscribing to a third-party allotment of new shares in the late-stage round and joining Aster's management. The tie-up combines Aster's motor manufacturing with Akari's AI systems.
What does Aster do? Founded in 2010 in Yokote, Akita, the company developed ASTERCOIL®, a layered aluminium and copper coil technology that raises internal density to make motors smaller, lighter, and more efficient. It builds motors and power units in-house, with customers across drones, robotics, and industrial machinery.
Why now? Demand for Aster's motors already exceeds its production capacity, chief executive Takenobu Hongo said. The funding is earmarked for manufacturing equipment and hiring to build a mass-production and supply base in Japan, reducing reliance on any single country.
What's the endgame? Akari will deploy its simulation platform, Melchior, at Aster's sites to optimise factory layouts and equipment control via digital twins. It plans to build "physical AI" that learns from production data and feeds back into hardware such as hybrid drones, power units, and eventually humanoid robots.
Akari has been profitable since its 2021 founding and raised ¥5 billion from Mitsubishi ElectricDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → in January 2026. Chief executive Yuki Noro said touring the Yokote factory convinced him that AI firms must "put in capital and people to enter the manufacturing floor directly."
The signal: Akari says it will continue investment and M&A in manufacturing as it builds a "next-generation industrial OS." The deal reflects a broader push to pair Japan's hardware strengths with AI, positioning Akita as a base for an "AI-native manufacturing" model aimed at global markets.
Image credit: Generated with Gemini
