Osaka University laser startup raises ¥1.2B for space debris and fusion

What's the deal? POWER LASER TECHNOLOGYDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, an Osaka UniversityDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → spinout, has raised roughly ¥1.2 billion (about $7.5 million) in an early-stage round. The financing, which includes some debt, brings the company's total raised to about ¥1.6 billion.

Who backed it? The round drew a long list of investors, including Incubate FundDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, DBJ CapitalDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Mori Building Innovation FundDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, SMBC Venture CapitalDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Mizuho Growth SupportDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, and Japan Finance CorporationDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →.

What's the endgame? Founded in May 2024 out of Osaka University's Institute of Laser Engineering, the company builds high-power laser sources it says are unmatched globally, combining large per-pulse energy with high-repetition operation. It will use the funds to develop applications in space situational awareness — targeting small space debris — and laser fusion energy.

What's the founder say? Chief executive officer Kazuhisa Yamamoto said the company has run joint research with Osaka University and the Institute for Laser TechnologyDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → since 2024, aiming to open new markets through "cross-disciplinary fusion" (translated from Japanese).

The signal: At ¥1.2 billion, the round sits in the top 10% of early-stage deep tech deals raised in Japan, a marker of investor appetite for hard science bets on fusion and orbital cleanup — two frontier markets still years from commercial scale.

Image credit: POWER LASER TECHNOLOGY