Mitsubishi Electric Corporation has announced that it has invested in Sakana AI Inc., a company focused on developing next-generation AI foundation models. Through this strategic collaboration, Mitsubishi Electric aims to create new solutions and expand its Serendie™ digital platform by leveraging Sakana AI’s expertise in optimizing complex, tacit-knowledge-driven, and highly challenging business operations using advanced AI technologies.
As generative AI continues to evolve rapidly and social challenges grow increasingly complex, many companies are actively exploring its potential for transformational initiatives. For instance, businesses are using generative AI to launch new ventures while also automating and enhancing existing operations. In this context, Sakana AI brings a differentiated approach by integrating techniques that optimally combine multiple foundation models for inference, while also enabling AI systems to learn and apply tacit domain knowledge and accumulated expertise.
Consequently, Mitsubishi Electric expects to deliver solutions that support precise decision-making in complex business environments where traditional, general-purpose AI models have struggled. To achieve this, the company plans to combine its core strengths—including advanced components, extensive customer assets, and deep domain expertise across industries—with Sakana AI’s cutting-edge AI foundation model capabilities.
Furthermore, Mitsubishi Electric intends to develop solutions across a wide range of sectors, including manufacturing and infrastructure. By doing so, the company aims to expand its Serendie-related businesses and accelerate its transition into an innovation-driven enterprise through digitalisation. Ultimately, this initiative is expected to contribute to addressing various real-world social challenges.
Ren Ito, Co-founder of Sakana AI Inc., said, “We will position AI use in the manufacturing domain, including physical AI, as our third strategic pillar, following our initiatives in the financial and defense sectors, striving to create innovative solutions that leverage Japan’s strengths. By combining Mitsubishi Electric’s manufacturing knowledge and extensive datasets with our next-generation AI technologies, we will collaborate to bring AI into practical implementation across society.”
Echoing this vision, Satoshi Takeda, Senior Vice President, CDO, and Group President, Digital Innovation at Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, said, “By strengthening our Serendie digital platform and leveraging generative AI, we are creating new business value and enhancing our competitive position. We are confident this investment will be an important step toward broadening AI’s capacity to address concrete, real-world challenges.”
This investment highlights Mitsubishi Electric’s strategic push to integrate advanced AI into real-world applications. By partnering with Sakana AI, the company is positioning itself at the forefront of AI-driven innovation, aiming to unlock new efficiencies, enhance decision-making, and drive meaningful impact across industries.
