Megabanks Back ATOM's JPY 3bn Seed Round to Accelerate Humanoid AI Robotics Development

ATOM Inc., a Tokyo-based robotics startup, has raised ¥3 billion (approximately $19 million USD) in a seed funding round. The capital injection will be used to establish a development framework for dual-arm bipedal humanoid AI robots, with the long-term goal of mass production within the manufacturing and logistics sectors.

The seed round was co-led by prominent independent venture capital firms ANRI, Beyond Next Ventures, and JAFCO Group. Additional participation came from a syndicate of institutional investors and corporate venture capital arms, including ALPHA, JIC Venture Growth Investments, Sumisho Venture Partners, Blue Lab (Mizuho Financial Group), Mitsubishi UFJ Capital, and SMBC Venture Capital.

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Founded in November 2025 by serial entrepreneur Shunsuke Aoki, ATOM aims to leverage "Physical AI" to create adaptive humanoid robots capable of working alongside humans. Management stated that the company's ultimate macroeconomic objective is to boost Japan's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 1%.

According to the company, the newly acquired funds are earmarked for aggressive talent acquisition—specifically targeting AI and hardware engineers—alongside expanding development infrastructure and strengthening operational capabilities ahead of real-world deployments.

The funding arrives amid a tightening global race in Physical AI and robotics. Investors noted that domestic development of foundational AI models and humanoid hardware is increasingly viewed in Japan as a matter of industrial competitiveness and economic security. Moving forward, ATOM plans to vertically integrate its operations, which will include building out its supply chain, developing world models, and establishing dedicated data collection centers.

SPARX Orchestrates JPY 100bn Pillar for Japan’s Next-Gen Industrial StrategyThe SPARX Group has announced the launch of the Mirai Creation Fund IV, a significant venture capital initiative backed by major partners including Toyota and Japan’s three megabanks. This new fund aims to reach a total commitment of JPY 100 billion by early 2027 to support innovative, unlisted companies bothJapan FinTech ObserverNorbert Gehrke