Key facts
- Sakana AI is preparing an IPO in Japan or the US as early as autumn 2027, Nikkei reported.
- Nikkei reported the listing could value Sakana AI above Mercari's 680 billion yen ($4.3 billion).
- Sakana AI hired Goldman Sachs as an IPO adviser, according to Nikkei.
- Nikkei reported the offering would be the first IPO by a Japanese generative AI developer.
Sakana AI, a Japanese developer of generative artificial intelligence, has begun preparing an initial public offering in Japan or the US as early as autumn 2027, Nikkei reported on November 9, 2026. The report said the listing could value the company above Mercari's 680 billion yen ($4.3 billion) market valuation, which would place it among the largest IPOs by a Japanese startup.
Nikkei reported that Sakana AI has hired Goldman Sachs as an adviser on the offering. The report said the listing would be the first IPO by a Japanese company focused solely on generative AI if it proceeds as planned.
The report did not state the size of the offering or the amount Sakana AI would seek to raise. It also did not give the company's current private valuation.