Vinod Khosla, CEO of Khosla Ventures, well-known as an early investor in OpenAI, has been increasing his investments in Japanese startups.
In an interview with the Nikkei on the 14th, Khosla stated, “I have recently decided to make new investments in Japanese companies.”
This investment marks Khosla Ventures’ third in Japanese companies. Previously, it invested in Terawatt Technology, a company developing lightweight lithium-ion batteries, and Sakana AI. Khosla did not disclose the company’s name for this investment, stating it was a confidential project.
Despite the recent Japanese stock market hitting its highest point in 34 years, Khosla stated, “The stock market does not show the ability to create innovation,” adding, “If you try to avoid failure, you can only make minor innovations.” He implied that the most crucial thing in creating innovation is fostering a culture that does not view failure as shameful.
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Khosla Ventures, a venture capital (VC) company located in Silicon Valley, USA, became known as an early investor when OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, transitioned from a non-profit to a for-profit organization, investing $50 million. Khosla has been working as an investor in generative AI for nearly 40 years and claims it is the most significant technological innovation he has seen, with the potential to replace jobs such as doctors and teachers in the long run.
He stated, “The culture of tolerating failure in the U.S. increases the likelihood of technological innovation,” but noted a lot of potential for developing AI technology specialized in specific languages in various regions. He emphasized that the startups expanding the application fields of AI should be the focus, stating, “Most of the innovation comes from small and medium-sized companies, not large corporations.”
Nikkei reported, “Khosla has a significant influence in the U.S.,” and “His investment could serve as a catalyst for foreign venture capital companies to take more interest in Japan.”
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