Citigroup invests in Japan’s Sakana AI

Citigroup has invested in Sakana AI, marking the US banking group’s first such investment in Japan.

The investment size was not disclosed, though both sides described it as “strategic”.

In separate statements, Citigroup and Sakana AI said the tie-up is aimed at speeding up innovation in global financial services by combining Citi’s market reach with Sakana AI’s research and development capabilities.

The Tokyo-based AI start-up specialises in building new types of foundational models and enterprise-grade AI tools based on nature-inspired intelligence.

Sakana AI said it will deploy the fresh capital to speed up its international expansion, building on a series of partnerships with major financial institutions.

“Leveraging our expertise in applying frontier AI within specialized financial domains, we look forward to working with Citi to transform global financial services,” Sakana AI CEO David Ha said.

In 2025, Sakana AI announced partnerships with Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) and Daiwa Securities Group to develop custom AI models tailored to specialised financial domains.

In November, Spain’s Santander Group also invested in the start-up. The infusion was part of the Japanese company’s Series B fundraising, like Citi’s.

Citi Markets Strategic Investments global head Siris Singh said: “Sakana AI has developed a unique and robust offering that have enabled them to develop a strong foundation and proven product market fit in Japan.”

Other US banking majors have also ramped up their AI strategy.

In December, Reuters, citing Wells Fargo CEO Charlie Scharf, reported the bank is anticipating further reductions in its workforce amid AI push, with the bank planning to roll out AI tools incrementally through 2026 and beyond to boost efficiency.

While Scharf said AI is not expected to replace human staff entirely, he indicated it would change how work is carried out across the organisation.

Meanwhile, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon has highlighted plans for worker deployment as AI adoption increases, according to CNBC.

JPMorgan plans worker redeployment amid AI push – report

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon has said the bank is actively responding to the impact of AI on employment within the organisation, reported CNBC.

“Citigroup invests in Japan’s Sakana AI” was originally created and published by Retail Banker International, a GlobalData owned brand.

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