Japan-backed AI firm Noetra gets 380 billion yen, plans to deploy 27,500 Nvidia chips

Noetra, a Japan-backed company building AI and robot models, has received over 380 billion yen (about 15.8 billion yuan) from the government, plus support from SoftBank, Honda, and Sony. Its CEO says this is Japan's last chance to secure key tech supplies. The firm is buying 27,500 Nvidia Rubin AI chips, with plans to start building AI infrastructure in April 2027 and launch by June 2028. Noetra will offer a safe platform for Japanese companies to develop AI with their own data. Japan also aims to deploy 10 million AI robots in factories and nursing by 2040.