Ludens AI
About
About Ludens AI
Ludens AI develops companion robots intended for everyday interaction at home and at a desk. Its portfolio includes COCOMO, a larger home companion, and INU, a small desktop robot that responds through touch, sounds, expressive eyes and movement. The brand traces its origins to September 2024, while its Japanese operating company was established in December 2025; its current corporate website lists a Tokyo address.
The company’s Klara software combines sensing and on-device behaviour generation, with optional connected features. INU uses millimetre-wave presence sensing and touch sensors without a camera, and its basic responses work offline. The products focus on nonverbal interaction and physical presence. INU entered Japanese crowdfunding presales in October 2026, with shipments planned from February 2027. This commercial stage follows prototypes and public demonstrations, including the company’s CES 2026 appearance.
Funding
- 2026-04-14 - Angel - Ludens AI group raises approximately JPY 600 M in angel financing
Ludens AI announced approximately JPY 600 million in group-level angel financing from CWB Capital, Linear Capital and PKSHA Algorithm Fund. - source: prtimes.jp
Investors
- CWB Capital - Participant - VC - 1 funding event - first seen 2026-04-14
- Linear Capital - Participant - VC - 1 funding event - first seen 2026-04-14
- PKSHA Algorithm Fund - Participant - Corporate / CVC - 1 funding event - strategic/corporate - first seen 2026-04-14
Team
- Roy Xue - Founder & CEO - Founded Ludens AI to develop physical companion robots and their embodied interaction software.
- Marie Yamamoto - Representative Director, Japan / Global CMO - Leads global marketing and serves as representative director of the Japanese operating company.
Timeline
Events
- 2026-10-16 - Product Launch - Ludens AI opens INU public crowdfunding presales in Japan
The campaign runs through November 29; shipments are planned from around February 2027. INU responds through touch, expressive eyes, sounds and movement, using millimetre-wave presence sensing without a camera. Visitors can try the robot at Futako-Tamagawa Tsutaya Electrics’ GREEN FUNDING exhibition through December 14.
Source - 2026-04-14 - Funding - Ludens AI group raises approximately JPY 600 M in angel financing
The capital will support companion-robot development, engineering recruitment and business development with domestic and overseas partners. CWB Capital participated for the third consecutive investment, following its earlier backing of the company. The company had demonstrated COCOMO and INU at CES 2026 before the financing announcement.
Source - 2025-12-01 - Company Formation - Ludens AI establishes its Japanese operating company
The company named Roy Xue and Marie Yamamoto as representative directors and listed its address in Tokyo’s Marunouchi district. It planned its first international exhibition at CES 2026’s Eureka Park, with demonstrations of companion-robot concepts.
Source
Relations
Relationships
- Yukai Engineering
Partner - Ludens AI and Yukai Engineering worked on INU’s initial companion-robot design concepts; Ludens refined the final design.
Context
Comparable profiles
- Tombot
comparable profile - Companion Consumer Robot Builder
- Nanjing Weilan Technology
comparable profile - Companion Consumer Robot Builder
- SoulX
comparable profile - Companion Consumer Robot Builder
Context tags
- Companion consumer robot builder - Peer Group - Consumer companion robots COCOMO and INU; official current portfolio https://www.ludensai.com/about and INU crowdfunding issuer release https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000003.