Preferred Networks

• 2025-06-30 - Extension - Preferred Networks adds two investors in undisclosed extension

  Preferred Networks raised an undisclosed amount of equity from Shin-Etsu Chemical and Sumisei Innovation Fund in an extension of its December 2024 round. - source: preferred.jp

• 2015-08-21 - Strategic investment - Preferred Networks receives JPY900M FANUC investment at JPY15B post-money

  Preferred Networks received a JPY900 million primary investment from FANUC for 6% of its post-allotment issued shares, implying a JPY15 billion post-money valuation. - source: fanuc.co.jp

• FANUC - Participant - Unknown - 1 funding event - first seen 2015-08-21
• Shin-Etsu Chemical - Participant - Unknown - 1 funding event - first seen 2025-06-30
• Sumisei Innovation Fund - Participant - VC - 1 funding event - first seen 2025-06-30

• Toru Nishikawa - Co-Founder and Chairman - Chairs the board and supports long-term stakeholder, culture and talent development.
• Daisuke Okanohara - Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer - Leads the company under the management structure effective November 2025.
• Naoto Ono - Chief Operating Officer and Division President of Corporate Planning - Oversees corporate planning and company-wide execution.
• Yotaro Katayama - Chief Financial Officer - Leads the company finance function.
• Masaaki Fukuda - VP of Engineering and Division President of Technology Planning - Leads engineering and technology planning.

Events

• 2026-09-16 - Market Signal - Preferred Networks discloses ¥10B capital alliance with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

  The partners began joint development in June for autonomous machinery used in social infrastructure and national-security settings. MHI brings equipment, control and field-operations data; PFN contributes chips, computing infrastructure and foundation models. The planned share subscription requires PFN shareholder approval and other procedures.

  Source
• 2026-09-10 - Demonstration - ACSL and Preferred Networks reach AI flight-route demonstration stage

  The work combines ACSL aircraft with Preferred Networks’ AI development. The programme targets dynamic replanning, object recognition and obstacle avoidance. A later phase is intended to coordinate multiple small drones autonomously; that capability is not yet presented as deployed.

  Source
• 2026-09-09 - Partnership - Preferred Networks and Preferred Robotics begin PLaMo-SemGround development

  The project targets navigable and prohibited-area understanding plus complex operating conditions to reduce mobile-robot deployment and operating effort. The model is planned at roughly two billion parameters or fewer and combines Preferred Networks’ foundation-model work with Preferred Robotics’ field experience operating Kachaka-series AMRs. Japan’s METI and NEDO selected the work for the GENIAC robot-foundation-model programme, covering development through practical implementation.

  Source
• 2025-06-30 - Funding - Preferred Networks adds two investors in undisclosed extension

  The financing used a third-party allocation of shares. The issuer did not disclose the amount contributed by the two investors. Preferred Networks linked the capital to development and provision of its vertically integrated AI technologies.

  Source
• 2025-04-30 - Funding - Preferred Networks adds JPY 5 billion to financing round

  The extension combined a third-party share allocation with debt financing from Mizuho Bank. Equity participants included Kodansha, Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking, Sekisui House Investment Limited Partnership, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, TBS Innovation Partners Fund III and Toei Animation. PFN said the funds would support its vertically integrated AI semiconductor, computing, foundation-model and solutions portfolio.

  Source
• 2024-12-23 - Funding - Preferred Networks secures JPY 19 billion first close

  SBI Group led the equity financing, with Development Bank of Japan, Mitsubishi Corporation, Sekisui House Investment Limited Partnership and Wacom also participating. MUFG Bank, Resona Bank, Shoko Chukin Bank and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation supplied debt financing. PFN allocated the capital to MN-Core processors, the PLaMo foundation model, AI infrastructure and related solutions and products.

  Source
• 2015-08-21 - Funding - Preferred Networks receives JPY900M FANUC investment at JPY15B post-money

  FANUC agreed to invest JPY900 million through a third-party allotment of newly issued Preferred Networks shares; the acquisition was planned for completion before the end of September 2015. The capital tie-up was designed to combine Preferred Networks' machine-learning and deep-learning expertise with FANUC's machine-tool and robotics technologies for joint R&D. The parties identified self-learning and cooperation, together with self-detection and self-repair, as target capabilities for the enhanced machines and robots.

  Source

Relationships

• ACSL

  Technology Partner - ACSL and Preferred Networks are jointly developing AI flight-route generation and multi-UAV autonomous-control technology.

• Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

  Mission Critical AI Technology Partner - Preferred Networks and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries are jointly developing and deploying AI for intelligent and autonomous machinery.

• Preferred Robotics

  Robotics Subsidiary - Preferred Robotics is a major group company and robotics subsidiary of Preferred Networks.