MW
Category: Robotics / Embodied AI
MW develops "Living Home," an AI-robotic home that autonomously perceives, understands, and acts within residential spaces using Vision-Language-Action (VLA) models and a proprietary home operating system. MW was founded in 2024. The company is led by Shuzo Narita (成田修造). Based in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Team size: 11-50. Total funding raised: $19.1M. Latest round: Seed. Key investors include ALPHA, Spiral Innovation Partners (Zenkoku Hosho Innovation Fund, Yucho Spiral Regional Innovation Fund), SMBC Edge, FFG Venture Business Partners (Fukuoka Financial Group), Mitsubishi UFJ Capital, Lo Enterprises LLC (Jeffrey Lo Family Office), Minato Financial Partners, GMO AI & Robotics Shoji, Shinnosuke Honjo (Rakuten co-founder), Susumu Omori (former UBS Securities Japan Chairman).
- Founded
- 2024
- Headquarters
- Minato, Tokyo, Japan
- Team size
- 11-50
- Total funding
- $19.1M
Value proposition
A vertically integrated AI-robotic home where the building itself perceives, decides, and acts autonomously — eliminating household chores and redefining the concept of a "smart home" from fragmented IoT to a unified, intelligent living space.
Products and solutions
Living Home (AI-robotic residential platform integrating architecture, AI, and robotics), MW bot (semi-humanoid service robot designed for home environments, ceiling-rail mounted), MW Intelligence (smart home IoT app for unified appliance control), MW Cargo (autonomous in-home transport system for groceries, laundry, waste), Residential Physical AI platform (VLA-based robot foundation models + home OS)
Unique value
Only company combining architecture, AI, and robotics from the ground up in a vertically integrated model — building the home, the software (home OS), and the robots (MW bot) as one unified product, rather than retrofitting smart devices into existing homes.
Target customer
High-net-worth homebuyers in Japan seeking premium AI-integrated homes; future B2B licensing to homebuilders and developers
Industries served
Residential real estate, Smart home technology, AI robotics, Home automation, Construction technology
Technology advantage
Vision-Language-Action (VLA) robot foundation models; proprietary home OS for unified device control; ceiling-rail robot design (safety, continuous power, space efficiency); vertical integration (land procurement, architecture, software, robotics, construction all in-house); AWS Japan Physical AI Development Support Program participant; dedicated data center plans for continuous learning from real-home data
How they differentiate
Unlike conventional smart homes (fragmented IoT/appliance control) or humanoid robot companies, MW designs homes from scratch with ceiling-rail-mounted semi-humanoid robots, a unified home OS, and VLA-based physical AI — all vertically integrated. The Japanese home's compact size and high cleanliness standards become a structural advantage rather than a limitation.
Main competitors
Conventional smart home ecosystems (Amazon Alexa/Google Home ecosystems — fragmented IoT approach), Japanese homebuilders with smart features (Sekisui House, Daiwa House — traditional construction with limited AI integration), Humanoid robotics companies (Tesla Optimus, Boston Dynamics, Agility Robotics — general-purpose humanoids not optimized for home environments)
Key partnerships
AWS Japan (Physical AI Development Support Program — cloud infrastructure, technical support, VLA model development), Daikin (air conditioning integration), Noritz (water heater integration), Koizumi (lighting integration), Tachikawa Blind (curtain integration), 50+ construction supply chain partners, 50+ robotics component suppliers
Notable customers
First project (Himonya, Tokyo) received purchase offer immediately after sales launch with 1,000+ inquiries, Second project (Keigu, Fukuoka) now selling, Third project (Yamate, Kanagawa) — 3 units under construction, completion June 2026, 10+ projects in development across Tokyo metro, regional cities, and resort areas
Major milestones
Founded February 2024, Selected for AWS Japan Physical AI Development Support Program (May 2026), Completed ¥3B seed round (June 2026), First Living Home project sold out immediately with 1,000+ inquiries, 10+ residential projects in pipeline
Growth metrics
Founded Feb 2024; 10+ residential projects in development; 1,000+ inquiries on first project; ~20 employees (as of June 2026); ¥3B ($19.1M) seed round closed June 2026
Market positioning
Early-stage pioneer in the "Residential Physical AI" category — positioned as a premium, design-forward, fully integrated AI home builder in Japan, with ambitions to license the platform to other homebuilders and developers nationally.
Geographic focus
Japan (Tokyo metropolitan area, Fukuoka, Kanagawa, resort areas); future expansion via platform licensing to homebuilders
Patents and IP
Not publicly disclosed (STARTUP DB shows patent information behind paywall)
About Shuzo Narita (成田修造)
Ex-COO & Executive Vice President of CrowdWorks Inc. (TSE:3900), led the company to IPO on TSE Mothers/Growth market; Co-founder of CHOMFY (food delivery startup); Angel investor in 30+ startups; Keio University graduate
Official website: https://mwhome.design/