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Recursive

Category: AI Agents

A Tokyo-based AI startup providing sustainable transformation (SX) solutions by applying advanced deep learning and reinforcement learning to enterprise sustainability and productivity challenges. Recursive was founded in 2020. The company is led by Tiago Ramalho. Based in Tokyo, Japan. Team size: 10-50. Total funding raised: $300M (Series A at $4B valuation). Latest round: Strategic Investment. Key investors include Coral Capital, Z Venture Capital, Environment Energy Investment (EEI), ROHTO Pharmaceutical, Trustbank.

AMW Analysis

Recursive is a Tokyo-based AI startup that applies deep learning and reinforcement learning to enterprise sustainability and productivity challenges, aiming to help companies achieve Sustainable Development Goals through data-driven optimization. The company raised a $300 million Series A in January 2026 at a $4 billion valuation, with investors including Coral Capital, Z Venture Capital, and ROHTO Pharmaceutical.

Recent news flow shows a rapid and dramatic shift in Recursive’s positioning and scale. In early 2026, the company was reported to be raising hundreds of millions for a self-improving superintelligent AI lab. By May 2026, it had emerged from stealth with a $4.65 billion valuation and over $650 million in total funding, co-led by GV and Greycroft, building AI systems that autonomously discover and validate new ideas. This trajectory indicates a pivot from sustainability-focused enterprise solutions toward foundational AI research and self-improving systems, accompanied by a significant increase in valuation and investor profile.

AMW analysis, generated from 4 tracked news signals.

Founded
2020
Headquarters
Tokyo, Japan
Team size
10-50
Total funding
$300M (Series A at $4B valuation)

Value proposition

Bridges the gap between cutting-edge AI research and practical sustainability, enabling companies to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through data-driven optimization and automated intelligence.

Products and solutions

FindSustain: An AI-powered platform for sustainability management and SDG tracking., FindFlow: A generative AI platform designed to optimize data utilization across documents, images, and voice inputs., Custom Enterprise AI Agents: Tailored solutions for demand forecasting, logistics optimization, and energy management., Regional Revitalization AI: Specialized tools for public sector efficiency, including AI concierges for regional donation platforms.

Unique value

Founded by former Google DeepMind researchers, the company uniquely focuses on 'AI for Sustainability,' combining world-class research talent with a mission-driven approach to environmental and social impact.

Target customer

Large-scale enterprises (Fortune 500/Nikkei 225), healthcare institutions, energy providers, and government entities focused on ESG/SDG goals.

Industries served

Energy & Utilities, Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals, Manufacturing & Logistics, Retail & Consumer Goods, Public Sector & Regional Development

Technology advantage

Leverages advanced Reinforcement Learning and Neural Architectures to solve complex multi-objective optimization problems (e.g., increasing productivity while reducing greenhouse gas emissions).

How they differentiate

Recursive differentiates through its 'AI for Sustainability' (SX) focus, led by ex-Google DeepMind researchers. Unlike general AI consultancies, they combine advanced Reinforcement Learning with specific SDG-related optimization, bridging the gap between high-level research and corporate ESG goals.

Main competitors

ExaWizards, Abeja, Preferred Networks (PFN), Watershed

Key partnerships

OpenAI: Technical collaboration for early access to latest models and tools., Google Cloud: Strategic partnership for generative AI capabilities and advanced computing resources., ROHTO Pharmaceutical: Capital and business alliance for healthcare AI development., Trustbank: Strategic cooperation for regional revitalization and AI-driven public services., King Abdullah International Medical Research Center: Collaboration on AI solutions for global health challenges (e.g., Tuberculosis detection).

Notable customers

ROHTO Pharmaceutical, Trustbank, Suntory (Global Innovation Center), KDDI, IHI / Sumitomo Forestry (NeXT FOREST), Coach A, Kyoikudojinsha, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC), OpenAI (technical partner), Google Cloud (partner)

Major milestones

Founded in 2020 by ex-DeepMind engineer Tiago Ramalho, Raised ¥800M Series A in May 2023 to accelerate SX solutions, Established strategic capital alliance with ROHTO Pharmaceutical in Jun 2024, Partnered with Trustbank in Feb 2025 for regional revitalization AI, Technical collaboration with OpenAI announced Jul 2025; Choice AI featured on OpenAI site Jan 2026

Growth metrics

Team ~49 (as of Jun 2025 per company PR); Speeda estimates post-money ~¥14.6B (~$100M) as of mid-2024 — not a $4B valuation. Enterprise customer base expanded across JP conglomerates.

Market positioning

Premium AI-driven Sustainable Transformation (SX) partner for Tier-1 enterprises and government entities.

Geographic focus

Japan (HQ), Southeast Asia, and the Middle East (notably Saudi Arabia via KAIMRC partnership).

Patents and IP

No specific registered patents disclosed; relies on proprietary AI models and trade-secret algorithms developed by ex-DeepMind engineers.

About Tiago Ramalho

Tiago Ramalho is the Co-founder and CEO of Recursive. He is a former Senior Research Engineer at Google DeepMind (2015–2018) and was previously a Lead Research Scientist at Cogent Labs (2018–2020). He holds a PhD in Physics from the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. He is a recognized expert in deep learning and reinforcement learning, with a focus on applying AI to solve complex sustainability and enterprise challenges.

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