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Shizuku AI

Category: Foundation Models / LLMs

A character-focused AI laboratory developing the world's most emotionally resonant AI VTubers and companions through high-speed generative technology and Japanese character design. Shizuku AI was founded in 2024. The company is led by Akio Kodaira. Based in San Francisco, USA. Team size: 10-50. Total funding raised: $15.0M. Latest round: Seed. Key investors include ["Andreessen Horowitz (a16z)","DeNA"].

Founded
2024
Headquarters
San Francisco, USA
Team size
10-50
Total funding
$15.0M

Value proposition

Eliminates the lag and monotony of traditional AI interactions by providing real-time (90+ FPS) visual and vocal responsiveness, creating a 'proactive' and emotionally deep companion experience.

Products and solutions

["Shizuku (Flagship AI VTuber v2.0)","Shizuku Lab (Community-driven creator platform and developer ecosystem)","Real-time Multimodal Interaction Engine","StreamDiffusion (High-speed open-source image generation pipeline)"]

Unique value

Combines Silicon Valley's cutting-edge real-time AI research with Japanese character-centric cultural expertise ('Aki-sensei's' dual background).

Target customer

VTuber/Anime fans, digital companion users, social media creators, and platform partners (YouTube, Discord, X)

Industries served

["Entertainment & Streaming","Generative AI","Social Media & Community","Digital Companionship"]

Technology advantage

Proprietary utilization of 'StreamDiffusion,' achieving 90+ FPS real-time image generation, allowing for instantaneous visual reactions and live streaming capability that exceeds the speed of industry standard diffusion models.

How they differentiate

Leverages the proprietary 'StreamDiffusion' framework to achieve 90+ FPS real-time visual responsiveness, enabling instantaneous emotional and physical reactions that traditional text-focused LLM competitors lack. It blends Silicon Valley's cutting-edge real-time generative research with the cultural expertise of Japanese character design.

Main competitors

["Character.ai","Sakura.fm (Sakura AI)","Rinna Co., Ltd.","Moemate"]

Key partnerships

["Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) - Lead Investor","DeNA - Strategic Investor","UC Berkeley AI Research Community","Discord-based 'Shizuku Lab' creator community"]

Notable customers

["YouTube","Discord","X (Platform Partners/Ecosystems)"]

Major milestones

["Launch of the first bilingual AI VTuber 'Shizuku' on YouTube (Jan 2023)","Release of 'StreamDiffusion' framework, setting a world record for real-time image generation speed (Dec 2023)","Selection as Andreessen Horowitz's (a16z) first-ever public investment in a Japanese-related AI startup (Feb 2026)","Secured $15M Seed round at a valuation of approximately $75M (Feb 2026)","Official launch of 'Shizuku v2.0' featuring proactive conversational capabilities (Feb 2026)"]

Growth metrics

The company's open-source generation pipeline 'StreamDiffusion' achieved over 10,000 GitHub stars within its first year; the flagship AI VTuber 'Shizuku' reached thousands of followers during its alpha phase on YouTube and Discord.

Market positioning

Premium AI Companion & Virtual IP Laboratory

Geographic focus

Global (Headquartered in San Francisco with a dedicated AI research lab in Japan), specifically targeting North America and Asia-Pacific anime/VTuber markets.

Patents and IP

CEO Akio Kodaira is the lead author of the 'StreamDiffusion' technical framework (Open-source IP with over 10,000 GitHub stars); specific commercial patents not publicly disclosed.

About Akio Kodaira

Akio Kodaira (known as 'Aki-sensei') is a prominent AI researcher and entrepreneur with a Ph.D. from UC Berkeley. He is widely recognized for leading the development of 'StreamDiffusion,' a groundbreaking pipeline for real-time interactive image generation that achieved over 90 fps. His professional background includes research roles at Luma AI and Meta. He launched the AI VTuber 'Shizuku' in early 2023, which became a viral success and served as the foundation for founding Shizuku AI to develop advanced AI companions.

Official website: