What’s next for Physical AI in Japan?

What’s next for Physical AI in Japan?

From Disrupting Japan by Tim Romero

April 13, 2026 · 41 min · Episode 250

About this episode

The episode discusses the future of physical AI in Japan with insights from industry experts.

I have a short in-between edition for you today. Last month at Venture Cafe's big global gathering in Tokyo, I had a chance to sit down on stage with two old friends of the podcast, and we talked about where physical AI is heading in Japan. This conversation is with Chiamin Lai, general partner of First Light Capital, and Kaname Hayashi, founder and CEO of GrooveX, the makers of the absolutely adorable Lovet robot. Chiamin is one of the most savvy physical AI investors in Japan, and Kaname has been pushing the boundaries of human-robot interaction for years. It's a fascinating discussion, and there's some wonderful insights about Japan's unique strengths and challenges near the end. But don't skip to the end. The whole conversation is great, and I think you'll enjoy it. Leave a comment Transcript Tim: Okay, thank you so much, and thanks for coming. We're going to be talking about Japan and physical AI today. And it was not that long ago that Japan was the undisputed leader in robotics innovation. And while some people claim it still is, that claim is highly disputed today. So, we're going to talk about where we are and where we're going. And we're going to start with some brief…

People in this episode

Host: Tim Romero

Guests: Chiamin Lai, Kaname Hayashi

Topics covered

  • physical AI
  • robotics
  • Japan
  • human-robot interaction
  • venture capital

Keywords

  • physical AI
  • robotics
  • Japan
  • human-robot interaction
  • venture capital
  • Lovet robot
  • Chiamin Lai
  • Kaname Hayashi

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: First Light Capital, GrooveX

Products: Lovet robot

Places: Tokyo

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