Japan Pledges Additional $6.4bn in Support for Chipmaker Rapidus

Japanese chipmaker Rapidus, which aims to mass-produce cutting-edge semiconductors, will receive approximately JPY 1 trillion ($ 6.37 billion) in additional funding over the two years ending fiscal 2027.

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry will provide approximately JPY 630 billion in support in fiscal 2026 and another JPY 300 billion in fiscal 2027.

In addition, it will invest more than JPY 100 billion in fiscal 2025 and JPY 150 billion in fiscal 2026 through the Information-Technology Promotion Agency (IPA). In the fiscal 2027-28 period, the Ministry also plans hundreds of billions of JPY in In-Kind investments, where factories and other facilities built with government support will be exchanged for Rapidus shares.

Rapidus plans to achieve an operating profit around fiscal 2030.

It aims to start mass-producing 2-nanometer chips in fiscal 2027, followed by mass production of 1.4-nm chips.

The company aims to go public in fiscal 2031.

Total investment in the company will balloon to more than JPY 7 trillion.

Rapidus hopes to secure around JPY 1 trillion from private companies, of which approximately JPY 130 billion is being raised in fiscal 2025.

It also expects to secure more than JPY 2 trillion in lending between fiscal 2026 and fiscal 2031 using government guarantees.

Reference Sources

1. nikkei - Japan pledges additional $6.4bn in support for chipmaker Rapidus

Google Unveils Gemini 3, With Improved Coding and Search Abilities

Google has released GEMINI 3, a new AI model that improves on its predecessor's ability to create software programs, organize Email, and help businesses analyze documents.

It can also mix Graphics and text when responding to requests involving travel Itineraries, history, or art.

The model, one of a handful of big AI projects competing for industry leadership, would be available in its GEMINI App and could be used to fulfill Google search queries in AI mode, a conversational search feature it introduced this year.

The impending release of Google’s newest model stoked anxiety inside the companies that jump-started the AI arms race.

At OpenAI and Anthropic, two of Google’s closest AI rivals, workers have speculated that it could be bad for their businesses if Google’s models outperform theirs in tasks such as autonomous coding or image generation.

The AI boom is also facing questions about whether the soaring costs of the technology can be justified by the business opportunities it is creating.

Reference Sources

1. abscbn - Google touts Gemini 3's improved reasoning, 'Antigravity' agentic coding capabilities
2. thestarmy - Google unveils Gemini 3, with improved coding and search abilities

China launches new communication technology test satellite