We're thrilled to lead Shizuku AI's seed round. In January 2023, while still completing his Ph.D. at UC Berkeley, Akio Kodaira launched an AI VTuber named Shizuku on YouTube. He ran dozens of streams, building a community of thousands of followers who tuned in to talk with an AI character that actually felt present. This project is now something much bigger: @ShizukuAILabs is building an AI lab in Japan dedicated to developing AI companions and characters—combining cutting-edge research with the artistic sensibility that has made Japanese character design beloved worldwide. With experience working at Meta and Luma AI, Akio brings world-class technical ability, deep cultural intuition, and years of hands-on experience successfully building and operating an AI character. In the coming age of AI agents, we believe Shizuku AI’s will be the ones people genuinely want in their lives. Akio has been working toward this future longer than almost anyone, and we couldn't be more excited to help him realize it. By @venturetwins, @Mascobot, and @martin_casado @cumulo_autumn(a16z)