[Japanese AI Startup Shizuku AI Completes Seed Round Financing, Led by a16z] According to Deep Tide TechFlow, on February 10, venture capital firm a16z announced it had led the seed round financing for Shizuku AI, marking the fund's first investment in a Japanese AI startup. Shizuku AI was founded by Berkeley PhD Akio Kodaira and focuses on developing AI companions and characters, combining cutting-edge AI technology with Japanese-style character design.