Japan approved ¥631.5 billion ($4 billion) in additional subsidies to quicken Rapidus' entry into the high-stakes AI chipmaking arena, ramping up support for a project widely regarded as a long shot.

The capital is intended to bankroll Rapidus’ work for IT firm Fujitsu, one of the initial clients that Tokyo hopes will get the signature endeavor off the ground.

The new money raises the fees and investments that the government is injecting into the startup to ¥2.6 trillion ($16.3 billion) by the end of the current fiscal year to March 2027, according to a statement from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. An external committee inspected Rapidus’ foundry in Hokkaido and signed off on its technological progress, the ministry said Saturday.

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