Eight Knot, an Osaka-based maritime technology company, announced Tuesday it has raised ¥450 million (approximately $2.9 million) in the first close of its Series A round, with ITOCHU Technology Ventures and Nissay Capital leading the investment. The startup retrofits existing small commercial vessels with autonomous navigation systems, targeting what it says are chronic crew shortages and mounting safety pressures across Japan's coastal and inland waterways.
The round, disclosed in a company statement dated September 16, 2026, also drew participation from returning investors QB Capital, NCB Venture Capital and Ikeda Senshu Capital. Nissay Capital joins as a new backer. Eight Knot previously raised ¥570 million in a Pre-Series A round in September 2024 and ¥110 million in August 2023, bringing total disclosed funding to ¥1.13 billion.
Bolting Intelligence Onto Old Hulls
Unlike autonomous vessel projects that require purpose-built ships, Eight Knot installs its AI CAPTAIN System onto boats already in service. The retrofit approach may prove crucial in an industry where operators often run aging fleets and replacement costs run steep. According to the company's technical documentation, the platform stitches together AIS transponders, GNSS receivers (augmented by Japan's QZSS precision positioning satellites), inertial measurement units, radar, cameras and LiDAR into a unified control system. A joystick, display interface and backup satellite connectivity round out the package when cellular 4G/LTE drops.
The system manages vessel control, real-time route plotting, object recognition and what the company terms "safety decisioning," though operations still require a licensed captain on watch. Eight Knot deployed its first commercial installation in January 2023 aboard vessels operated by WAKKA, a sightseeing and water taxi service threading the Seto Inland Sea. More recently, the startup joined Tokyo Bay's eSG Project, a multi-modal transport pilot where it demonstrated autonomous small-vessel operations in Tokyo Port.
Eye on Overseas Markets
Co-founders Yujin Kimura, who serves as CEO, and CTO Tomoaki Yokoyama launched Eight Knot in March 2021. The company now maintains offices across Osaka, Tokyo and Hiroshima. Kimura told WIRED Japan in August 2025 that "the proof-of-concept stage is over in Japan" and that the startup now views "the U.S. our main business battleground." The company has announced partnerships and feasibility studies targeting Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam, though specific deployment timelines remain unclear.
Eight Knot said the new capital will fund further productization of AI CAPTAIN and finance its push into North America and Southeast Asia. The strategy leans on partnerships with regional operators rather than direct sales, and the company is actively recruiting engineers and business development personnel.
Japan's government has shown interest in autonomous maritime technology as a hedge against labor shortages. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has signaled support for reducing crew workload through automation, and Eight Knot has secured spots in multiple government-backed programs exploring international expansion and technology validation.
A Crowded Seascape
Small-vessel autonomy has attracted capital across several niches. HD Hyundai's Avikus unit markets NeuBoat, aimed at recreational and semi-professional craft with navigation and docking aids. Orca AI, which targets large commercial fleets and emphasizes collision-avoidance software, raised $72.5 million in a Series B round and claims deployments with major shipowners. Eight Knot occupies a middle space: commercial but small-scale, coastal rather than deep-sea.
In its statement, ITOCHU Technology Ventures said it was "delighted to continue supporting Eight Knot" after its Pre-Series A check, noting the startup's progress in "actual vessel installations, partnerships with marine equipment manufacturers, and overseas market expansion." Nissay Capital pointed to "crew shortages and safe navigation" as industry pain points where "the importance of vessel intelligence technology including autonomous navigation is increasing."
Whether the retrofit model scales beyond Japan's protected waters remains an open question. Eight Knot formed a distribution alliance with Seika Daiya Engine, a marine equipment supplier, back in July 2023, and unveiled AI CAPTAIN for small vessels in October 2022. Now the company faces the harder test: proving the technology can handle diverse regulatory environments, rougher seas and the economic realities of shipping operations that often run on razor-thin margins.
