Turing Raises 1.5 Billion Yen from X&KSK and OthersCompletes Pre-Series A Round with a Total of 4.5 Billion Yen

Turing’s lofty goals and the potential impact they will have on society are grand challenges from any perspective. I became convinced that they will solve this difficult problem after observing the excellent balance of their management team and their AI technical prowess. Each manager’s strength is clear and the team works well together. I believe Bonds Investment Group can support a sustainable society through this company.

I am confident that Turing’s goal of creating a new mobility experience through fully autonomous driving, supported by their advanced generative AI technology and led by their enthusiastic management team, will lead to innovations in the mobility industry and other global technological advancements. We are honored to become a part of this endeavor through our investment from Canon Marketing Japan MIRAI Fund. We look forward to pioneering the future with Turing’s advanced technology supporting autonomous driving.

We have been in contact with Turing since 2022, when they established their base in Kashiwa City, Chiba Prefecture. We have seen the strong leadership of their management team and the organization’s ability to deliver on promises. Innovations abound in the automobile industry, driven by software development and AI, raising concerns about the international competitiveness of Japan’s domestic automobile industry. Turing’s challenge looks beyond fully autonomous driving and will be critical to the competitiveness of this key domestic industry. The Chiba Bank Group fully supports Turing’s challenge.

Turing is using their talented personnel, advanced generative AI, and unique approaches to achieve fully autonomous driving from garage to parking lot. The evolution of mobility that frees people from driving will significantly impact social structures and lifestyles. Dentsu Group fully supports Turing’s significant challenge.

We are honored to participate in Turing’s funding to create fully autonomous driving in Japan. We were attracted to Turing’s vision, and to the passion and potential of its excellent management team and their personnel. Fully autonomous driving will expand the possibilities of future mobility, and we understand the potential for joint business creation in the future. We will collaborate with Turing to create new value through the social implementation of fully autonomous driving.

Since the previous seed round, Turing has consistently exceeded investor expectations with remarkable growth. We value their research and development capabilities, from foundational generative AI technologies to complete vehicle development. Their organization consistently demonstrates the talent of each individual, their ability to achieve organizational goals, the ability to attract and collaborate with ministries and large corporations, and their ability to achieve milestones towards the societal implementation of Level 5 autonomous driving. Global Brain will make additional investments in this Pre-Series A round and will bolster their support to help Turing exceed the expectations of society.

We are confident that Level 5 fully autonomous driving will bring revolutionary changes to the travel industry. It will improve freedom of movement and allow travellers to enjoy safer and more comfortable journeys. We expect this technological advancement to create new travel experiences and grow the entire industry. We support the growth of Turing, who are committed to creating fully autonomous driving in Japan.

JGC Group is investing in startups with innovative technologies and business models to achieve a safe, secure, and sustainable social system. We empathize with Turing’s goal of achieving “fully autonomous driving through E2E and generative AI,” and evaluate the company as having the advanced technological capability and execution power to achieve this goal. Through this investment, we will integrate Turing’s generative AI technology and knowledge of vehicle system integration with our engineering business to jointly build the social infrastructure required to expand the field of generative AI autonomous driving.

Is Turing an electric vehicle manufacturer, or is it a software company that enables autonomous driving? No, it is neither. I am convinced that Turing is a company that creates a new industry called “Turing.” I am extremely excited to witness the moment when this new industry, “Turing,” is born. Now, the stage is set, let’s raise the flag of Japan’s great revival!

We are pleased that Turing Inc. is the first company we have invested in through the CVC fund that we established on April 1st this year. At Kyocera, we research and develop under the motto “What we like to do next is what people tell us we can never do.” Turing’s challenge to achieve fully autonomous driving through generative AI with only camera information matches our motto, and their desire and energy overlap with our founding period. We support Turing’s bold challenge and advanced technological capabilities to create a better future.

We are pleased to invest in Turing this round. Turing is developing a fully autonomous driving AI capable of making judgments like humans in unprecedented situations, and in this field they are the top runner in Japan and among the leading startups globally. The grand challenge of fully autonomous driving has not yet been achieved in the world. The passion, advanced technological capability, strategy, and execution power of Turing’s management team inspired us to invest. We will use MUFG’s resources to support Turing’s business growth.

We invested in Turing Inc.’s goal of “fully autonomous driving.” Early this year I visited Turing’s old headquarters and factory in Kashiwa-no-ha and felt the arrival of the “fully autonomous driving” era when riding in their demo car. A car not driven by humans will become a space to enjoy a new form of movement, diversifying in-car entertainment experiences. Shochiku has been delivering content since our foundation close to 130 years ago, and we will develop new in-car entertainment with Turing.

During our investment consideration, we listened to Turing’s management team and visited their factory to witness their passion and productivity in action. We are pleased to join Turing to develop fully autonomous driving in Japan. The changes brought about by fully autonomous driving will have a significant impact on both society and the economy. We look forward to seeing entirely new types of cars, travel experiences, and new industries emerge from Turing’s challenge.

“We Overtake Tesla” is a bold goal that few would have the courage or credibility to claim. But in the international development competition for autonomous driving and EVs, we believe it is essential to create an autonomous driving company that can compete globally to maintain the competitiveness of Japan’s automotive industry. From our discussions with Mr. Yamamoto since the company’s founding, we believe that now is the time to leverage the emergence of generative AI/LLM and the strength of Japan’s automotive industry. Led by innovators like Mr. Yamamoto and Mr. Aoki, Turing continues to attract top-level engineers in Japan, and we are confident that they will become a leading global autonomous driving software company.

We could find countless reasons not to invest in Turing. However, the evolution of AI is progressing faster than we can imagine. I am confident that Turing’s challenge will be greatly aided not only by the abilities and passion of Mr. Yamamoto and Mr. Aoki but also by the advancements in AI technology. As X&KSK, we intend to support Turing not only domestically but also in its global expansion.