Toyota Joins ¥267.6B Rapidus Investment to Secure 2nm Chip Supply
Toyota Motor Corp joined 31 other companies to invest ¥267.6 billion ($1.7 billion) in Japan’s Rapidus chip venture, boosting private funding above the ¥130 billion target. This stakes Toyota in a path toward mass production of 2-nanometer chips by March 2028, strengthening its future semiconductor supply.
1. Investment Consortium and Amounts
Japan’s Rapidus secured ¥267.6 billion from 32 companies including Toyota alongside ¥100 billion of government funding this fiscal year, with an additional ¥150 billion slated for the next business year starting in April.
2. Toyota’s Strategic Motive
Toyota joined the consortium to lock in access to cutting-edge 2nm semiconductors, aligning with over 60 potential clients designing chips for AI, robotics and advanced onboard computing.
3. Rapidus Production Goals
The venture targets mass production of 2-nanometer chips by March 2028, followed by development of 1.4nm and 1nm technologies to meet surging global demand in generative AI and device-level compute.
4. Government Control and Golden Shares
The Japanese government holds about 10% of voting shares and the majority of non-voting stock, with rights to convert into voting shares if needed and golden shares granting veto power over major corporate changes.