FinTech

Japan’s Top Banks Ready US$ 13 Billion in Loans to Semiconductor Startup Rapidus – A Strategic Boost for Domestic Chip Industry

Japan’s three largest financial institutions are preparing to provide up to US$ 13 billion (approximately ¥1.8 trillion) in loans to support Rapidus Corporation, a domestic advanced semiconductor venture aiming to produce cutting-edge chips in Japan. The lending initiative underscores Japan’s intensified efforts to rebuild its semiconductor manufacturing capabilities and compete in the global chip race. Although details remain preliminary, the expected financing package marks one of the largest private-sector credit commitments to a Japanese technology startup in recent years. It signals renewed confidence in Rapidus’s strategy to commercialize production of next-generation chips, particularly in advanced nodes such as 2 nanometers, within the next several years. Rapidus: Japan’s Strategic Bet on Semiconductor Sovereignty Founded in August 2022, Rapidus is a Tokyo-based semiconductor firm established with backing from a consortium of major…