Rapidus
Rapidus is a Japanese semiconductor manufacturer established to build a domestic capability for leading-edge chip production, initially targeting 2-nanometer manufacturing.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
Rapidus Corporation is a Japanese semiconductor company created in 2022 as part of Japan’s effort to restore a globally competitive position in advanced chip manufacturing. The company is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is developing a leading-edge semiconductor fabrication operation in Chitose, Hokkaido, near New Chitose Airport. Its central objective is to establish a production platform for 2-nanometer-class logic semiconductors, with pilot-line activity preceding planned mass production toward the latter part of the 2020s. Rapidus emerged against the background of Japan’s long decline in semiconductor manufacturing. Japanese companies once held a dominant share of the global semiconductor market, but trade friction, the 1986 U.S.–Japan Semiconductor Agreement, the rise of South Korean and Taiwanese manufacturers, and the collapse or retreat of several domestic producers weakened that position. The bankruptcy of Elpida Memory in 2012 became a prominent symbol of the industry’s difficulties. By the late 2010s, Japan retained important strengths in semiconductor materials, equipment, and components, but had lost much of its advanced logic-fabrication capacity. The company was established on 10 August 2022 with backing from Denso, Kioxia, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group’s MUFG Bank, NEC, NTT, SoftBank, Sony, and Toyota. Tetsuro Higashi, a former Tokyo Electron executive, became chairman, while Atsuyoshi Koike, formerly associated with Western Digital’s Japanese operations, became president and chief executive. The corporate initiative was closely aligned with Japanese industrial policy and with expanding semiconductor cooperation between Japan and the United States. Rapidus’ technology strategy combines international partnerships with a proposed domestic manufacturing base. In December 2022, the company reached a cooperation arrangement with Belgium’s Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre, or imec, and separately announced collaboration with IBM on 2-nanometer nanosheet gate-all-around transistor technology. The company also works with Japan’s Leading-edge Semiconductor Technology Center, an organization intended to support research and development for next-generation semiconductor design and manufacturing. These relationships are designed to shorten the path from research to commercial fabrication while giving Japan access to advanced process-development expertise. The planned Chitose facility is intended to use advanced equipment and process techniques, with ASML announcing a Chitose presence to support equipment installation and technical work. Construction began in 2023, and Rapidus has described a pilot line as an important step before volume production. In April 2025, pilot-line testing began, and in July 2025 the company unveiled a 300-millimeter wafer containing its first 2-nanometer prototypes. The longer-term commercial objective is to manufacture advanced logic chips for customers such as artificial-intelligence and high-performance-computing companies. Rapidus has also sought to build a customer and design ecosystem outside Japan. In 2023 it signed an agreement with Canadian AI-computing company Tenstorrent, later identifying Tenstorrent as its first announced customer for next-generation AI-chip development and production. In 2024, Rapidus established Rapidus Design Solutions in Silicon Valley under Henri Richard to pursue customer relationships and recruit design and software engineering talent. The company has additionally maintained a research and engineering presence at the Albany NanoTech Complex in New York. The business remains heavily dependent on public policy and investment because constructing a leading-edge fab requires very large, long-term capital commitments before commercial revenue is established. The Japanese government has provided substantial subsidies through METI and NEDO programs and has continued to discuss broader support for the country’s semiconductor sector. Rapidus therefore occupies both a commercial and strategic role: it aims to become a viable foundry and advanced-technology partner, while also serving Japan’s goals of strengthening supply-chain resilience, technological sovereignty, and cooperation with the United States. Its principal challenges include completing the fab on schedule, achieving competitive yields, securing enough customers, financing sustained production, and competing with established manufacturers such as TSMC, Samsung Electronics, and Intel.
History
Japan’s semiconductor sector was a major global force during the 1980s, but its position weakened after trade agreements, intense competition from South Korea and Taiwan, and the increasing importance of large-scale investment in advanced fabrication. Domestic companies retained strong positions in semiconductor materials, manufacturing equipment, memory-related technologies, and electronic components, but Japan no longer possessed comparable leading-edge logic-manufacturing capacity. The creation and later failure of Elpida Memory illustrated the difficulty of sustaining a Japanese semiconductor champion. Formed in 1999 by combining DRAM operations associated with Hitachi and NEC, Elpida later incorporated Mitsubishi Electric’s memory business and at one point ranked among the world’s largest DRAM producers. The 2008 financial crisis, a strong yen, and international competition contributed to deteriorating performance. Elpida entered bankruptcy in 2012 and was acquired by Micron Technology in 2013, becoming Micron Memory Japan the following year. Japan’s government increasingly treated semiconductors as a strategic industry. Discussions between Japanese and U.S. officials in 2022 emphasized cooperation on critical technologies and resilient supply chains. Japan’s policy agenda called for support for next-generation semiconductor research, design, and manufacturing infrastructure. METI and NEDO developed programs connected with advanced and post-5G semiconductor technologies, while the Leading-edge Semiconductor Technology Center was established to support research collaboration. Rapidus was incorporated on 10 August 2022 with investment from eight Japanese companies: Denso, Kioxia, MUFG Bank, NEC, NTT, SoftBank, Sony, and Toyota. Tetsuro Higashi became chairman and Atsuyoshi Koike became president and chief executive. The company’s mission was to develop a Japanese platform for advanced logic chips, initially centered on a 2-nanometer process and a target of production in the latter half of the decade. In December 2022, Rapidus announced cooperation with imec, the Belgian microelectronics research center, and separately announced a partnership with IBM for 2-nanometer nanosheet gate-all-around transistor technology. These arrangements gave Rapidus access to process research and advanced-device expertise while it planned its own manufacturing infrastructure. The company also participated in high-level Japan-U.S. semiconductor discussions and worked with the Japanese research ecosystem represented by LSTC. In February 2023, Rapidus chose Chitose in Hokkaido as the site for its factory. It joined imec’s Core Partner Program in April and received further public support. Construction began in September 2023. ASML announced plans for a Chitose office with technical personnel to assist with equipment and fab-related work. Rapidus has described a pilot line as a precursor to commercial manufacturing, with full-scale production intended for 2-nanometer wafers toward 2027. The company expanded its commercial ambitions through a November 2023 agreement with Tenstorrent, a Canadian AI-computing company. In 2024, Rapidus identified Tenstorrent as its first announced customer for next-generation AI-chip development and manufacturing. The relationship involves a RISC-V-based architecture and reflects Rapidus’ intended focus on customized, high-performance logic rather than commodity memory products. Rapidus opened a Chitose office in January 2024 to coordinate construction, contracts, and equipment deliveries. In April it established Rapidus Design Solutions in Silicon Valley, appointing Henri Richard as president. The subsidiary was intended to develop relationships with U.S. technology companies and attract design and software engineers. Rapidus also reported a research and engineering presence at Albany NanoTech in New York. Public financing has remained central to the project. Japan authorized successive subsidy packages through METI and related programs, and the government continued to identify Rapidus as a major vehicle for rebuilding domestic advanced-chip capacity. In 2025, pilot-line testing began, followed by the presentation of a 300-millimeter wafer containing 2-nanometer prototypes. The company’s future depends on converting these demonstrations into stable yields, competitive economics, customer commitments, and sustained funding. Its strategic ambition is to complement Japan’s existing strengths in materials and equipment with a domestic advanced foundry capable of serving AI, high-performance computing, and other demanding applications.
- 2025
Pilot line and first 2-nanometer prototypes
[1]Pilot-line testing began in April, and Rapidus showed a 300-millimeter wafer with 2-nanometer prototypes in July.
- 2024
Rapidus Design Solutions is formed
[1]The company established a Silicon Valley subsidiary to support customer development and recruit design talent.
- 2023
Chitose fab site selected
[1]Rapidus selected Chitose, Hokkaido, for its planned advanced semiconductor factory.
- 2023
Chitose factory construction begins
[1]Groundbreaking was held for the facility intended to house Rapidus’ pilot and future production operations.
- 2023
Tenstorrent agreement
[1]Rapidus signed an agreement with Tenstorrent covering next-generation AI-chip work.
- 2022
Rapidus is established
[1]Rapidus was incorporated in August by eight Japanese corporate investors to develop domestic advanced-semiconductor manufacturing.
- 2022
Partnerships with imec and IBM
[1]The company announced cooperation with imec and a separate technology collaboration with IBM on 2-nanometer gate-all-around devices.
Products and positioning
A Japan-backed, research-led advanced foundry seeking to re-establish domestic production of leading-edge logic semiconductors and serve international AI and high-performance-computing customers.
Advanced semiconductor manufacturing · 2025
2-nanometer logic process
Rapidus’ principal technology program is a 2-nanometer-class logic process intended for advanced computing applications. The program is based on nanosheet gate-all-around transistor technology developed in cooperation with IBM and supported by broader research relationships with imec and Japan’s LSTC. The company is developing the process for pilot manufacturing in Hokkaido before planned commercial-scale production.
Custom logic semiconductors · 2023
Custom AI and high-performance-computing chips
Rapidus aims to manufacture customized advanced logic devices for AI and high-performance-computing customers. Its agreement with Tenstorrent represents the first publicly identified customer relationship and involves a RISC-V-based AI-computing architecture. The offering is intended to combine customer-specific design requirements with Rapidus’ advanced process technology.
Semiconductor design services · 2024
Rapidus Design Solutions
Rapidus Design Solutions is the company’s Silicon Valley-based design and commercial-development subsidiary. It is intended to engage major U.S. technology companies, translate customer requirements into manufacturable semiconductor designs, and recruit software and chip-design engineers. It complements Rapidus’ fabrication and process-development activities.
Brand decisions
2023
Selection of Chitose for the manufacturing baseStrategyBackground
Rapidus required a location for a new advanced fab and supporting supplier and engineering ecosystem.
Action taken
The company selected Chitose, Hokkaido, near New Chitose Airport, and began factory construction later that year.
Aftermath
The site became the center of Rapidus’ pilot-line and planned mass-production program, with international equipment support planned in the area.
2023
Tenstorrent customer-development agreementProduct launchBackground
Rapidus needed external design partners and early customers for its future advanced process.
Action taken
It entered an agreement with Tenstorrent to develop and produce next-generation AI chips.
Aftermath
Tenstorrent became Rapidus’ first publicly announced customer, giving the company an early use case in AI computing and RISC-V-based design.
2022
Commitment to a domestic 2-nanometer foundryStrategyBackground
Japan sought to rebuild advanced logic-manufacturing capacity after decades of declining share in global semiconductor production.
Action taken
Rapidus was created with an explicit objective of developing and eventually mass-producing 2-nanometer-class chips in Japan.
Aftermath
The strategy led to partnerships with IBM, imec, LSTC, equipment suppliers, and international customers, while making the company dependent on sustained public and private financing.
Recent events
Reported
Rapidus partners with Lean to offer financial products to delivery workers[2]
Rapidus announced a partnership with financial benefits provider Lean to offer instant payouts and financial products to delivery partners.
Reported
Rapidus and Zapiet announce delivery-app integration partnership[3]
Rapidus announced a strategic digital partnership with app designer Zapiet to integrate functionality into local delivery options provided to Shopify customers.
Sources3 sources
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