Rapidus, which is struggling with a cash crunch, appears set to attract a large investment. Rapidus is a corporations established in 2022 under the leadership of the Japanese government. The Japanese government is aiming for a "revival of the semiconductor industry" through this corporations.
According to local media including Nikkei on the 12th, about 20 corporations, including Honda, Fujitsu, Canon, Kyocera, Fujifilm Holdings and Hokkaido Electric Power, are considering investing in Rapidus, which is seeking to raise funds. Projections suggest each corporations will invest from as little as 50 billion yen (about 4.7 billion won) to as much as 200 billion yen (about 189.7 billion won).
Rapidus plans to reach agreements with each company as early as this year and receive funds by March next year. Rapidus is a company established in 2022 with a 7.3 billion yen (about 69.3 billion won) investment by eight Japanese large corporations, including Toyota, Kioxia, Sony and NTT, to localize semiconductor production. If Rapidus completes this investment negotiation without issues, the number of investing corporations is expected to increase to 30.
The Asahi Shimbun also reported that Japan's three mega-banks—MUFG Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking and Mizuho Bank—have conveyed to Rapidus their intention to provide a loan of up to 2 trillion yen (about 19 trillion won) after Apr. 2027 if certain conditions are met.
Rapidus has built a plant in Chitose, Hokkaido, and will begin mass production of 2-nanometer (nm; one-billionth of a meter) products by Mar. 2028. It is also reportedly pursuing a plan to build a second plant in Chitose to produce 1.4-nanometer products after 2029. Rapidus said in July that it had succeeded in making 2-nanometer products and unveiled a prototype.
The amount the Japanese government has pledged to support Rapidus totals about 2.9 trillion yen (about 27.5 trillion won). Rapidus expects it will need a total of 7 trillion yen (about 66 trillion won) in funding by Apr. 2032. Of that, it plans to secure 1 trillion yen (about 9.5 trillion won) through private investment. However, Nikkei noted concerns that as the number of investing corporations increases and the number of Rapidus shareholders grows, the decision-making process could slow.