VISION
To provide a safe and affordable means of labor in Space
GITAI will be an equal partner with the world’s leading space launch companies, providing safe and affordable labor to build space colonies and cities on the Moon and Mars.
They provide the transportation, we provide the work. They lower the cost of transportation, we lower the cost of work.
COMPANY
| Company Name | GITAI USA Inc. |
| Founded | July, 2016 |
| Representative | Sho Nakanose |
HISTORY
GITAI was founded with a vision of disrupting the space industry, answering the increasing demand for construction and maintenance activities in space by developing more capable and less expensive robotic systems. As we have taken firm steps up the TRL ladder, from concept stage to breadboard, to prototypes and flight models on the ISS, we have attracted increasing levels of venture capital investments.
July 2016
GITAI founded
September 2016
First venture capital investment from Skyland Ventures
November 2017
Funds raised from ANRI and 500 startups in Japan
June 2019
Funds raised US$4.1M from Spiral Ventures, DBJ Capital, J-Power, and 500 Startups, Japan
January 2020
GITAI secures an order from JAXA
March 2021
Funds raised US$17.1M from SPARX, Daiwa Corporate Investment, The Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company, and EPSON X Investment / Global Brain
June 2021
GITAI ties a joint research contract with Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) for joint R&D of a robotic arm for the “LUNAR CRUISER”
July 2021
GITAI wins a procurement contract from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), government of Japan
October 2021
GITAI completes a successful technology demonstration inside the ISS
April 2022
GITAI conducts a successful demonstration of ISAM Activities in a simulated space environment
October 2022
GITAI secures the first purchase order from major US local space company
May 2023
GITAI Raises US$30 Million in Funding from a consortium of investors, including JIC Venture Growth Investments Co., Ltd.
July 2023
GITAI Completes Manufacturing Preparation for Lunar Manipulator and Rover Flight Models
August 2023
GITAI Secures an Additional US$15 Million in Funding
October 2023
GITAI Shifts Headquarters from Tokyo, Japan to Torrance, United States
November 2023
GITAI triumphs in Securing DARPA LunA-10 Project with Innovative Lunar Robotics Solution
December 2023
GITAI Receives Prominent National Institute of Standards and Technology Compliance Certification
January 2024
1.5-meter-long autonomous dual robotic arm system (S2) is launched to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket
March 2024
1.5-meter-long autonomous dual robotic arm system (S2) completes fully successful technology demonstration outside the ISS
May 2024
GITAI Achieves AS9100 Certification
June 2024
GITAI has been selected for NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase 1 program
MANAGEMENT
Sho Nakanose
Founder&CEO
After leaving IBM, started and sold a business in India. One of the first participants from Japan in Singularity University’s flagship program, GSP. In 2016, started development of the first prototypes of the GITAI robot and founded the company.
Yuto Nakanishi (Ph. D)
CRO
Former Founder & CEO of SCHAFT. After retiring as a research associate at the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Information Science and Technology (JSK Lab), he founded the bipedal robot startup, SCHAFT. He later sold the company to Google in 2013.
Toyotaka Kozuki (Ph. D)
CTO
PhD at the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Information Science and Technology (JSK Lab). Former mechanical engineer of WHILL.
Ryouhei Ueda(Ph. D)
VP of software
PhD at the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Information Science and Technology (JSK Lab). Former robotics software engineer of SCHAFT.
Tatsuro Koyama
CFO
Former Founder & CFO of Pocket Concierge, a startup that recently joined American Express through its cross-border M&A. Has nearly 15 years of investment banking experience including M&A & Capital Markets in global financial institutions such as Morgan Stanley.