Japan govt to invest 400bn yen more in Rapidus

The planned investment, disclosed Monday at a subcommittee meeting of the Fiscal System Council, which advises the finance minister, would bring the government's total investment in the Tokyo-based company to 650 billion yen.

The investment is intended to raise Rapidus' equity ratio, making it easier for the company to obtain loans from commercial lenders.

The government has already decided to invest 250 billion yen in the chipmaker, which aims to mass-produce advanced semiconductors.

The industry ministry seeks 150 billion yen for the fresh investment in its fiscal 2027 budget request.

It hopes to request an additional 150 billion yen for fiscal 2028 and 100 billion yen for fiscal 2029.

Rapidus aims to begin mass production of chips with a line width of two nanometers in fiscal 2027, followed by production of 1.4-nanometer chips.

Securing sufficient funding is key to achieving the targets.