Japan Bets $1.6B on Rapidus to Take On TSMC in 2nm Chip Race
Japan's government is pouring ¥250 billion into Rapidus to mass-produce cutting-edge 2nm logic chips.
Japan is going all in on its semiconductor ambitions. The government plans to invest approximately $1.6 billion (¥250 billion) in Rapidus Corp. over the next two fiscal years.
The goal? Mass production of 2nm logic chips — the kind of bleeding-edge silicon that could position Japan as a genuine challenger to TSMC's dominance.
Rapidus is a state-backed chipmaker tasked with reviving Japan's semiconductor manufacturing prowess. The fresh funding signals Tokyo's determination to not just participate in the global chip race, but compete at the absolute frontier of it.
For context, 2nm represents the next major node in chip manufacturing. Only a handful of companies worldwide are even attempting it. Japan clearly wants Rapidus on that very short list.
Whether the money is enough to close the gap with TSMC remains the billion-dollar question — literally.