Japan's crowdfunding in early 2026 — money pours into AI devices
A snapshot of early 2026
Per craco's cross-platform study, Jan–May 2026 spanned ~9,748 projects across all eight platforms, with combined achievement of roughly ¥178.2B. The defining feature: money concentrating on “AI capability-enhancement and experience-improvement devices.”
Top five by achievement amount (Jan–May 2026)
| Rank | Project | Platform | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rokid Smart AI Glasses | Makuake | ¥636,736,060 |
| 2 | Valerion premium projector | Makuake | ¥325,329,081 |
| 3 | Valerion premium projector | GREEN FUNDING | ¥251,062,877 |
| 4 | CODE27 (AI companion) | Makuake | ¥215,524,600 |
| 5 | Tenniix (AI tennis machine) | Makuake | ¥187,117,100 |
All five cleared ¥100M — AI glasses, an AI companion and AI sports coaching.
The platform map
- Makuake leads by amount: ~44.2% share (~¥78.7B), lifted by pricey gadgets and premium appliances.
- CAMPFIRE leads by count: ~65.5% share — the number of community, local and social projects still concentrates there (CAMPFIRE's scale).
What it means for backers
A by-amount ranking maps buzz, not safety. With the top so skewed to AI devices, the checks in reading AI gadgets — certification, warranty, server continuity, fees — matter most. Funding types and fees differ by platform, so pair this with the platform directory. And note that market sizing varies by definition (the bigger picture).