# Tier IV: robot AI company Canonical ID: `8c8a9f0b-110b-4d16-aad1-20798e85da1b` ## Key facts - **CEO:** [Shinpei Kato](/people/shinpei-kato.md) - **Founded:** December 2015 - **IPO:** July 22, 2026 — Tokyo Stock Exchange Growth Market (ticker [593A](/public-companies.md)) - **Total funding:** [$243M pre-IPO (Series A + Series B)](/investors.md) ([see investors](/investors.md)) - **Capital:** ¥8.8 billion - **Employees:** 404 (as of May 31, 2026) - **Key investors:** [Yamaha Motor](/investors/yamaha-motor.md), Sony, KDDI, SOMPO Holdings, Isuzu Motors, Toyota - **Slug:** tier-iv - **Founded:** 2015 - **HQ:** Tokyo, Japan - **Public listing:** [Tokyo Stock Exchange Growth Market: 593A](/public-companies.md) - **Category:** [Robotaxis](/robotaxis) ## Models - [Autoware](/models/autoware.md) (av) (id: `cdcb0582-9fe1-4ae8-9ab2-968a54040a11`) ## Current leadership (5) - [Shinpei Kato](/people/shinpei-kato.md) Founder - [Shinpei Kato](/people/shinpei-kato.md) Founder & CEO (secondary-verified) - [Yoshihito Takashima](/people/yoshihito-takashima.md) Chief Technology Officer (secondary-verified) - [Satoshi Sakaguchi](/people/satoshi-sakaguchi.md) CFO (secondary-verified) - [Ko Miyoshi](/people/ko-miyoshi.md) COO (secondary-verified) ## Founders (1) - [Shinpei Kato](/people/shinpei-kato.md) ## Partnerships (6) - [TIER IV x NVIDIA (autonomous driving)](/partnerships/tier-iv-x-nvidia-autonomous-driving.md) with NVIDIA Corporation _technology_ - [TIER IV x JR Central (Capital Alliance)](/partnerships/tier-iv-x-jr-central-capital-alliance.md) with Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) _investment_ - [TIER IV x Isuzu Motors](/partnerships/tier-iv-x-isuzu-motors.md) with Isuzu Motors Limited _deployment_ - [TIER IV x Isuzu x Mitsubishi Fuso (Autonomous Trucks)](/partnerships/tier-iv-x-isuzu-x-mitsubishi-fuso-autonomous-trucks.md) with Isuzu Motors, Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus, Yamato Multi Charter, Suzuyo Cargo-Net _development_ - [TIER IV x Yamaha Motor (eve autonomy JV)](/partnerships/tier-iv-x-yamaha-motor-eve-autonomy-jv.md) with Yamaha Motor, eve autonomy _joint venture_ - [TIER IV x Astemo (E2E autonomous driving)](/partnerships/tier-iv-x-astemo-e2e-autonomous-driving.md) with Astemo (Hitachi) _development_ (announced) (_reported, not operationally verified_) ## Supplies to _No verified supply relationships on file. Supply-chain coverage is being added across the registry; check back as the seed populates this company's outbound edges._ _Outbound supply edges. Each appears when verified with at least two strong sources. Sources are append-only; corrections add new sources rather than rewrite history._ ## Incidents affecting Tier IV (1) - [TIER IV autonomous bus rear-ended by public bus during Kumamoto test run](/incidents/tier-iv-kumamoto-bus-rear-ended-2025-01.md), 2025-01-30 · Collision - via [Autoware](/models/autoware.md) _Includes incidents linked directly to this company, to its models, or to deployments of its models or under its operation. Retracted incidents excluded from this view but reachable at their canonical URLs._ ## Common questions ### What is Tier IV? TIER IV is a Japanese deep-tech company and the primary commercial force behind [Autoware](/models/autoware), the world's first open-source software stack for autonomous driving. Founded in December 2015 by Shinpei Kato, the company builds scalable platforms and delivers end-to-end solutions spanning software development, vehicle manufacturing, and service operations for Level 4 autonomous mobility. TIER IV has deployed autonomous buses, taxis, and trucks across Japan and internationally, and is a founding member of the Autoware Foundation. Strategic investors include [Yamaha Motor](/companies/yamaha-motor), [Sony](/companies/sony), KDDI, and SOMPO Holdings. Products include Pilot.Auto, Web.Auto, and an automotive-grade autonomous driving kit (ADK). ### What does Tier IV make? Tier IV has 1 robot model on the DEPLOY registry: Autoware (Tier IV builds robot foundation models or autonomy software). ### Where is Tier IV headquartered? Tier IV is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. ### Where does Tier IV operate robots? Tier IV is a robot manufacturer and does not directly operate deployments on the DEPLOY registry. Its products are deployed by customer operators; see the company page for the verified deployment record. ### Is Tier IV a top robotics company? On DEPLOY's intelligence score, which blends verified deployments, funding, hiring, media, safety, and IP signals, Tier IV ranks in roughly the top 5% of companies tracked by the registry. ### When was Tier IV founded? Tier IV was founded in 2015. ### Are there any incidents involving Tier IV? 1 active incident involving Tier IV is on the DEPLOY registry. Each is a sourced, append-only record; retracted incidents are suppressed from this view. ## The verified answers - [How many people have robots killed?](/how-many-people-have-robots-killed.md) - [Robot fatalities on record: every verified fatal event, deduped](/robot-fatalities-on-record.md) - [What happened to Cruise?](/what-happened-to-cruise.md) - [Robot recalls and safety incidents](/robot-recalls-and-safety-incidents.md) - [Physical-AI company valuations: ranked, verified vs claimed](/valuations.md) - [What robotic company did Nvidia invest in?](/what-robotic-company-did-nvidia-invest-in.md) - [Which physical-AI companies are publicly traded?](/public-companies.md) - [What is the best robotics stock for 2026?](/what-is-the-best-robotics-stock-for-2026.md) - [Which companies have the most robots deployed](/which-companies-have-the-most-robots-deployed.md) - [Which operators run the most robots](/which-operators-run-the-most-robots.md) - [Which robot operators cover the most countries](/which-robot-operators-cover-the-most-countries.md) - [Which robot companies have gone public?](/which-robot-companies-have-gone-public.md) _API: GET /v1/companies/8c8a9f0b-110b-4d16-aad1-20798e85da1b · canonical URL: /companies/tier-iv_