According to Casey Lau, Shizuku AI, founded by Akio Kodaira, has secured seed funding led by a16z to develop AI companions and characters in Japan. With a background at Meta and Luma AI, Kodaira launched the AI VTuber 'Shizuku' on YouTube, gaining a significant following. Shizuku AI aims to combine advanced AI research with the artistic expertise of Japanese character design to create AI agents that users genuinely connect with.