Crafting the next frontier
of hand-drawn animation

Kamikai is a suite of precision AI tools designed for the real anime pipeline - from layout to dōga, genga to final shot. We take away the repetitive pain so animators can pour more time into quality, emotion, and style.

We believe AI should feel like an extension of the pencil, not a replacement for the artist. That's why Kamikai is tuned for frame-by-frame workflows, tight production schedules, and the uncompromising quality bar of Japanese anime studios already using our tools in production.

Kamikai started as an internal tool. Before focusing entirely on products, our team was embedded in production. But through our work on multiple Hollywood productions and our own internal anime project, one thing became clear: professional artists deserved better tools.

So we pivoted. We moved to Tokyo and embedded ourselves in commercial anime studios, spending hundreds of hours sitting next to animators, studying cuts, timing charts, and production boards. We designed Kamikai to slot into existing workflows instead of fighting them.

Kamikai was officially launched as a production-ready AI suite for anime studios - a toolchain built not for demos, but for weekly broadcast deadlines and feature-film demands.

We are a small, focused team of animators, engineers, and researchers building precision AI tools for professional 2D animation. Based in Tokyo with roots in San Francisco, we're developing the next generation of generative drawing and animation tools, starting with Kamikai Studio.

We operate like a tight production crew: everyone interacts with customers, everyone functions autonomously, and everyone has a broad range of ownership. Our tools are already in use by leading Japanese studios and independent animators who want to move faster without compromising on craft.

This is a place for people who want to work hard and talk honestly. We're intentionally blending Japanese and Silicon Valley cultures: respect and reliability, combined with direct feedback and rapid experimentation. We bias toward people who make things. Our team is full of animators, artists, engineers, and hybrid creatives who are encouraged to experiment and express themselves. We demand a lot from each other because we're trying to make something worth our life's work.

Our investors include partners who believe in building durable infrastructure for the future of animation, including Khosla Ventures, HF0, Digital Garage, Square Enix, and others.

If any of this resonates - feel free to email hiring@kamik.ai about joining the team.