Highlanders
"The data flywheel for the physical world"
Tokyo humanoid and quadruped robotics startup building the Kepler physical-AI foundation model and HLQ robot series since 2023.
Highlanders Inc. is a Tokyo-based robotics and artificial intelligence company, founded in 2023 and headquartered in Toshima-ku, Tokyo, that develops what it calls physical AI: a foundation model trained on data generated by its own fleet of robots. The company's model, Kepler v1.0, is described as a foundational AI system for physical intelligence, intended to let robots learn to manipulate objects and navigate real-world environments from real operating data rather than simulation alone. To generate that data, Highlanders has built and iterated through multiple robot platforms in a short period: an initial bipedal prototype called Ninja v1, a follow-up semi-humanoid testbed called Ninja v2, and the HLQ series, which includes quadruped and field-deployable variants such as HLQ Pro and HLQ Air. The company describes its strategy as a data flywheel, in which each new robot body accelerates the collection of real-world interaction data that in turn improves the underlying foundation model.
Highlanders is led by CEO Hiroya Masuoka and, as of mid-2026, reported approximately 46 employees including contractors. The company has stated interest in applying its technology to automotive, logistics, and manufacturing use cases, and industry reporting has linked Highlanders to a factory-automation collaboration with Mitsubishi Motors involving co-development of a humanoid robot, consistent with the company's stated focus on industrial and automotive deployment of physical AI. Highlanders reports having accumulated more than 5,000 contacts and pre-orders tied to industrial use cases for its hardware.
The company maintains an active presence on X (as @highlanders_ai) and YouTube (as @HighlandersInc), where it posts updates on its robot platforms and model releases, but does not publicly list a LinkedIn company page, phone number, or public email address; prospective partners are directed to a web contact form. Highlanders' headquarters is located at Mimosa Bldg. 3F, 2-11-10 Minami-Otsuka, Toshima-ku, Tokyo, Japan. The company's tagline, 'The data flywheel for the physical world,' reflects its core thesis that iterating quickly through multiple hardware generations, rather than perfecting a single robot design, is the fastest way to accumulate the real-world data needed to train general-purpose physical AI models. Because Highlanders was still a relatively young, privately held company as of this review, detailed financial information such as total funding raised or valuation has not been independently verified from its official channels.
Primary type & automation activities this supplier delivers:
Kepler v1.0
Foundation model for physical intelligence with a dual-system planner/reflex architecture, targeting deployment on Japanese production floors.
HLQ Air
Quadruped robot platform that gathers field data feeding Highlanders' Kepler foundation model in industrial deployments.
Contact Highlanders
WEBSITE
https://www.highlanders.co.jpHEADQUARTERS
Japan
Company Facts
Founded
2023
Primary Role
Manufacturer
Company Size
employees 10-50
Primary Region
Asia-Pacific
Annual Sales
-
Funding Stage
-
Funding Total
-
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Humanoid Robots AI Manufacturing Automation Robotics Automotive Industry
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