Sakai Chemical Industry’s century-old expertise in producing fine powders for face makeup used by geisha is finding a lucrative new use — powering the artificial intelligence boom.
Production capacity is quickly filling up at the Osaka-based company, which provides raw materials for capacitors necessary in AI data centers. Until recently, such production was a side business for Sakai Chemical, which has spent decades perfecting the production of ultra-fine and uniform particles — whether for safe, lead-free base material for traditional Japanese face powders, or for chemical compounds that store big electrical charges inside tiny components in servers.
The last year has transformed Sakai Chemical into a little-known tech supply chain linchpin. The company’s now calculating how much more production capability it needs to add, according to its President Toshiyuki Yagura.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.