# Top 45 Art Startup Investors in Japan in June 2026 ## Ryosuke Matsumoto - Type: Angel - Location: Minato, Chiba, Japan - Relevant deals: 2 - Stages: Seed, Angel, Series A - Focus: Art, Software, Reservations Ryosuke Matsumoto is the Founder / CEO at Kankak. Ryosuke Matsumoto attended Chuo University. ## UTEC - The University of Tokyo Edge Capital Partners - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 2 - Stages: Seed, Series A - Focus: Health Care, Biotechnology, Medical UTEC-The University of Tokyo Edge Capital Partners Co., Ltd.. UTEC is a seed/early stage technology focused venture capital firm associated with The University of Tokyo. ## DK Gate - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 2 - Stages: Series A, Seed, Series B - Focus: Software, Information Technology, Internet DK Gate is a joint venture company of Digital Garage and Kodansha. ## mixi - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 2 - Stages: Series A, Series B - Focus: Media and Entertainment, Apps, Information Technology Mixi is a Japanese social networking service that allows users to connect with their friends in a convenient way.It enables users to send and receive messages, write in a diary, read and comment on others' diaries, organize and join communities, and invite their friends. ## Fuji Startup Ventures - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 2 - Stages: Seed, Series A - Focus: E-Commerce, News, Internet Fuji Startup Ventures, the venture capital arm of Fuji Media Holdings, specializes in startup to early stage investments. ## Globe Advisors - Type: VC Fund - Location: Marunouchi, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 2 - Stages: Seed, Series A - Focus: SNS, Content, Artificial Intelligence Globe Advisors is an independent investor that finds companies that are expected to grow significantly in the future. A growing company is one that a good manager and his team can put in a good product in a good market. Such companies are properly valued, funds for growth are raised and a better future is created. Globe Advisors wants to be acompany that can contribute to the creation of such a society. ## Kunihiro Tanaka - Type: Angel - Location: Osaka, Osaka, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Series B - Focus: Cloud Computing, Art, Baby Kunihiro Tanaka is a President/CEO of Sakura Internet Inc. ## Makers Fund - Type: VC Fund - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Series A, Series B - Focus: Gaming, Video Games, Online Games Makers Fund is a global interactive entertainment venture capital firm focused on early stage investments. The team supports founders through an extensive network and deep experience in the industry. ## Taiga Matsuyama - Type: Angel - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Angel, Series A - Focus: Software, Internet, Analytics Taiga Matsuyama graduated form Waseda University, Matsuyama has been engaged in venture company support for more than ten years in Tokyo, after experience as a consultant at Accenture.Matsuyama became one of the board member of NetAge, Inc (IPO 2006), start-up incubator known by having invested in MIXI – Japanese top SNS and support severalstart-up companies.He also has contributed to the activity for create the start-up eco-system in Tokyo through the NPO Organization BVA (Bit Valley Association). Currently he has established Kronos Fund with angel investors, venture capital fund for investment in emerging early-stage companies.Kronos Fund has invested in more than 20 companies. ## Kazuma Yamauchi - Type: Angel - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Angel - Focus: Content, Software, Information Technology Kazuma Yamauchi ## YJ Capital - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Series A, Seed - Focus: Software, Information Technology, Internet YJ Capital is a Corporate Venture Capital of Yahoo Japan. Our value is to help global minded entrepreneurs build successful and lasting internet companies. We invest in all stages, all sectors in Asia, US and Israel.YJ Capital has a unique access to Yahoo Japan's operational experience and unparalleled Japan market entry support. Oursole LP allows us to focus only on our portfolio companies and make fast decision making. ## Ryutaro Katayama - Type: Angel - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Series A - Focus: Art, Blockchain, Information Technology He holds a BA in Economics and a Master of Sociology from Keio University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. After regenerating many companies as president, he served as a representative of Giuliani Partners Japan and the president of Japan's oldest and largest art auction company Christie's Japan. He has also served as a number ofprominent corporate outside directors and director of art groups. Participated in the creation of Whiz Partners, a leading venture capital firm, and is still a managing partner of international venture capital. ## Chishima Real Estate - Type: VC Fund - Location: Osaka, Osaka, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Series A, Series B - Focus: Manufacturing, Art, Apps Chishima Real Estate engages in a range of business including real estate, aircraft leasing, and regional revitalization activities. ## East Ventures - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Series A - Focus: Software, Information Technology, Internet East Ventures is an early stage venture capital (VC) focused on Southeast Asia, Indonesia & Japan. Success cases include Tokopedia, Traveloka, and Mercari. ## Hankyu Hanshin - Type: VC Fund - Location: Osaka, Osaka, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Series C, Series A - Focus: Virtual Reality, Art, Video Hankyu Hanshin operates in the urban transportation, real estate, entertainment and communications, travel, international transportation, and hotels businesses in Japan and internationally. It provides various urban transportation services linking railways, buses, and taxis; and advertising services. Hankyu Hanshin is also involved in theretailing business; development, lease, and administration of condominiums, commercial facilities, and office buildings; real estate fund management; and communication and media businesses, such as information services business, and broadcast and communications business. Moreover, it engages in the sports businesses, including professional baseball, Hanshin Koshien stadium, and related businesses; and stage businesses comprising Takarazuka Revue and related businesses. Further, Hankyu Hanshin is involved in the provision of travel and international transportation services, as well as ownership and management of hotels. It operated 46 hotels with 10,000 rooms as of March 31, 2018. Hankyu Hanshin began operation in 1907. It has its headquarters in Osaka in Japan. ## Asu Capital Partners - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Pre-Seed, Series C - Focus: Apps, Artificial Intelligence, Art A new tool that blends your everyday work apps into one. It's the all-in-one workspace for you and your team ## Miraidoa - Type: VC Fund - Location: Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Series A - Focus: Health Care, Manufacturing, Information Technology Future Venture Capital Co., Ltd. is a venture capital firm specializing in early stage investment. The firm invests in diversified investment in a broad range of industrial sectors. It seeks to invest in Japan. The firm prefers to be the lead investor in its portfolio companies. Future Venture Capital Co., Ltd. was founded in 1998 and is based inKyoto, Japan with offices in Tokyo, Aomori, Iwate, Yamagata, Kanazawa, Mie, Sakai, Kobe, and Ehime. ## Darwin Venture Management - Type: VC Fund - Location: Taipei, T'ai-pei, Taiwan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Series A - Focus: Software, Manufacturing, Information Technology Darwin Venture Management is a venture capital firm headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, with offices in Hsinchu and the United States. Since our founding in 2009, we have managed eight funds, investing primarily in Series A/B, late-stage, and secondary funds. In 2022, we also launched an evergreen angel fund to enable more nimble bets onpromising early-stage teams, and especially those coming from Taiwan’s superb academic and research institutions. This exposure across stages and borders, coupled with the strong technical background of our team, is the source of Darwin’s differentiation. We recently launched our 8th fund Darjune. ## Kenji Yabuno - Type: Angel - Location: Osaka, Osaka, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Angel - Focus: Art, Social Media, Product Design Kenji Yabuno is a Founder & CEO at Cookbiz Co.,Ltd. ## Gakken Plus Japan - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Pre-Seed, Series A - Focus: Art, EdTech, Robotics Gakken Plus is a publishing business offering a catalog of books and magazines. ## Global Brain Corporation - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Series A, Series B - Focus: Software, Information Technology, Artificial Intelligence Global Brain Corporation is a venture capital firm that invests in companies from seed or early to pre-IPO startups. Global Brain has invested in 300+ startups from seed/early to pre-IPO startups and achieved 25 IPOs and 61 M&As as a result of providing hands-on support services and resources to its portfolio startups. Global Brain hasmanaged a pure investment fund as well as multiple corporate venture capital funds partnered together with tier 1 public companies of telecom, real estate development, financial service, beverages, agriculture food, logistics, and electronic devices. ## XTech Ventures - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Series A - Focus: Software, Information Technology, Artificial Intelligence XTech Ventures aims to achieve dramatic growth for investee companies by supporting entrepreneurship, multifaceted management support, and IPO support for the excellent middle class who are enthusiastic about entrepreneurship. ## JAFCO - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Series A, Series B - Focus: Information Technology, Software, Artificial Intelligence Since its founding in 1973, JAFCO has always worked with leading-edge entrepreneurs. The total capital commitments of its investment funds in Japan and overseas have exceeded 1 trillion yen and the number of portfolio IPOs to date has reached over 1,000. In addition to venture investment, JAFCO also carries out buyout investment and commit to thecreations of innovative technologies and services worldwide. As entrepreneurs’ closest partner in bringing their visions to life, JAFCO provides support in areas of HR, marketing/ sales, and back-office operations, in addition to providing financing. ## SX Capital Japan - Type: VC Fund - Location: Toranomon, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Series A, Series B - Focus: Information Technology, Art, Content SX Capital is an asset management firm targeting private IT-related venture companies. It aims to provide all kinds of support for growth, not just investment. The firm was founded in 2000 and is based in Toranomon, Tokyo, Japan. ## Shota Horii - Type: Angel - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed - Focus: Internet, Information Technology, Art Shota Horii ## Akatsuki Games Inc. - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Corporate Round - Focus: Media and Entertainment, Gaming, Content Akatsuki offers MobileSocialGame services. They utilize cutting edge technology and ideas to realize and deliver their ambitions to their users. They provide new value to society through the services we manage daily. Providing services throughout the world that brighten up everyone's daily lives. ## PKSHA Capital - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Series A - Focus: Information Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Internet We are a venture capital firm accelerating the innovation and the algorithm transformation of existing industries with artificial intelligent technology. ## Mai Fujimoto - Type: Angel - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Series A - Focus: Blockchain, Marketplace, Art Mai Fujimoto is known domestically and internationally as Miss Bitcoin. She has been promoting the spread of Bitcoin around the world since 2011. ## Morinaga - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Series B, Corporate Round - Focus: Art, Pet, Mobile Morinaga is a confectionery company that manufactures, purchases, and sells confectionery food and healthy drinks. The company aims to contribute to the realization of abundant, safe eating choices, and the promotion of health among the people of the world. Its diverse range of confectionery products is divided into five groups that includeconfectioneries, food, frozen desserts, weider, and healthcare. ## Shunsuke Oyu - Type: Angel - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Angel - Focus: Content, Internet, Media and Entertainment Shunsuke Oyu is the co-founder of Connehito Inc. Started an online Q&A platform “mamari” which is the largest platform for moms in Japan. Connehito was acquired by one of the telecom giant KDDI in 2016. Selected as a “Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia” at consumer technology department. Angel-investing 50+ companies globally. ## B Dash Ventures - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Series A - Focus: Internet, Information Technology, Apps B Dash Ventures does seed to late stage tech investments in Japan, Asia Pacific, and the U.S. LPs include Japan's largest technology companies and financial institutions including NTT Docomo, Mitsubishi UFJ Capital, GREE, NEC BIGLOBE, Fuji Television, and the Japanese government. B Dash Ventures also operates an incubation space inpartnership with Mori Building Co. and holds the invitation-based B Dash Camp conference. ## Oki Matsumoto - Type: Angel - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Angel, Seed, Series A - Focus: Information Technology, FinTech, Software Oki Matsumoto began his career at Salomon Brothers Asia Limited in April 1987. He then joined Goldman Sachs Japan Co., Ltd. in April 1990 and was appointed General Partner of The Goldman Sachs Group, L.P. in November 1994. As a General Partner, he was Co-Head of its Tokyo Branch’s FX & Fixed Income Business and was in charge of FX and fixedincome products and the related risk management. It was in April 1999 that Matsumoto jointly established (the former) Monex, Inc. with Sony Corporation. In August 2004, Matsumoto become the Representative Director and CEO of the Company (former name: Monex Beans Holdings, Inc.) upon its formation through management integration of Monex, Inc. and Nikko Beans Inc. He was named the Representative Director, Chairman and CEO of the Company in February 2011 and then assumed his current position in June 2013. ## KDDI Open Innovation Fund - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Series B, Series A - Focus: Software, Internet, Information Technology KDDI Open Innovation Fund is a corporate venture capital fund that will support promising startup companies. Total size of the fund is JPY10 billion. This is the first corporate venture capital fund established by KDDI. The fund will be managed by Global Brain Corporation (Head office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO, Yasuhiko Yurimoto),which has a strong track record in the venture capital business. By combining KDDI’s know-how and assets with Global Brain’s investment and management support capabilities, we will work together to accelerate cooperative activities with promising startup companies. Through this fund, as well as "KDDI ∞ Labo," a startup incubation program currently inviting a second round of applications, we will continue to support the growth of the next startup companies. ## Soma Capital - Type: VC Fund - Location: San Francisco, California, United States - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Pre-Seed, Series A - Focus: Software, Artificial Intelligence, FinTech Welcome to Soma Capital ## Dentsu - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Corporate Round, Series B - Focus: Advertising, Information Technology, Media and Entertainment At dentsu, innovation is our strength, and your growth is our mission. We help you keep up with technological changes in the digital economy. ## Cygames capital - Type: VC Fund - Location: Shibuya, Kanagawa, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Series A, Series B, Seed - Focus: Video, Health Care, Art Cygames capital is an Investment firm. ## Money Forward Venture Partners - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Series A, Series B - Focus: Information Technology, Software, Artificial Intelligence Money Forward Venture Partners operates HIRAC FUND, a seed fund specializing in seed and early-stage startups. ## ThirdwaveSolutions - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Series A - Focus: Art, Video, UX Design ThirdwaveSolutions is a network, system integration, outsourcing and information equipment selling company. ## Nippon Venture Capital - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Series A, Series B - Focus: Software, Health Care, Medical Nippon Venture Capital ("NVCC"), established in 1996 as one of the few largest Japanese independent venture capital firms, is destined to undertake the unprecedented task of providing full-range venture capital services in cooperation with major Japanese business leaders and leading companies, which have supported and nurtured various newbusinesses on their own, as well as proactively developing new venture enterprises. ## YoStar - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Series A, Series B - Focus: Video, Art, Music YoStar is an application that facilitates the adjustment of a telescope towards a space object. ## Sachiko Kuno - Type: Angel - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Angel - Focus: Art, Social Media, Museums and Historical Sites Sachiko Kuno - Co-Founder, President & CEO @ Halcyon Incubator ## Sotaro Karasawa - Type: Angel - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Pre-Seed, Angel - Focus: Software, Blockchain, Art Sotaro Karasawa - Chief Technology Officer @ STAR FESTIVAL ## Monex Ventures - Type: VC Fund - Location: Minato, Chiba, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Series A - Focus: Software, Financial Services, FinTech Monex Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Japan that finances seed and early stage investments in startup companies. ## Shiny Chemical Industrial - Type: VC Fund - Location: Kaohsiung, T'ai-wan, Taiwan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed - Focus: Art, Graphic Design, Digital Marketing Shiny Chemical Industrial is a production and sales company for purity solvents used in semiconductors, flat-panel displays, photoresist manufacturing, packaging testing, and light-emitting diodes. They provide logistics management and professional services to customers. ## Ken Soga - Type: Angel - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Pre-Seed, Series D - Focus: Music, Content, E-Commerce Ken Soga is an individual investor. # About Shizune Shizune.co is an investor database. Core features: - 48,091 startup investors (angels, VCs, accelerators, and others) - Email, phone, LinkedIn (for intros), socials, and other contact data - Updated daily from public funding news - CSV and Excel export The User can access the full database FOR FREE after signing up: shizune.co