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Top 25 Automotive VC Funds in Japan

Last updated: Aug 2024 A list of 25 VC funds that invest in Automotive startups based in Japan. We rank investors based on the number of investments they made in Automotive companies from Japan. We update this investor list every month.

Top 25 Automotive VC Funds in Japan

Investor	Automotive Japan investments
BroadBand Tower	2
Mobility Technologies	2
Drone Fund	2
XTech Ventures	2
Lifetime Ventures	2
Sojitz	1
Innovation Engine	1
Z Corporation	1
Quanta Computer	1
STRIVE	1
B Dash Ventures	1
Okinawa Development Finance Corporation	1
SHIKIGAKU	1
Legend Partners	1
JapanTaxi	1
Mirai Creation Fund	1
DMM.com	1
Energy & Environment Investment	1
Incubate Fund	1
Nippon Venture Capital	1
ITOCHU Technology Ventures	1
Ryugin research Institute	1
Yamaha Motor	1
SUKOYAKA HOLDINGS	1
KDDI	1

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BroadBand Tower supports IoT (internet of things) through its advanced technological capabilities.

Investment focus

Software, Automotive, Taxi Service
Series A, Funding Round
Japan

Portfolio highlights

DennoKotsu — Denno Kotsu is a Taxi dispatch system development and provision, taxi company contract dispatch service

Mobility Technologies provides vehicle allocation systems for taxi operators.

Investment focus

Software, Automotive, Taxi Service
Series A, Funding Round
Japan

Portfolio highlights

DennoKotsu — Denno Kotsu is a Taxi dispatch system development and provision, taxi company contract dispatch service

Drone Fund is a venture capital firm that provides supports in IP strategy, innovative planning, and drone policy. It offers capital investment and financing and aims to create a Drone Ecosystem where LPs and startups can benefit from membership within the Drone Fund.

Investment focus

Drones, Robotics, Aerospace
Funding Round, Seed, Series A
Japan, United States, Canada

Portfolio highlights

Wingcopter — Wingcopter is an award-winning German developer, manufacturer, and operator of unmanned eVTOL fixed-wing aircraft dedicated to improving the lives of people worldwide through meaningful commercial and humanitarian applications. The start-up focuses on the delivery of goods such as medicines to remote health facilities, packages, and food to privatehouseholds. With their unique, patented tilt-rotor mechanism, the electrically powered Wingcopters far exceed the range and payload capabilities of commercial multicopter drones. Taking off and landing vertically like multicopters, Wingcopters fly long distances as efficiently and quickly as fixed-wing aircraft, reaching ranges of up to 75 miles (120 kilometers) and a Guinness world record speed of 150 mph (240 km/h). Even in strong winds of up to 44 mph (71 km/h) or inclement weather, Wingcopters fly autonomously and reliably.Wingcopters are also used for the efficient inspection of public infrastructure and for long-range mapping applications.In 2020, Wingcopter was named a Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum.
Sunflower Labs — Sunflower Labs makes an autonomous outdoor security system that senses and deters unwanted visitors before they’re at your door. Our elegant sensors detect motion and vibration, differentiating between people, animals, and cars. When they detect something unusual, they’ll notify you and deploy a fully autonomous drone. The drone flies directly tothe scene and streams live video of what’s happening. Guided by our sensors, it follows the activity, performs a security “sweep,” and lands itself safely in its weatherproof docking station.
RICOS Co. Ltd. — RICOS is a tech company that optimizes manufacturing processes using AI, simulation, and high-performance computing technologies.

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.

Investment focus

Software, Information Technology, Media and Entertainment
Seed, Funding Round, Series A
Japan, Italy, United Arab Emirates

Portfolio highlights

Goooods — Goooods provides engagement in the development and operation of B2B commerce.
MUSE — MUSE is a robotics company that provides robotic solutions for retail stores to support in-store operations.
RENDEZ-VOUS — RENDEZ-VOUS offers a co-ownership option for vintage cars.

Lifetime Ventures is a VC firm that specializes in pre-seed and seed investments.

Investment focus

Health Care, Software, Medical
Seed, Funding Round, Pre-Seed
Japan, South Africa, United Kingdom

Portfolio highlights

ekei labs — build your longevity strategy with ekei labs
EF Polymer — EF Polymer Private Limited providing 100% Organic and fully Biodegradable Super Absorbent Polymer cum Fertilizer to reduce Water and Fertilizer requirement for your plant. Let's grow organically.
MORPHEUS — Development of Nose To Brain Drug Delivery System (DDS)

Sojitz is operates as a general trading company. The company exports built-up vehicles; assembles, manufactures, and sells local vehicles; and sells automobiles and motorcycle components, commercial aircraft, defense and related equipment, business jets, tires, surface-mounting machines, bearings, oil, natural gas, LNG, petroleum products, nuclearfuels, and nuclear power-related equipment and machinery.

Investment focus

Health Care, Medical, Manufacturing
Funding Round, Corporate Round, Series A
Japan, United States, India

Portfolio highlights

Ripplr — Ripplr is a full-stack tech distribution and logistics player that offers data-driven analytics and plugs and play system.
VLP Therapeutics — VLP Therapeutics, LLC (VLP) was established in 2012 by seasoned biopharmaceutical veterans with mission to develop innovative medical treatment which transforms traditional vaccine and targeted antibody therapies to address global unmet medical needs. Its vision is to combat the 21st century global public health problems through revolutionary nextgeneration i-αVLP (inserted alpha VLP) Technology. The company is headquartered in Gaithersburg, Maryland
Hycamite TCD Technologies — Hycamite is decarbonising industry using its proprietary methane pyrolysis technology. It provides its industrial clients with low-carbon hydrogen and sustainable carbon products for demanding applications.

Innovation Engine has been is promoting investment to create and grow promising business areas created from technology.

Investment focus

Software, Information Technology, Health Care
Funding Round, Series A, Series C
Japan

Portfolio highlights

Asilla — Asilla develops and provides AI specialized in image and video analysis. Its services, the Vehicle recognition AI, recognizes the manufacturer and model from the image of the vehicle. It also has a censorship service that detects inappropriate images that can not be released, including copyrights and obscene expressionsAsilla was founded in 2015and is based in Tokyo, Japan.
Ranimaru — Ranimaru is pet service providing company that offers pet sitting, care of your pet dog in events, professional course about pet sitting.
Astroscale — Astroscale is the first private company with a vision to secure the safe and sustainable development of space for the benefit of future generations, and the only company solely dedicated to on-orbit servicing across all orbits.

3D Systems has the largest portfolio of 3D Printers. We offer 3D Printing solutions for manufacturing, prototyping, casting, dental and more.

Investment focus

Drones, Robotics, Automotive
Series A
Japan

Portfolio highlights

SkyDrive — SkyDrive is a start-up for development,manufacturing,sales of the “Flying cars” established by CARTIVATOR members.

Quanta Computer is a provider of design and manufacturing services in hi-tech markets.

Investment focus

Semiconductor, Software, Consumer Electronics
Series B, Series C, Series A
United States, Japan, Israel

Portfolio highlights

Plus — Plus.ai develops self-driving trucks to enable large-scale commercialization of autonomous transport. Based in Silicon Valley, Plus.ai was founded in 2016 by a group of Stanford PhD classmates who saw the strong potential of artificial intelligence to make a big impact on business and society. With trucking being the primary means of shipping inAmerica, the founders decided to focus on self-driving technology to transform the trillion-dollar commercial trucking industry. Plus.ai specializes in developing full-stack self-driving technology to enable large scale autonomous commercial fleets. We are one of the most advanced autonomous trucking companies today in terms of technological progress and were the first to obtain California’s Autonomous Testing License. The company has since been working on improving the robustness and safety of its fully functional Level-4 autonomous trucks. Plus.ai closely collaborates with the largest OEMs to build self-driving trucks that are safer than human-operated vehicles. The company operates a fleet of autonomous trucks in pilot programs with the top freight shipping companies.
QT Medical — World's leading medical ECG/EKG machine company that aims to make hospital-grade 12-lead ecg machines available for everyone. Best portable ecg device during the pandemic. Focusing on innovations in the field of telemedicine and home care, we continue to invest in research and development of products that will bring better cardiac care to patients.
CesiumAstro — CesiumAstro builds high-throughput, software-defined phased array communication payloads for airborne and in-orbit platforms.

STRIVE focuses on investing in early-stage (Seed to Series A) internet and mobile companies. It seeks out companies in Japan, Southeast Asia, and India with top-notch management teams and strong market potential. It is not tied to strategic investments for GREE Inc. and leverages its pan-Asia expertise for guiding its portfolio in an engaged,hands-on role.

Investment focus

Software, Internet, E-Commerce
Seed, Series A, Funding Round
Japan, India, Indonesia

Portfolio highlights

Asuene — Asuene involves in clean power retail business, retail SaaS business, etc.
YOUTRUST — YOUTRUST is a startup to operate YOUTRUST a referral recruitment platform for side-job change.
Testsigma — Powerful cloud-based test automation platform that lets you automate tests for web, mobile, desktop apps, and APIs in minutes. Sign up now!

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.

Investment focus

Information Technology, Internet, E-Commerce
Seed, Funding Round, Series A
Japan, Taiwan, India

Portfolio highlights

G.U. Group — G.U. Labs provides cloud tools and solutions, security technologies, and R&D capabilities to respond to the various social changes caused by blockchain. G.U.Labs provides cloud tools and solutions, security technologies, and research and development capabilities to respond to the various social changes caused by blockchain.
Thirdverse — Thirdverse (formerly known as Yomuneco Inc) is engaged in Virtual Reality content and services planning, development, sales and management.
Ascend — Ascend is a logistics company.

Okinawa Development Finance Corporation provides policy-based financial services.

Investment focus

Apps, Medical, Nursing and Residential Care
Seed, Funding Round, Series A
Japan

Portfolio highlights

LiLz — LiLz is an IT technology network for businesses looking to use AI and IoT to offer new services and value.
Aplaca.Lab — Aplaca.Lab is a driver substitution platform that provides an unprecedented new driving experience. They released a driving agency application for providing comfortable driving experiences. It enables driving agencies to optimize their resources and clients' safety, prevent accidents, and receive assistance in areas with limited transportationoptions.
Swivel — Swivel's mission is to create the fishing brand.

SHIKIGAKU is an organization management theory based on a unique theory focusing on the behavior of thinking.

Investment focus

Retail, Payments, Software
Corporate Round, Seed, Series B
Japan

Portfolio highlights

Paytner — yup is providing services to support freelance people's funding.The freelance population in Japan has been shown to continue to increase in many Chosa. While working styles are diversified, they are not able to respond to the development of the working environment, and they will develop their business to change the situation where problemssuch as funding, credit, sexual harassment, and power harassment are accumulated.
White Seed — White Seed provides a car wash service and polish to realize a coating to bring out the originality of used cars, as well as an e-commerce site that handles cleaning agents, allowing car owners to have their cars cleaned and polished at a low cost.
Treasury — Treasury delivers extensive electronic contract and commercial transaction services.

Legend Partners mainly engages in venture investment development and business creation development. It focuses on the field of real estate, state-of-the-art technology, and medical.

Investment focus

Marketing, Automotive, Enterprise
Seed, Series A
Japan

Portfolio highlights

Sukedachi — Sukedachi had focused on the unique business habit in the Japanese construction industry that construction workers are order receivers as workmen themselves and are also orderers as small enterprises, and the firm started this service. Sukedachi allows workpeople specialized in construction works receive to notification of recruitment ofconstruction jobs which meet their pre-registered conditions including residence and occupation. With this service, construction workers who are seeking jobs can contact directly to each desired construction site, and constructors suffering from chronic manpower shortage can recruit workers on almost ideal on-demand conditions.
MANTRA — MANTRA is a developer of machine translation technology.

JapanTaxi is a Provider of taxi booking services designed to cater the needs of people in Japan. The company's services offer a fare calculator application if users took a taxi offline, enabling users to easily travel from one place to another.

Investment focus

Software, Automotive, Taxi Service
Series A
Japan

Portfolio highlights

DennoKotsu — Denno Kotsu is a Taxi dispatch system development and provision, taxi company contract dispatch service

The Mirai Creation Fund invests in companies and projects that use the latest technologies and business models, supporting the growth of value in these companies and projects, wherever they are found around the world.

Investment focus

Robotics, Information Technology, Software
Funding Round, Series B, Series A
Japan, United States, Israel

Portfolio highlights

Nealle — Nealle offers business development, business planning and consulting services.
DeltaX — DeltaX provides valuable information and different services related to education.
Aeterlink — Aeterlink is a wireless device maker and developer. They applied their technology to fields such as FA, robots, smart houses, and medicine and developed practical level technologies such as elemental technology that can wirelessly supply power.

DMM.com Group provides digital content distribution, online rental, internet connection, manufacturing support, and solar power generation services. The company was established in November 1999 and is based in Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

Investment focus

Automotive, E-Commerce, Machine Learning
Seed
Japan, United States

Portfolio highlights

Teplo — Its 1st product Teplo Tea Maker allows tea lovers to brew the perfect cup of tea, each and every time of the day,
MANTRA — MANTRA is a developer of machine translation technology.

Energy & Environment Investment, Inc. (EEI) is Japan’s first venture capital specialized in the clean technology sector. With core members who have rich hands on experience in founding and managing venture companies, we aim to provide risk money and various strategic values to promising venture companies and businesses.

Investment focus

Software, Energy, Internet of Things
Funding Round, Series A, Series B
Japan, United States, Germany

Portfolio highlights

Nature — Nature offers a product that enables its users to save money by controlling the use of their air conditioners.The product that the company offers is an air conditioner controller that transforms any window-mounted or through-wall AC into a smart one, equipped with infrared, power control, and sensors that, along with a mobile app for voicesensors, enabling users to operate household appliances with just one smartphone to control their ACs. It transforms the operation of room air conditioners (ACs) to improve comfort and efficiency for consumers while reducing energy demand peaks for utilities with simple, inexpensive, and easy-to-install device.The Boston, Massachusetts-based company was incorporated by Mash Ohtsuka and Haruumi Shiode in 2014.
Kisui Tech — Kisui Tech is an agricultural AI robotics company that help farmers for farming.
DeepForest Technologies — DeepForest Technologies is an IT firm that offers drone photography, forest information analysis, DF Scanner, and data processing services.

Incubate Fund is an independent early-stage venture capital that specializes in providing capital to technology startups at the seed stage. The firm built a portfolio of over 300 companies in Asia, taking 12 companies to public and 20 companies to M&A exit since 2010.

Investment focus

Software, Information Technology, E-Commerce
Seed, Funding Round, Series A
Japan, United States, India

Portfolio highlights

Mycel — Mycel is a decentralized cross-chain asset management platform with an intent-based token transfer layer.
MaterialGate — MaterialGate focuses on single-molecule dielectrics, developing technologies for devices with better electronic characteristics.
Mechano Cross — Mechano Cross is a mechanical company that offers mechanochemical organic synthesis technology for solution reactions.

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.

Investment focus

Software, Health Care, Information Technology
Funding Round, Series A, Seed
Japan, United States

Portfolio highlights

A10 Lab — A10 Lab is a company that aims to makes people happy with technology that is independent of Sony's new business creation program. It provides Google Play an app that allows users to do things that they have never been able to do with the custom app 'Min Chale' selected for two consecutive years. It is a company that brings profits tocompanies by improving lifetime value (sales) through the habitation of users that companies have.
YADOKARI — Yadokari provides various types of Construction & Real Estate related other services.
Renalys Pharma — Renalys Pharma is a private, late-stage clinical biopharmaceutical firm in Japan dedicated on developing new therapies that address unmet needs in the management of renal illness in Japanese and Asian patients.

ITOCHU Technology Ventures (ITV), based in Tokyo, is the venture capital arm of ITOCHU Corporation. ITOCHU is one of the world's largest corporations with offices in over 80 countries and operations that cover a broad spectrum of industries. ITV's mission is to invest and help build leading information technology companies by leveraging avast array of resources both domestically and internationally throughout ITOCHU and its group companies. The ITOCHU group has a long history of funding information technology companies with successes including Siebel Systems, NVIDIA, Openwave and Aruba Networks. Current portfolio includes, Box, Fab, Ooyala, WHILL, Tokyo Otaku Mode, etc.

Investment focus

E-Commerce, Software, Information Technology
Funding Round, Series A, Series B
Japan, United States, Belgium

Portfolio highlights

KAICO — KAICO is a pharmaceuticals, diagnostic drugs production company.
Aeterlink — Aeterlink is a wireless device maker and developer. They applied their technology to fields such as FA, robots, smart houses, and medicine and developed practical level technologies such as elemental technology that can wirelessly supply power.
Quollio Technologies — Quollio Technologies is an IT company that specializes in corporate data governance, SaaS, metadata management, and software solutions.

Ryugin Research Institute Co., Ltd., took over its business from the Economic Research Office of the Corporate Support Department, which is the economic research division of the Bank of the Ryukyus, and became independent on June 28, 2006 in a form that further strengthened its functions.The Ryukyu Bank Research Department was the predecessor ofthe Economic Research Office, but since the foundation of the Ryukyu Bank in 1948, it has conducted various economic and industrial surveys and made proposals and proposals, etc. We have been committed to development.

Investment focus

Internet, Automotive, Web Design
Seed
Japan

Portfolio highlights

EC-GAIN — Ec Gain is a service to fulfill the EC operator's "want to sell more".
Re:Build — Re:Build is to create the world where we can help each other. Re:Build company was born from the desire to help those who challenge.Our mission is to create a world where help and support circulate throughout the business .
Aplaca.Lab — Aplaca.Lab is a driver substitution platform that provides an unprecedented new driving experience. They released a driving agency application for providing comfortable driving experiences. It enables driving agencies to optimize their resources and clients' safety, prevent accidents, and receive assistance in areas with limited transportationoptions.

Corporate profile and facts about Yamaha Motor.

Investment focus

Transportation, Robotics, Logistics
Series A, Series B, Corporate Round
India, Japan, United States

Portfolio highlights

RIOS — We are helping enterprises automate their entire factories, warehouses or supply chain operations by deploying AI-powered end-to-end robotic workcells.
Joyride — Make mobility instantly connected, keyless, shareable and trackable on the world's leading software platform.
River — Empowering people, improving lives.

SUKOYAKA HOLDINGS is a mental and physical health care service provider.

Investment focus

Automotive, Mobile Apps, Restaurants
Seed
Japan

Portfolio highlights

Aplaca.Lab — Aplaca.Lab is a driver substitution platform that provides an unprecedented new driving experience. They released a driving agency application for providing comfortable driving experiences. It enables driving agencies to optimize their resources and clients' safety, prevent accidents, and receive assistance in areas with limited transportationoptions.

KDDI Corporation is a Japanese telecommunications operator. It was created in 2000 through a merger of DDI, KDD and IDO and now employs over 15,000 people.The company provides a broad range of services, including fixed-line phone communication, mobile phone and web services, and Internet services. It also has a ownership stake in two Japanesecable television companies, Jupiter Telecommunications (J:COM) and Japan Cablenet (JCN). KDDI's mobile phone and web arm is branded as "au". The company is the current No. 2 in Japan's mobile communications market, trailing NTT DoCoMo and ahead of SoftBank.

Investment focus

Mobile, Software, Internet
Funding Round, Series A, Series B
Japan, United States, South Korea

Portfolio highlights

ATOMica — ATOMica is a co-working space and business management company for conference rooms, event venues, circles, and schools. The company uses coworking spaces as HUBs to provide services that maximize individuals' power. It can be used for a variety of purposes, including coworking space, shared office space, meetings, events, and web seminars. Itis also possible to use it only once. They plan and run local communities that bring together a diverse range of people, including students, workers, businesses, universities, and governments.
Allganize — Allganize provides Alli, an AI document understanding platform that revolutionizes enterprise productivity. If you want a proper AI chatbot, enterprise chatGPT, or AI OCR, Allganize is the answer.
Secret Double Octopus — Provider of industry-leading FIDO-certified, rotation-based passwordless MFA with the fullest support for enterprise complexity. Click here for more!

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