Top 10 Biotechnology Angel Investors in Japan in October 2024

Last updated: Oct 2024 A list of 10 angel investors that invest in Biotechnology startups based in Japan. We rank investors based on the number of investments they made in Biotechnology companies from Japan. We update this investor list every month.

Top 10 Biotechnology Angel Investors in Japan in October 2024

Investor	Biotechnology Japan investments
Koki Yabu	2
Shoji Okamoto	1
Kenshin Fujiwara	1
Hirofumi Miki	1
Hiroaki Kitano	1
Yutaka Matsuo	1
Yasunori Kaneko	1
Hidetoshi Takano	1
Kamata Tomihisa	1
Yuriko Minami	1

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Investor list

Koki Yabu is Founder, President & CEO at Mobcast inc.

Investment focus

Content, Finance, Data Mining
Angel, Pre-Seed
Japan

Portfolio highlights

Mobcast group — mobcast is a sports entertainment company that operates a mobile entertainment platform for smartphones and feature phones. It supports customers with social game and social media services. The company was founded in 2009 and is based in Tokyo, Japan. Currently, it operates as a subsidiary of mobcast Inc.
SmartApp Japan — Smart Apps is a developer of a blockchain services application designed for smartphones. The company's application uses cryptocurrency technology to offer token issuance, initial coin offering and dApps design support, providing a launchpad for start-up blockchain-related businesses.

Shoji Okamoto is the President of Mirai Works.

Investment focus

Lifestyle, Life Science, Service Industry
Seed
Japan

Portfolio highlights

Mono.un — Mono.un provides users with opportunities to meet authors and collaborate on tales and specializes in bringing exciting experiences full of stories of Japanese culture to the world.
Memory Lab — Memory Lab is a research laboratory that offers AI paper analysis and development solutions.

Kenshin is a CEO at Hacarus Inc., a healthcare technology startup based in Kyoto, Japan.He co-founded several tech startups with 2 exits in the past 15 years. His first career started as an engineer at Sony Computer Entertainment and worked on PlayStation development projects. HIs fist startup was acquired by Japanese public company, and thesecond startup was sold to the US company.Born in 1976. He holds a Computer Science degree from California State University. He loves mountain hiking and currently living in Kyoto Japan with his wife and family.

Investment focus

Mobile, Medical, Software
Seed, Series A
Japan

Portfolio highlights

Helpfeel — Our vision is to make saving, sharing, and exploring ideas as natural as breathing. On this journey we're humbled to be helping millions around the world from solo makers to university research labs, from gamers to pro designers, and large to small teams like ours.
HACARUS — We make AI work, where common Big Data aproaches fail. Get explainable results, even from small data amounts. Available on the cloud or as embedded devices.

After JTB Co., Ltd. and CYBIRD Co., Ltd. as an initial member of Glee Co., Ltd. is responsible for business development. Currently, he is mainly engaged in venture support in the Internet area, investing in venture and venture capital, and served as management advisor for dozens of companies. Hands-on business development, growth strategydevelopment, financing advice, HR organization design support, partner referral and Recruit Support. He is also engaged in business support for ventures in the healthcare and university venture fields. He served as Digital Health Meetup Advisor, NEDOTCP Mentor and Future 2016 Mentor.

Investment focus

Content, Marketing, Internet
Seed, Angel, Pre-Seed
Japan

Portfolio highlights

AceRNA — AceRNA contributes to regenerative medicine and drug discovery through the discovery of novel miRNA functions. It began operation in April 2018, with its headquarters in Kyoto in Japan.
Epicbase — Epicbase is an AI-based automatic voice transcription service based on voice recognition technology.
Go Visions — Go Visions engages in the edutainment tech for children and human resources services.

Hiroaki Kitano is the SVP at Softbank Mobile. He attended Waseda University.

Investment focus

Health Care, Information Technology, Fitness
Seed, Angel, Debt Financing
Japan, United States

Portfolio highlights

GPx — GPx is a biotech company that revolutionizes remote chronic disease management with bloodless blood tests. It is dedicated to transforming the standard of care of cardiorenal diseases and enabling patients to better understand their condition, much like the continuous glucose monitor has transformed diabetes care.The company was founded in 2020and is based in Boston, Massachusetts.
Epistra — Epistra accelerates research and development in life sciences.
Activaid — Activaid owns and operates a social data platform for patients with inflammatory bowel disease. It allows patients to support and exchange information within the patient community with the same disease; provide information necessary for new drug development and matching to clinical trials that suits them; and improve medical treatment. YasuakiHasebe founded Activaid in 2018. It has its headquarters in Tokyo in Japan.

1997 Graduated from Tokyo University, Department of Electronic and Information Engineering. In 2002, he completed the doctoral program at the same graduate school. Ph.D. (Engineering) He was a researcher at the Institute of Industrial Science and Technology since the same year. After working as a visiting researcher at Stanford University in August2005, Associate Professor of Technology Management Strategy, Institute of Research, Graduate School of Engineering, University of Tokyo in 2007. Co-Representative, Associate Professor, Global Consumption Intelligence Donation Course, Department of Technology Management Strategy, Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo University. Professor from 2019, Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo University of Engineering, Department of Technology Management Strategy. He specializes in artificial intelligence, web mining, big data analytics. The Society of Artificial Intelligence received the Paper Award (2002), the 20th Anniversary Project Award (2006), the Field Innovation Award (2011), and the Merit Award (2013). At the Society of Artificial Intelligence, he has been a student editorial committee and an editorial committee, and vice chair/director since 2010. Chairman of Ethics from 2014 to 2018. Chairman of Japan Deep Learning Association since 2017.

Investment focus

Artificial Intelligence, Neuroscience, Machine Learning
Seed
Japan

Portfolio highlights

DeepX — DeepX is an AI startup company based in Tokyo that was founded in 2016 by graduates from the University of Tokyo, Japan’s leading institution of higher education. After three strong years of establishing ourselves, we continue to grow and are ready to make an impact on society through our work. Our core mission is to ‘automate any machinery’ andsupported by our successful projects, we believe that Deep Learning and its real-world implementations will bring an unprecedented breakthrough to solve current and future societal problems. A key challenge that Japan is currently facing is a super-aging society and a shrinking labor population leading to shortages. We develop software to automate machines ranging from small industrial robots to big heavy equipment. Our control models can achieve flexible operation for various environments and conditions using cutting-edge technology such as Deep Reinforcement Learning.
MinD in a Device — MinD in a Device Co., Ltd. is a university-launched venture that aims to port human consciousness to devices (machines and computers) in the medium to long term based on long-term research results on consciousness. As the first step toward realization, we will evolve and deepen the "generation model" considered to be the source ofconsciousness, and promote the development of next-generation AI and social implementation.

Yasunori has been involved in managing and financing US life sciences companies since 1981. He began his career at Genentech (NYSE: DNA), where he spearheaded its business development activities for the first several years. He was then Project Manager for the launch of ProtropinÂ (human growth hormone), the first product marketed by Genentech. In1987, he became head of corporate finance in the investment banking division of Paribas Capital Markets LTD in Tokyo, where he helped finance Japanese government agencies, municipalities and corporations in the Euro market. He also helped numerous life sciences companies raise capital. He then became Senior Vice President and CFO of Isis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ISIS), which went public during his tenure there. In 1992, he was recruited to be the original business executive at Tularik (acquired by Amgen in 2004), where at various times he was CFO and VP-Business Development until its public offering in 1999. He served on the board of LeukoSite until its merger with Millennium Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: MLNM) in 1999. He received an undergraduate degree from Keio University in Tokyo, a medical degree from Keio University School of Medicine, and an M.B.A. from Stanford Business School. He joined Skyline in 1999. He committed to golf several years ago after an unfortunate heading incident at a team reunion for his junior All-Star soccer team.

Investment focus

Biotechnology
Seed
Japan

Portfolio highlights

Logomix Inc. — Logomix Inc is a mammalian cellular genome architect startup. Logomix proprietary platform, Geno-Writing™, technology integrates large-scale (Mb) human genome-writing technologies and providing genetically architected versatile human cells and/or downsized cells and microbes for drug development and cell & gene therapy area.Majority ofthe cell engineering companies are currently focused on optimization of gene clusters by automatic high throughput system however, Logomix’s Geno-Writing™ provides the required tools for dealing with mammalian or complex genomes. Logomix works with partners by providing new biology-based solutions to co-create business and social values on Geno-Writing™ platform Current Focus Area includes: 1. Human Health & Therapeutics 2. Biomaterials & Chemicals 3. Agriculture & EnvironmentLogomix has 11 ongoing collaborative research partnerships. Currently Logomix is specifically looking for industry partners to address unmet needs in neurodegenerative disease areas.

Joined Intelligence in 1999. Established Key Players Inc. in 2005. Consultation with more than 3,000 managers and career counseling for more than 10,000 individuals. In addition, we have invested in more than 55 outside directors, advisors and angels in Silicon Valley and Bangladesh in Japan. Over 100 lectures on careers, entrepreneurship andstartups.

Investment focus

Internet, Information Technology, Human Resources
Seed, Angel, Funding Round
Japan, United States

Portfolio highlights

Kaymak — Kaymak is a recruitment platform that focuses on creating a recruitment website, planning a recruitment strategy, and managing candidates.
D-Chain — D-Chain offers services related to IT development and production in the Web3 and Web2 fields.
Rayout — Rayout is a business consulting company that provides creative content development, recruitment videos, and web production services.

Dr. Kamada earned his Ph.D. at the University of Tokyo. In 1984, he pursued his journey to establish his own business that focused on information appliances and mobile software, namely ACCESS Co., Ltd.. With great success, the company entered the Tokyo Stock Exchange Mothers Market in 2001. He left ACCESS Co., Ltd. in 2011, and founded TomyK Ltd.in 2012 where he supports startups possessing revolutionary business ideas that revitalize the Japanese economy.