Get 250+ investors tailored to your startup

Invest in your industry and stage
Emails & contact info included
Excel and CSV export
Automatically

Trusted by 3,000+ startups

Top 50 Biotechnology VC Funds in Japan

Last updated: Aug 2024 A list of 50 VC funds 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 50 Biotechnology VC Funds in Japan

Investor	Biotechnology Japan investments
Osaka University Venture Capital	15
Mitsubishi UFJ Capital	14
UTEC - The University of Tokyo Edge Capital Partners	11
ANRI	10
SMBC Venture Capital	9
Real Tech Japan	9
Fast Track Initiative, Inc.	8
Keio Innovation Initiative	7
Mizuho Capital	7
Nissay Capital	6
SBI Investment	6
DBJ Capital	5
Japan Science and Technology Agency	5
Future Venture Capital	5
Real Tech Holdings	5
Nippon Venture Capital	5
F-Prime Capital	4
Remiges Ventures	4
Incubate Fund	4
Tsukuba Institute of Research	3
KSP	3
JIC Venture Growth Investments	3
Senshu Ikeda Capital	3
Eight Roads Ventures	3
Takeda	3
Takeda Ventures	3
FFG Venture Business Partners	3
Japanese Organization for Medical Device Development	2
Primal Capital	2
Capital Medica Ventures	2
SPARX Group	2
DG Daiwa Ventures	2
Kobe University Capital	2
Tokyo Century	2
Innovation Network Corporation of Japan	2
Media Future	2
Kyogin Lease & Capital	2
Fuyo General Lease	2
ITOCHU Technology Ventures	2
Fujifilm	2
Glocalink	2
Essential Pharma	2
Japan Asia Investment	2
SBI Group	2
Higin Capital	2
Ohara Pharmaceutical	2
Yokohama Capital	2
UTokyo Innovation Platform	2
Chugin Capital Partner	2
Japan Finance Corporation	1

Find investors that fund startups like yours. Automatically.

Our algorithm will find investors that invest in your industry, stage, and geography.

Investor list

Osaka University Venture Capital is a venture capital firm that focuses on early-stage ventures in the fields of life innovation, green innovation, and platform technology. The firm was founded in 2014 and based in Osaka, Japan.

Investment focus

Biotechnology, Manufacturing, Health Care
Funding Round, Seed, Series A
Japan

Portfolio highlights

Celaid Therapeutics — Celaid Therapeutics specializes in manufacturing and sales of regenerative medicine products utilizing human hematopoietic stem cells.
Restore Vision — Restore Vision is a startup based in Japan aiming to develop a visual restoration gene therapy.
Red Arrow Therapeutics — Red Arrow Therapeutics is a biotech firm that provides systemic cytokine delivery, targeted intratumoral activation, and biological potency.

Mitsubishi UFJ Capital is a venture capital firm focusing on life science, ICT, and high technology investments.

Investment focus

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

Portfolio highlights

F.MED — F.MED is a manufacturing company that designs and develops robotic microsurgical devices for the healthcare industry.
Turing — Turing develops and manufactures fully autonomous vehicles.
Mirai no Genba — Mirai no Genba is an IT company that offers AI form creation, input assist, data analytics,and visualization services.

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.

Investment focus

Biotechnology, Health Care, Medical
Seed, Funding Round, Series A
Japan, United States, Singapore

Portfolio highlights

SWAT Mobility — SWAT Mobility is a smart mobility company that provides demand-responsive, ride-sharing technology in high capacity vehicles. We work with corporates, transport operators and government agencies to improve transport services. Learn more about how we can help you leverage technology for your transport.
Celaid Therapeutics — Celaid Therapeutics specializes in manufacturing and sales of regenerative medicine products utilizing human hematopoietic stem cells.
Red Arrow Therapeutics — Red Arrow Therapeutics is a biotech firm that provides systemic cytokine delivery, targeted intratumoral activation, and biological potency.

ANRI is a Japanese venture capital firm that mainly invests in seed and early-stage startups.

Investment focus

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

Portfolio highlights

Dioseve — Dioseve is providing novel possibilities for all life.
3DC — 3DC develops and manufactures a new carbon material, graphene meso sponge (GMS), for electrodes in next-generation batteries, capacitors, fuel cells and other energy storage and generation devices.
Mirai no Genba — Mirai no Genba is an IT company that offers AI form creation, input assist, data analytics,and visualization services.

Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) and its group companies offer a broad range of financial services centered on banking. They are also engaged in the leasing, securities, credit card, investment, mortgage securitization, venture capital and other credit related businesses. The following lists the activities of SMBC, its subsidiaries andaffiliates in the various business segments.

Investment focus

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

Portfolio highlights

Nailie — Nailie is an app that lets you connect to a nail specialists just for you.
Loglass — Loglass offers corporate intelligence to enhance business management.
Pathos Logos — Pathos Logos is an HR co-creation platform that specializes in sales of SaaS and supply of human resources for corporations.

Real Tech Japan is a venture capital firm that seeks to invest in innovative R&D technology companies. Realtech Fund is a joint venture between the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry and NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization). The firm was founded in 2014 and based in Tokyo, Japan.

Investment focus

Manufacturing, Biotechnology, Medical
Funding Round, Series A, Seed
Japan, Singapore, Austria

Portfolio highlights

Ashirase — Ashirase is a developer of a walking navigation system for the visually challenged. The company assists visually impaired people in walking independently. This also allows the user to have more attention to spare for audible warnings in their environment. It includes voice input and guidance via a smartphone app. A vibration interface is attachedto their shoes.
Ken Robotec — Ken Robotec is a construction company that provides labor-saving solutions.
MaterialGate — MaterialGate focuses on single-molecule dielectrics, developing technologies for devices with better electronic characteristics.

Fast Track Initiative is a venture capital firm with an exclusive focus on life sciences and healthcare services.

Investment focus

Health Care, Biotechnology, Medical
Funding Round, Series A, Series B
Japan, United States, United Kingdom

Portfolio highlights

Medii — Medii provides a physician sharing service for hospitals.
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.
CellFiber — Cell fiber technology was developed as a basic technology for handling cells in the engineering field.

Keio Innovation Initiative (KII) is a venture capital established by Keio University. In order to make more effective use of the research results of Keio University, we aim to contribute to the development of society by creating investment for venture companies that utilize research results and creating new industries.The key to thinking aboutJapan's future growth strategy is to utilize advanced research results of the university. In addition to GDP, in addition to GDP, Japan is the world's third largest R & D exporter in R & D expenses, but as the low growth rate shows, it has a problem in investment efficiency in research and development. There are also reports on the entrepreneurial spirit that is indispensable for creating new industries, with the lowest entrepreneurial activity rate among developed countries.

Investment focus

Health Care, Medical, Biotechnology
Funding Round, Seed, Series A
Japan

Portfolio highlights

PURMX — PURMX is a pharmaceutical company that develops RNA nucleic acid medicine for therapeutic effects on intractable diseases.
NIHON AGRI — Exportation of Japanese agricultural products is currently small in volume. While Japanese farmers aspire to export their products to foreign countries for more people to enjoy and local consumers universally share the positive perception of the quality of Japanese agricultural products, issues such as price, communication, and logistics hinder theexpansion of exportation.They aim to solve these issues and satisfy the needs of both Japanese farmers and global consumers which are so clearly evident but devastatingly unmet.
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.

Mizuho is the venture capital firm affiliated to Mizuho Bank, the second-largest Japanese bank in terms of assets. The firm has headquarters in Tokyo.The firm has ¥49.6 billion JPY under management, focusing on information technology and biotechnology investments. Over 600 Mizuho companies have gone public. According to Nikkei, Mizuho is thefifth-largest venture capital firm in Japan.Mizuho Capital was formed in 2002 by the merger of Fujigin Capital, Tokyo Venture Capital and IBJ Investment. Three firms were subsidiaries of Fuji Bank, Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank and the Industrial Bank of Japan respectively.

Investment focus

Information Technology, Software, Internet
Funding Round, Series A, Series B
Japan, United States, China

Portfolio highlights

Loglass — Loglass offers corporate intelligence to enhance business management.
Yoriso — Yoriso, formerly known as Minrebi, is a Japanese startup that connects families to funeral homes and other end-of-life service providers. It is a funeral / medical IT venture that aims to be a “company that creates a world where everyone can make their own choices by overcoming the limitations of ingenuity”.Yoriso was founded in 2009 and isheadquartered in Tokyo.
Stayway — Stayway is operating the world's largest hotel and vacation facility search and comparison site.

Nissay Capital is a venture capital Company specializing in seed, start-up, growth capital, middle stage, and later stage investment.

Investment focus

Health Care, Medical, Internet
Funding Round, Seed, Series A
Japan, Ethiopia, United States

Portfolio highlights

Zpeer — Zpeer provides appropriate medical care to all livestock and companion animals
Nailie — Nailie is an app that lets you connect to a nail specialists just for you.
Loglass — Loglass offers corporate intelligence to enhance business management.

SBI Investment supports the business development and growth of private venture companies through fund investment. It manages and manages venture capital funds under the management philosophy of becoming a leading company responsible for the creation and development of core industries in the 21st century as a "new industry creator".SBIInvestment has invested in a total of 986 companies in the past, of which 169 (17.1% of investment companies) have exited through IPO or M & A.

Investment focus

Information Technology, Financial Services, Software
Series B, Series A, Funding Round
Japan, South Korea, United States

Portfolio highlights

Asuene — Asuene involves in clean power retail business, retail SaaS business, etc.
NIHON AGRI — Exportation of Japanese agricultural products is currently small in volume. While Japanese farmers aspire to export their products to foreign countries for more people to enjoy and local consumers universally share the positive perception of the quality of Japanese agricultural products, issues such as price, communication, and logistics hinder theexpansion of exportation.They aim to solve these issues and satisfy the needs of both Japanese farmers and global consumers which are so clearly evident but devastatingly unmet.
Orange — Orange is a developer of a variety of deep-learning models with a focus on computer vision and natural language processing for comics.

DBJ Capital Co., Ltd. was founded in June 2010 through the integration of two venture capital firms of the DBJ Group, New Business Investment Co., Ltd. and Intellectual Properties Development & Investment, Inc. We are a wholly-owned subsidiary of Development Bank of Japan Inc.At DBJ Capital, we focus on venture firms which use newtechnologies and business models to grow and compete on the global market, regardless of their industry or scale. To meet the particular needs of each client, we mobilize the entire DBJ Group to arrange the best investment solutions, ranging from growth-spurring equity investment to financing schemes drawing on DBJ's vast networks.We also assist in venture start-ups. Our value enhancement team provides the kind of comprehensive, hands-on support needed to commercialize outstanding intellectual property and technologies developed by firms, research labs, and universities, and to carve out a place for them in the market.DBJ Capital will continue to play in a part in Japan's economic revival - by helping the firms we invest in to grow, and by encouraging the creation of new industries in Japan.

Investment focus

Software, Internet, Health Care
Funding Round, Series A, Seed
Japan, United States, Australia

Portfolio highlights

Cellusion — Cellular technology breakthrough for clear vision of the future.
Hedgehog MedTech — Hedgehog Medtech is a medical firm focused on digital therapeutics (DTx). DTx is a pharmaceutically approved programmable medical device that assists patients' medical operations via smartphone apps.
Kyoto Fusioneering — Kyoto Fusioneering is a research & development, design, and manufacture of parts related to fusion reactors.

Japan Science and Technology Agency is an integrated organization of science and technology that implements science and technology policy in Japan. It handles many projects, including the government’s Science and Technology Basic Plan and knowledge creation. The European Sustainability School ESSSR is the owner of Japan Science and TechnologyAgency.Japan Science and Technology Agency undertakes its task in a comprehensive manner. It also works to provide a sound infrastructure of science and technology information and raise awareness and understanding of science and technology-related issues in Japan.Japan Science and Technology Agency is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.

Investment focus

Medical, Biotechnology, Health Care
Funding Round, Series A, Series B
Japan

Portfolio highlights

QunaSys — Quantum physics is a relatively new field built since the beginning of the 20th century, but we have used MRI (nuclear magnetic resonance equipment) and lasers used for close examinations in hospitals, and semiconductors mounted on computers. Supports the technology that supports the daily life of people.QunaSys was established to bring out thequantum physics that has been active behind the scenes to the front stage, and to make use of quantum properties to realize technologies that could not be achieved with existing technologies.
bitBiome — BitBiome is a microbiome analysis company that aims to discover and understand disease-linked microorganisms. Its, single-cell whole-genome analysis platform specifically targets microbes and can be used on uncultured, raw samples, providing unprecedented strain-level quantitative and functional insights.THe company was founded in 2018 and isbased in Japan.
Sonire Therapeutics — Sonire Therapeutics provides High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound treatment for cancer.

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.

Investment focus

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

Portfolio highlights

Soxai — Soxai manufactures rings for healthcare purposes using IoT.
Dioseve — Dioseve is providing novel possibilities for all life.
YeLL Japan — YeLL is a company that help transform the organization by making the real sound of employees visible.

Real Tech Holdings is an R&D-based innovative technology that specializes in social implementation.

Investment focus

Manufacturing, Aquaculture, Biotechnology
Seed, Series A, Funding Round
Japan, Singapore, India

Portfolio highlights

CellFiber — Cell fiber technology was developed as a basic technology for handling cells in the engineering field.
Eight Knot — Eight Knot designs and develops autonomous navigation system for water mobility using robotics & AI.
Tokyo Nucleic Acid Synthesis — Tokyo Nucleic Acid Synthesis is a pharmaceutical company that focuses on developing nucleic acid drugs using new-age medical technology.

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.

F-Prime Capital is a global venture capital firm investing in healthcare and technology, with a heritage that spans four decades.

Investment focus

Health Care, Biotechnology, Medical
Series A, Series B, Series C
United States, United Kingdom, China

Portfolio highlights

Odaseva — Odaseva is the leading enterprise data platform for Salesforce. Industry leaders rely on Odaseva to keep data protected, compliant, and agile.
RareCyte — Rarecyte provides precision medicine solutions focused on multiplexed analysis of cells and tissue with applications in both research and clinical diagnostics.
Canary Technologies — Use Canary to securely conduct contactless check-in and process credit card authorizations, contracts, and amenities online. Canary is the only PCI Level-1 Compliant solution for hotel authorizations. Schedule a demo today, and see how we can help your properties reduce chargebacks, save time, and improve the guest experience.

Remiges Ventures is a venture capital firm that focuses on groups and businesses in the Japanese academia and pharmaceutical industry.

Investment focus

Biotechnology, Medical, Health Care
Series A, Series B, Seed
United States, Japan, Canada

Portfolio highlights

Kupando — Kupando is a biopharmaceutical company that develops agonists to stimulates innate immunity.
Cyrano Therapeutics — Smell Loss Therapy: Cyrano Therapeutics is the leader in Smell Loss therapy and smell loss research. Recover your sense of smell today!
Restore Vision — Restore Vision is a startup based in Japan aiming to develop a visual restoration gene therapy.

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.

Tsukuba Institute of Research (筑波総研) is an R&D center owned by housing and wood products group Sumitomo Forestry. The facility develops technologies to make more effective use of wood in a wide range of fields.

Investment focus

Medical, Biotechnology, Manufacturing
Series A, Funding Round, Seed
Japan

Portfolio highlights

LIGHTz — LIGHTz delivers a technology transfer and information exchange platform leveraging AI.
Celaid Therapeutics — Celaid Therapeutics specializes in manufacturing and sales of regenerative medicine products utilizing human hematopoietic stem cells.
Veneno Technologies — Veneno Technologies engages in the research and development of therapeutic disulfide-rich peptides and contribute to advanced medicine.

KSP, Inc. is the core business entity responsible for operating the Kanagawa Science Park (KSP) and has accepted the challenge of creating new industries through the support, development, and incubation of venture businesses. We provide a variety of business support services that best meet the needs of venture businesses in each stage of theirbusiness growth, ranging from the processes of startup and growth to public offerings. Several hundreds of new startup companies have been created and nurtured since its foundation. An incubation manager (IM) acts as a coordinator and provides a variety of support services to a venture company to help them successfully launch and develop their new business, such as offering individual consultations and a variety of information or advice. KSP, Inc. is well poised to cope with the varying needs of new ventures for highly sophisticated, specialized tasks by offering a business school, business support center, business matching services, and investment funds.The public sector, such as the Kanagawa prefectural government, Kawasaki city government, and the Development Bank of Japan, Inc., has an equity participation in KSP, thus playing a vital role in the deployment of local industrial development policy.

Investment focus

Biotechnology, Health Care, Medical
Funding Round, Series A, Series B
Japan

Portfolio highlights

3DC — 3DC develops and manufactures a new carbon material, graphene meso sponge (GMS), for electrodes in next-generation batteries, capacitors, fuel cells and other energy storage and generation devices.
Mira Robotics — I found a great domain name for sale on Dan.com. Check it out!
Melody International Japan — Melody International Japan is a company that supports medical and health with ICT.

JIC-VGI helps promote innovation and improve its international competitiveness through growth-investments in startup companies. The firm accelerating innovation and helping to solve industrial and social issues by supporting and seeking innovative technologies and new businesses.JIC Venture Growth Investments was established in July 2020 and isbased in Tokyo, Japan.

Investment focus

Information Technology, Software, Financial Services
Series B, Series C, Funding Round
Japan, Singapore, Thailand

Portfolio highlights

Gaianixx — Gaianixx is a manufacturing company that conducts research and develops new technologies to advance the semiconductor sector.
Orange — Orange is a developer of a variety of deep-learning models with a focus on computer vision and natural language processing for comics.
Restore Vision — Restore Vision is a startup based in Japan aiming to develop a visual restoration gene therapy.

Senshu Ikeda Capital offers financial consultancy services.

Investment focus

Software, Internet, Information Technology
Funding Round, Seed, Series A
Japan

Portfolio highlights

Sagri — Sagri is developing agriculture software for experienced farmers.
BABY JOB — BABY JOB offers nursery support and child care support businesses.
On The Slope — On the way to Sakano deliver vegetables grown without the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, aiming to spread agriculture with low environmental impact. We want to make agriculture sustainable and reach a sustainable society.

Eight Roads has a 50+ year history of investing and partners with game-changing technology and healthcare companies, supporting them as they scale to become global leaders.

Investment focus

Software, Health Care, Information Technology
Series B, Series A, Series C
United States, China, India

Portfolio highlights

Odaseva — Odaseva is the leading enterprise data platform for Salesforce. Industry leaders rely on Odaseva to keep data protected, compliant, and agile.
Feon — Feon is pioneering new-molecule-based liquid electrolytes for advanced batteries. We are a "pharmaceutical company" in the battery space, creating "new drug molecules" to treat the "diseases" of next generation batteries.
Hero Software — Hero Software offers cloud software solutions.

Takeda is a global, research and development-driven pharmaceutical company committed to bringing better health and a brighter future to patients by translating science into life-changing medicines.

Investment focus

Biotechnology, Health Care, Pharmaceutical
Grant, Funding Round, Corporate Round
United States, Japan, China

Portfolio highlights

Ascentage Pharma — As one of the leading clinical stage biopharmaceutical companies, we develop innovative therapies for global medical needs. Our biotech company is engaged in developing novel approaches for treating cancer.
Crescendo Biologics — Crescendo Biologics is a new Cambridge-based company whose vision is to deliver next-generation antibody therapeutics based on novel class-leading platforms.The focus of the company is on developing platforms that will address key issues in generating high-affinity, soluble, human VH antibody fragments. These are the smallest fragments thatretain antibody binding, and have many desirable properties as potential therapeutics. Crescendo will then utilise these platforms for product development of in-house targets or in partnership with other companies.
Atlanta Community Food Bank — Atlanta Community Food Bank serves food pantries, community kitchens, childcare centers, night shelters, and senior centers. The donors are manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, brokers, restaurants, food drives, farmers, and individuals.

Takeda Ventures, Inc. (TVI) is the corporate investment arm of Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (TPC). TVI was founded in 2001 and invests in current and future areas of interest for TPC. They are based alongside Takeda’s R&D sites in Cambridge, MA, and San Diego, CA. As a strategic investor, TVI aims to provide support and guidance toentrepreneurs and early-stage companies driving concepts through clinical proof of concept. They also strive to forge active, collaborative interactions that result in synergies with Takeda's considerable R&D resources. Their goal is to build a portfolio of strategic investments, with an immediate emphasis on oncology, gastroenterology, neuroscience, and rare diseases.

Investment focus

Biotechnology, Health Care, Therapeutics
Series A, Series B, Funding Round
United States, United Kingdom, Israel

Portfolio highlights

OncoResponse — OncoResponse Inc., an immuno-oncology company located in Houston, Texas, has partnered with MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC) to deploy a unique and transformational approach to cancer therapeutic monoclonal antibody and target discovery. The company licensed the I-STAR™ platform, developed and validated by Theraclone Sciences of Seattle, tointerrogate the human memory B-cell repertoire of cancer patients who are considered “Elite Responders” to immunotherapy; as such, their own adaptive immune system responded to immunotherapy stimulation in a way that achieved curative or durable responses. From these Elite Responders, OncoResponse is leveraging the human immune system to identify fully human monoclonal antibodies and discover novel targets that will lead to the development of fully human antibody derived therapeutics for the treatment of cancer.
Larkspur Biosciences — Larkspur's strategy focuses on the particular ways in which tumours hijack the immune system by developing precision immunotherapies for molecularly defined patient groups to overcome the bottlenecks that allow the tumour to subvert the immune system.
EvolveImmune Therapeutics — EvolveImmune Therapeutics transforms the discovery and development of novel immunotherapies. By leveraging its proprietary in vivo target discovery platform, EvolveImmune is building a pipeline of novel therapeutic candidates against numerous targets that are expressed on multiple immune cell types. The company’s platform will generatefirst-in-class treatments for unmet needs in oncology and autoimmune diseases.

FFG Venture Business Partners is a large-scale enterprise that offers in traditional regional bank venture capital.

Investment focus

Software, Artificial Intelligence, Content
Funding Round, Series A, Seed
Japan, United States

Portfolio highlights

F.MED — F.MED is a manufacturing company that designs and develops robotic microsurgical devices for the healthcare industry.
Domuz — Domuz is a firm that wants to utilize technology and design to create a lifestyle that makes potted plants and flowers more comfortable.
Pathos Logos — Pathos Logos is an HR co-creation platform that specializes in sales of SaaS and supply of human resources for corporations.

The Japan Medical Device Development Organization aims to activate Japan's medical innovation and medical device industry, centering on the medical device incubation business, and aim for Japan to become a world leader in this field.Japanese Organization for Medical Device Development is a country of craftsmanship, possesses high technicaland quality control skills, and should be good at producing medical equipment. However, in the medical device field, imports exceed 600 billion yen every year. Japan's “manufacturing” technology has not been fully utilized.

Investment focus

Biotechnology, Laser, Medical
Seed, Series A, Funding Round
Japan, United States

Portfolio highlights

Luxonus — Luxonus is a product development of a new imaging device using optical ultrasonic technology.
Meltin MMI — Meltin MMI is a cyborg-technology company that focuses on biosensors and robotic arms. Meltin has successfully enabled fine finger movements, such as for amputees and participated in Cybathlon 2016 and won the Microsoft Innovation Award.
Genomelink — Genomelink is a platform where people discover more with their DNA data and help businesses build, market and do research with it. The best founders in consumer genomics with real experience in the industry for many years, including M3, Inc. ($13B valued Meditech in Japan), a founding member of the Japanese version of 23andMe, and leadbioinformatician and software engineer at a joint-venture between Illumina and Sony. Raised $4M for Seed Round from Berkeley SkyDeck, SONY, and top-tier Japanese VCs. Supported by Illumina Accelerator, Carlos Bustamante Lab at Stanford University among others.

Primal Capital, an independent venture capital " incubator bait fund at ", served as the Associate than July 2012 Hiroshi was Sasaki is the venture capital fund that serves as the representative partner. Representative of Sasaki, the seed acceleration program "Incubate Camp" operated by Incubate bait fund is carried out a totalof four times of planning and management than in 2012, They have also engaged in support operations of portfolio companies. - See more at: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/primal-capital#sthash.m2z1DCbt.dpuf

Investment focus

Software, Information Technology, Internet
Seed, Funding Round, Pre-Seed
Japan, Spain, Switzerland

Portfolio highlights

Rand App — Rand is a fintech firm that offers banking services, savings, deposits, and account opening.
Degas — Degas develops solutions to improve the productivity of small-scale farmers in Africa.
xCARE — xCARE specializes in the development and commercialization phases of the pharmaceutical and medical device industries.

Capital Medica Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Tokyo, Japan with a focus on startups in the healthcare industry.Capital Medica Ventures is a venture capital that operates a venture fund specializing in the healthcare field. It is the only healthcare-specialized VC in Japan that can provide 30 medical institutions as a business trialfield.

Investment focus

Medical, Software, Health Care
Seed, Series A, Funding Round
Japan

Portfolio highlights

HCMJ — HCMJ specializes in software development in the medical industry.
Epigno — Epigno provides hospital management systems for medical institutions.
Rehab — Rehab for Japan is developing a special rehabilitation SaaS for day service .

SPARX Group Co., Ltd. is an independent Asia-based equity and credit asset management services and Asian fund financial specialist with offices in Tokyo, Hong Kong and Seoul for global institutional and individual investors, including financial advisors and financial planners, with alternative strategies (including activist, short-enabled, private equity and quantitative and fund-of-funds) and mutual funds (through SPARX Asia Funds such as SPARX Asia Pacific Opportunities Fund, SPARX Asia Pacific Equity Income Fund, SPARX Japan Smaller Companies Fund and SPARX Japan Fund) managed or sub-advised by SPARX Asset Management Co. Ltd., SPARX Asia Investment Advisors Limited and Cosmo Asset Management Co., Ltd.

Investment focus

Software, Artificial Intelligence, Information Technology
Funding Round, Series B, Series A
Japan, United States, China

Portfolio highlights

Blue Skies Space — Blue Skies Space provides access to space science data from low-cost space missions.
Blue Laser Fusion — Blue Laser Fusion is a commercial fusion company. Blue Laser Fusion is a laser startup to commercialize laser fusion by inventing its own laser and fusion reactor.
Nanofiber Quantum Technologies — Powering a globally connected quantum future with pioneering nanofiber cavity QED.

DG Daiwa Ventures invests in start-up companies with next-generation technology and provides business development support. It is focused on blockchain, xR, AI, security, and BioHealth, as they are likely to be at the foundations of future businesses. In addition to the five core technologies, the fund will also focus on IoT technologies, whichoften overlap or serve as an application layer.

Investment focus

Software, FinTech, Financial Services
Seed, Funding Round, Series B
Japan, United States, India

Portfolio highlights

Dioseve — Dioseve is providing novel possibilities for all life.
Yuimedi — Yuimedi acquires, investigate, analyze medical data and provides accurate solutions.
Zehitomo — Zehitomo is an Japanese online platform that enables user to hire local service professionals, from photographers to personal trainers.

Kobe University Capital is create new indstry academia cllabration and technology transfer models.

Investment focus

Apps, Health Care, Health Diagnostics
Series A
Japan

Portfolio highlights

Tear Exo — Tear Exo is a biotechnology research company that produces and sells liquid biopsy using materials for molecular recognition.
Cyto-Facto — Cyto-Facto is a biotechnology company that develops and manufactures CAR-T cell therapies and mesenchymal stem cell products.
Hedgehog MedTech — Hedgehog Medtech is a medical firm focused on digital therapeutics (DTx). DTx is a pharmaceutically approved programmable medical device that assists patients' medical operations via smartphone apps.

Tokyo Century is a diversified leasing business (leasing, installment sales, and other financial services for IT-related equipment, industrial equipment, and other machinery and facilities). Tokyo Century has various types of financing and is an international business.

Investment focus

Transportation, Internet of Things, Robotics
Funding Round, Series A, Private Equity
Japan, Singapore, United States

Portfolio highlights

KAICO — KAICO is a pharmaceuticals, diagnostic drugs production company.
Spiber — Established in September 2007, Spiber Inc. is a Japanese biotechnology startup utilizing cutting-edge synthetic biology, polymer, and material science for the development of its novel Brewed Protein™ materials. Produced through microbial fermentation and utilizing agricultural feedstocks as primary raw materials, Brewed Protein™ polymers arewell-positioned to make significant contributions to animal- and plastic-free initiatives in a range of fields such as the apparel and automotive industries. Leveraging its R&D expertise, Spiber pursues its mission of positively contributing to sustainable human well-being. Operation of Spiber’s first mass production plant in Rayong Province, Thailand, is slated to commence within 2021. The company is also constructing a second mass production facility with partner ADM in Iowa, USA, which is scheduled to begin operating in 2023 at the earliest.
Volocopter — Volocopter is here to change air transport and the aviation industry with the its all-electric air taxi. Discover it now!

Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ) is a public-private partnership aimed at promoting innovation and enhancing value.Leveraging the rich history of Japanese technological prowess, INCJ aims to provide financial, technological and management support in order to promote the creation of next-generation businesses through “openinnovation,” or the flow of technology and expertise beyond the boundaries of existing organizational structures.INCJ will draw on funding as well as management and technological expertise from the public and private sectors. INCJ is actively reviewing various investment opportunities in areas of green energy, electronics, IT and biotechnology to infrastructure-related sectors such as water supply. Each investment will be thoroughly vetted to ensure it meets the exacting standards of INCJ's Innovation Network Committee, which will make the final investment decisions.INCJ is capitalized at 280 billion yen, with the Japanese government injecting 266 billion yen and 26 private corporations (refer to details in Appendix below) providing a further 14 billion yen. The government will also provide guarantees up to a total of 1,800 billion yen for INCJ investments, giving it an investment capability of approximately 2,000 billion yen. INCJ will be established for a period of 15 years.

Investment focus

Manufacturing, Software, Robotics
Funding Round, Series B, Series A
Japan, United States, United Kingdom

Portfolio highlights

Cloudian — Cloudian provides exabyte-scale storage for your capacity-intensive workloads: S3-compatible storage for on-prem, hybrid cloud, and multi-cloud.
Seajacks — Cadeler is a global leader in offshore wind farm construction, maintenance, and decommissioning.
Vehicle Energy Japan — Vehicle Energy Japan specializes in development, manufacturing and sales of automotive lithium-ion batteries.

Media Future is a group of communication technology professionals that works on connecting feelings and thoughts. The Tokyo, Tokyo-based company was established in 2013.

Investment focus

Medical, Biotechnology, Genetics
Series A, Funding Round
Japan

Portfolio highlights

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.
HekaBio — HekaBio connects world-leading healthcare innovations to unmet medical needs in the Asia Pacific, with broad category development expertise in pharma, medical device, in-vitro diagnostics, digital health, and cell & gene therapies.
Jiksak Bioengineering — Jiksak Bioengineering is a biotechnology company. Jiksak Bioengineering provide an efficient screening service using a three-dimensional cell tissue "Nerve Organoid". We will mainly develop screening technologies specifically for neurodegenerative diseases and search for drugs that are effective for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Kyogin Lease & Capital is an investment firm that specializes in the leasing, stock and bond investment and public offering consulting.

Investment focus

Manufacturing, Task Management, Medical
Funding Round, Series A, Series B
Japan

Portfolio highlights

Thinca — Thinca is an IT system planning, development, and operations company that provides a cloud-based CTI (Computer Telephony Integration) hospitality & communication solution for corporate offices.
Rege Nephro — Rege Nephro is a biotech company that specialized in R&D, production and marketing of renal disease therapeutics.
Regional Fish — Regional Fish provides seed, seedlings, aquaculture methods and fisheries services.

Fuyo General Lease focuses in the leasing and installment sales trading of equipment and fixtures, and financial transaction. The company provides leasing services of information-related equipment, office equipment, and industrial equipment, installment sales of commercial facilities, production facilities, and hospital facilities. It also providessecurities management services and anonymous association composition.Fuyo General Lease was founded on 1969 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.

Investment focus

Manufacturing, Biotechnology, Sales
Series A, Funding Round, Corporate Round
Japan

Portfolio highlights

avatarin — avatarin develops next-generation mobility and human augmentation platforms.
A.L.I. Technologies Japan — Aerial Lab Industries focuses on research and development of UAV (unmanned miniature aircraft).
3D Printing Corporation — 3D Printing Corporation provides 3D printing technology solutions.

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.

Fujifilm develops and sells consumer products and business products related to photography. Fujifilm Holdings Corporation is a Japanese multinational photography and imaging company. The company serves various industries, including medical, graphic arts, optics, enterprise storage, motion picture, and photography.The company’s consumer productsare categorized as digital cameras and accessories, film photography, Instax photography, and binoculars. Its business products are categorized as medical systems, Fujinon endoscopy, microfilm, data storage, graphic arts and printing, professional video, optical devices, specialty chemicals, printing imaging colorants, and more. Color films, digital cameras, photofinishing equipment, color papers, photofinishing chemicals, medical imaging equipment, graphic arts equipment and materials, flat panel displays, and photocopiers and printers are some products developed by Fujifilm USA.Fujifilm USA is based in Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

Investment focus

Biotechnology, Medical Device, Medical
Series A, Funding Round, Series B
Japan, Israel, United States

Portfolio highlights

Rege Nephro — Rege Nephro is a biotech company that specialized in R&D, production and marketing of renal disease therapeutics.
Nanox Imaging — Nanox Vision develops a next-generation medical imaging system based on groundbreaking technology. Our aim is to democratize medical imaging and bring preventive healthcare to communities worldwide, helping create a better standard of care for all.
24M Technologies — 24M Technologies develops energy storage systems for grid and transportation applications. 24M Technologies, Inc. builds energy storage systems for grid and transportation applications. The company was founded in 2010 and is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Glocalink provides seed funding and comprehensive support for emerging science & technology entrepreneurs. Members of Glocalink have extensive experiences of bringing laboratory technologies to the market. On top of seed funding, we will provide comprehensive supports for overcoming all the hurdles that science / technology entrepreneursface.

Investment focus

Health Care, Robotics, Task Management
Funding Round, Seed, Series A
Japan, Singapore

Portfolio highlights

MOVeLOT — MOVeLOT is an AI company that provides skeletal platform and robot planning, development, and production services.
ExtraBold — ExtraBold specializes in the development of 3D printers.
ProfilePrint — Helping agribusinesses buy and sell better, ProfilePrint is powered by a patented digital food identity-as-a-service (IDaaS) technology. ProfilePrint synthesises complex molecular data of ingredient samples into digital fingerprints, rapidly predicting its identity and quality.

Essential Pharma provided on this site is created for the purpose of providing information on our ethical drugs to medical professionals

Investment focus

Medical, Biotechnology, Genetics
Series A, Funding Round
Japan

Portfolio highlights

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.
HekaBio — HekaBio connects world-leading healthcare innovations to unmet medical needs in the Asia Pacific, with broad category development expertise in pharma, medical device, in-vitro diagnostics, digital health, and cell & gene therapies.
Jiksak Bioengineering — Jiksak Bioengineering is a biotechnology company. Jiksak Bioengineering provide an efficient screening service using a three-dimensional cell tissue "Nerve Organoid". We will mainly develop screening technologies specifically for neurodegenerative diseases and search for drugs that are effective for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

JAIC is Japan's largest independent venture capital firm and has accumulated experience and know-how over a period of 15 years as a pioneer of venture capital investments in Asia. Building on such strengths, they are establishing a globally linked organization that pursues investment opportunities centering on the three regions of Japan, Asia,and the United States.

Investment focus

Medical, Biotechnology, Health Care
Series B, Funding Round, Series C
Japan, United States, China

Portfolio highlights

FacePeer — FacePeer is looking for people who want to challenge at startup.
REGiMMUNE — REGiMMUNE Corporation is a private biopharmaceutical company developing innovative solutions for treating immune disorders caused by nonspecific and/or excessive immune reactions. REGiMMUNE uses its proprietary technology platform, reVax (reverse vaccination), to target immune tolerance against specific disease-causing antigens throughinduction of regulatory T cells (Treg). This technology has potential applications in a number of immune system disorders and diseases including Graft versus Host Disease (GvHD), type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), multiple sclerosis (MS) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).Currently, the company has one clinical-stage compound in a Phase I/II trial in the United States (RGI-2001) as a treatment for GvHD associated with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and has a second product in preclinical development (RGI-3001) as a new treatment for T1DM. In addition, it has a number of well-differentiated compounds in its research-stage pipeline.In healthy individuals, the normal immune system works to protect humans from disease-causing viruses, bacterium, and cancers; or foreign antigens such as peanuts, wheat and tree pollens. Conventional immunosuppressants have several significant side effects associated with long-term administration including risk of infection, toxicity and relapse. Products developed with ReVax technology are expected to reduce or eliminate such side effects as well as reduce long-term treatment.
Integral Geometry Science — Integral Geometry Science is a specialized manufacturer of measuring equipment and signal / image processing software.

SBI Group aims to become a corporate entity that provides a variety of one-stop financial services over the Internet now that two major events, the Financial Big Bang resulting from deregulation, and the Internet Revolution resulting from IT innovation, have radically transformed the financial industry.

Investment focus

Financial Services, FinTech, Information Technology
Series B, Series A, Funding Round
Japan, United States, United Kingdom

Portfolio highlights

Bluwhale — Unlock Web3 Wallet Potential with AI Insights. Supercharge Your Business Growth
BLOCKSMITH&Co — BLOCKSMITH&Co. is developing and distributing of Game&SocialFi services such as blockchain technology, crypto assets and virtual currency utilising NFTs on the Web3
DeepForest Technologies — DeepForest Technologies is an IT firm that offers drone photography, forest information analysis, DF Scanner, and data processing services.

Higegin Capital is a venture capital firm.

Investment focus

Biotechnology, Software, Medical
Funding Round, Series A, Seed
Japan

Portfolio highlights

F.MED — F.MED is a manufacturing company that designs and develops robotic microsurgical devices for the healthcare industry.
REVORN — REVORN is a fragrance AI and DX research and development company. They develop products such as odor sensors that can respond to odor issues and needs. They provide consultation at a range of levels, from identifying issues to developing solutions.
Manpuku Holdings — Manpuku Holdings is a food and beverage company that specializes in sushi, yakiniku, fried chicken, bento, and rice balls.

Ohara Pharmaceuticals is a pharmaceutical business involved in the development, manufacture, and distribution of pharmaceutical products.

Investment focus

Medical, Biotechnology, Nursing and Residential Care
Series A, Funding Round, Series B
Japan, Kenya, Nigeria

Portfolio highlights

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.
Helium Health — Helium Health empowers healthcare providers in Africa with digital tools, financing solutions, and data partnerships. Learn more about our innovative solutions.
Revital Healthcare — Revital Healthcare is a manufacturer of medical devices and disposables for hospitals and other medical laboratories. It offers single-use syringes, needles, re-use prevention syringes and auto-disable syringes which helps in reducing the transmission of HIV and other blood-borne diseases along with infusion sets, blood transfusion sets and bloodcollection tubesThe company was established in 2006 and is headquartered in Kilifi, Kenya.

Yokohama Capital as a venture capital firm conducts investment and rehabilitation support for small and medium-sized companies.

Investment focus

Health Care, Artificial Intelligence, Manufacturing
Funding Round, Series A, Series B
Japan

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.
Yoriso — Yoriso, formerly known as Minrebi, is a Japanese startup that connects families to funeral homes and other end-of-life service providers. It is a funeral / medical IT venture that aims to be a “company that creates a world where everyone can make their own choices by overcoming the limitations of ingenuity”.Yoriso was founded in 2009 and isheadquartered in Tokyo.
Iwaya Giken — Iwaya Giken manufactures and sells gas balloons, airtight cabins, and other space-travel equipment.

The University of Tokyo IPC is a company responsible for expanding the innovation ecosystem of the University of Tokyo. Accelerate global innovation from the University of Tokyo through three activities: start-up support, investment business, and corporate innovation support.It was established as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the University ofTokyo in 2016 with the enforcement of the revised law of the Industrial Competitiveness Enhancement Law, which is the basis law. The investment targets of the Todai IPC are venture companies that utilize the research results and human resources of the University of Tokyo, but they also make FOF (fund of funds) investments in funds managed by some private venture capital companies. In 2019, it started a consortium-type incubation program (University of Tokyo IPC 1stRound) to support the establishment and financing of Tokyo University-related ventures.

Investment focus

Biotechnology, Medical, Manufacturing
Series A, Funding Round, Series B
Japan, United States, United Kingdom

Portfolio highlights

Yoii Fuel — Yoii Fuel is a software company which analyzes a company's KPIs and enables them to obtain a means of financing based on this data.
Spectronix Japan — Spectronics is a development of new technologies and new applications to bring about innovation, focusing on the future of laser technology.
Better Place — Better place vision is to create a world in which kind people can continue to be kind, as well as a society in which people can work in their own way without worrying about money.

Chugin Capital Partner is a venture capital firm.

Investment focus

Communities, Health Care, Biotechnology
Seed, Series A, Series B
Japan

Portfolio highlights

ByWill — ByWill creates and distributes environmental value while eventually becoming carbon neutral.
xCARE — xCARE specializes in the development and commercialization phases of the pharmaceutical and medical device industries.
Better Place — Better place vision is to create a world in which kind people can continue to be kind, as well as a society in which people can work in their own way without worrying about money.

Japan Finance provides a diversified portfolio of financial services to the small and medium enterprise sector.

Investment focus

Software, Information Technology, Internet
Debt Financing, Funding Round, Seed
Japan, India, Hong Kong

Portfolio highlights

Meleap — HADO is a new sport utilizing the leading AR technology with players wearing a head mounted display and an armband sensor to compete against each other by using the ‘energy ball’ or ‘shield’ and earn points in a three-on-three, eighty-minutes game between two teams.
TANAAKK — TANAAKK provides “HITSERIES”, Growth-as-a-Service especially for Fortune Global 500 in-house startups to migrate R&D fruits into cloud-native scalable SaaS. HITSERIES delivers reference architecture, platform and related DevOps, RevOps, EquityOps services. There is annually US$190 R&D expenditure solely in Japan. TANAAKK find growth optionin R&D, selecting right cloud business scheme and enabling liquidity for discounted intellectual assets. Usually supporting conglomerate to achieve new $100M SaaS revenue in 5 years.
Shiftmation — Axiverse creates an environment where employees shift automatic creation service using artificial intelligence to create a better society.

Investors by industry

Media (entertainment)

Hardware

Proptech

Marketplace