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Top 50 Community Startup Investors in Japan

Last updated: Aug 2024 A list of 50 angel investors and VC funds that invest in Community startups based in Japan. We rank investors based on the number of investments they made in Community companies from Japan. We update this investor list every month.

Top 50 Community Startup Investors in Japan

Investor	Community Japan investments
East Ventures	9
Global Brain Corporation	8
Genesia Ventures	7
Monex Ventures	6
Yusuke Sato	6
Hirofumi Miki	6
Mitsubishi UFJ Capital	6
Mizuho Capital	6
ANRI	6
Nissay Capital	5
Vector	5
SMBC Venture Capital	5
Incubate Fund	5
W ventures	5
Globis Capital Partners	4
B Dash Ventures	4
XTech Ventures	4
Money Forward Venture Partners	4
ITOCHU Technology Ventures	4
Archetype Ventures	4
Daiwa Corporate Investment	4
Venture United	4
F Ventures	4
Lifetime Ventures	3
One Capital	3
Hideto Fujino	3
Ken Takayama	3
SOURCENEXT	3
Jun Nishikawa	3
iSGS Investment Works	3
TLM	3
Paul Kuo	3
AG Capital	3
Ayataro Nakagawa	3
Recruit Strategic Partners	3
Kotaro Chiba	3
STRIVE	3
Kotaro Chiba	3
Kiyohiro Sugashita	3
Z Venture Capital	3
MIRAISE	3
UNITED	3
Kensuke Furukawa	3
Shuuichi Wada	3
Nagoya TV Ventures	2
Delight Ventures	2
GMO VenturePartners	2
WERU Investment	2
KDDI Open Innovation Fund	2
UTEC - The University of Tokyo Edge Capital Partners	2

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Investor list

East Ventures is an early stage venture capital (VC) focused on Southeast Asia, Indonesia & Japan. Success cases include Tokopedia, Traveloka, and Mercari.

Investment focus

Software, Information Technology, E-Commerce
Seed, Series A, Funding Round
Japan, Indonesia, Singapore

Portfolio highlights

SoLeLands — SoLeLands provides children with future-ready skills, virtues, and applied competences and inspires children to love learning.
Maka Motors — MAKA is dedicated to building the best electric motorcycles for Indonesian riders.
Zenith Learning Group — Zenith Learning Group's mission is to deliver a holistic, world-class education to learners across South East Asia through technology.

Global Brain Corporation is a venture capital firm that invests in companies from seed or early to pre-IPO startups. Global Brain has invested in 300+ startups from seed/early to pre-IPO startups and achieved 25 IPOs and 61 M&As as a result of providing hands-on support services and resources to its portfolio startups. Global Brain hasmanaged a pure investment fund as well as multiple corporate venture capital funds partnered together with tier 1 public companies of telecom, real estate development, financial service, beverages, agriculture food, logistics, and electronic devices.

Investment focus

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

Portfolio highlights

Groq — Groq radically simplifies compute to accelerate workloads in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and high-performance computing.
Healx — At Healx we use AI drug discovery to develop new treatments for rare diseases. We bring treatments from prediction to patient.
Valpas — Valpas is the hygiene protocol that reassures your future guests and keeps your hotel clean from the most uncontrollable: bed bugs

Genesia Ventures is a venture capital firm focused on seed/early stage startups in Japan and Southeast Asia. Since it's inception in Dec 2016, Genesia Ventures has invested in over 90 companies in Japan, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore and the US. Genesia Ventures invests in various sectors: SaaS, marketplace, Media, Finance, Insurance,RealEstate, Healthcare, Medical, Travel, Education, Manufacturing, Construction, HR, Agriculture, Sports, Retail, Entertainment, etc.

Investment focus

Information Technology, Software, Content
Seed, Funding Round, Series A
Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia

Portfolio highlights

Runchise — Runchise is an integrated restaurant and franchise management system to increase operational efficiency and profit.
Oyraa Inc. — Oyraa provides online meetings and conference apps. Their interpreters will help you communicate not only in business but also in personal situations, such as in hospitals and real estate agencies.
Rara — Rara offers carbon-free and organic mushroom culture production equipment.

Monex Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Japan that finances seed and early stage investments in startup companies.

Investment focus

Software, Financial Services, Information Technology
Seed, Series A, Funding Round
Japan, United States, China

Portfolio highlights

Degas — Degas develops solutions to improve the productivity of small-scale farmers in Africa.
pickupon — Pickupon is a company that transcribes important parts of the call
MoneyDuck — MoneyDuck - Making Smart Financial Decision

Yusuke Sato is the Co-Representative and Co-Founder of Pulit.

Investment focus

Internet, Content, Food and Beverage
Seed, Funding Round, Angel
Japan, Indonesia, United States

Portfolio highlights

Kaymak — Kaymak is a recruitment platform that focuses on creating a recruitment website, planning a recruitment strategy, and managing candidates.
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.
Meetscare — Meetscare provides correct information and supports the self-awareness of all people involved in care. The company provides a wealth of information to ensure optimal care and create a mechanism for the realization. Users can make a telephone consultation and web diagnosis and search for free information using the system.Meetscare was founded on2016 and is headquartered in Arakawa, Tokyo.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Vector is a Japan-based PR agency that provides PR planning and implementation services for its clients. The agency also offers other services covering areas such as management, finance, accounting, human resources, administration, internal controls, and audits. Vector was founded in 1993.

Investment focus

Media and Entertainment, Software, Marketing
Funding Round, Seed, Corporate Round
Japan

Portfolio highlights

Nailie — Nailie is an app that lets you connect to a nail specialists just for you.
Openrec — Openrec is a live-streaming platform that focuses on game commentary and online event business.
Unito — Unito offers people a friction-free lifestyle by pursuing optimization of living.

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.

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.

W ventures is a Japan-based venture capital firm investing in Pre-Seed, Seed, and Series A rounds. They have been conducting investment to 25 companies in a total of about a year from the start of investment activities in April 2019. The company works not only with investment business but also with companies that provide services related to HR, PR,infrastructure, legal and accounting, etc., as incubation support after investment. It is also characteristic to provide support for the investor companies. In addition, in cooperation with other venture capital companies, Ar Rase TAGE startups regularly hold office hours that allow financing and business consultations to two companies at the same time and actively support startups are doing.

Investment focus

Information Technology, E-Commerce, Internet
Seed, Funding Round, Series A
Japan, Indonesia, United States

Portfolio highlights

Uniam — Uniam is a manufacturing company that produces and sells pet food and other pet-related products.
Utaite — Utaite is an operator of an entertainment platform that focuses on planning, production, and development of entertainment content.
Edukita — Belajar Bahasa Inggris jadi menyenangkan, interaktif, dan memberi hasil yang nyata. Diajar oleh guru asing berpengalaman.

Globis Capital Partners (GCP) is a venture capital firm in Japan. With its combination of local business presence through Globis Group and the experience of Western VC experience, GCP has set new VC standards in Japan, with hands-on, and in-depth industry expertise.

Investment focus

Internet, Information Technology, Software
Funding Round, Series A, Seed
Japan, United States, Israel

Portfolio highlights

Autify — AI software testing company aimed at solving the challenges associated with automation testing. We are passionate about making software testing faster and easier, empowering companies to release faster and keep their applications stable.
YOUTRUST — YOUTRUST is a startup to operate YOUTRUST a referral recruitment platform for side-job change.
Pathos Logos — Pathos Logos is an HR co-creation platform that specializes in sales of SaaS and supply of human resources for corporations.

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.

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.

Money Forward Venture Partners operates HIRAC FUND, a seed fund specializing in seed and early-stage startups.

Investment focus

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

Portfolio highlights

AiCAN — AiCAN provides system planning and development, data analysis, IT, and consulting services related to child welfare.
newmo — newmo delivers sustainable local public transportation create a user experience (UX) that people may utilize with peace of mind and comfort.
Manpuku Holdings — Manpuku Holdings is a food and beverage company that specializes in sushi, yakiniku, fried chicken, bento, and rice balls.

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.

Archetype Ventures is a venture capital firm specializing in B2B Tech seed and early stage venture investments.

Investment focus

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

Portfolio highlights

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.
Dioseve — Dioseve is providing novel possibilities for all life.
Autify — AI software testing company aimed at solving the challenges associated with automation testing. We are passionate about making software testing faster and easier, empowering companies to release faster and keep their applications stable.

Daiwa Corporate Investment is a private investment firm of Daiwa Securities Group that has been engaged in overseas VC investments by taking advantage of an extensive business network in Japan and foreign countries, long experience and professional knowledge, and by supporting the growth of a number of overseas portfolio companies and their stockexchange listings.

Investment focus

Software, Task Management, Internet
Funding Round, Series A, Seed
Japan, France, Singapore

Portfolio highlights

GITAI — GITAI is a robotics startup for space development. The company aims to replace astronauts with robots that can work for a long time while being remotely controlled from earth while in low earth orbit space stations to decrease the burden on astronauts, shorten the time it takes to perform work in space, and reduce costs.
COUNTERWORKS — Counter works is an Information technology company.
Nippon Hydropowtech — Nippon Hydropowtech uses proprietary technology and experience in hydrolysate production to investigate new food applications.

Venture United is a provider of venture capital for entrepreneurs, especially for internet-related businesses.

Investment focus

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

Portfolio highlights

ZEST — ZEST is an IT firm that offers consulting and management support services to its clients. It is based in Tokyo.
FamiOne — FamiOne is creating a society that will support the future of couples who want to receive children.
Meetcareer — Meetcareer provides online counseling services for career planning.

F Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Japan.

Investment focus

Information Technology, Software, Service Industry
Seed, Funding Round, Pre-Seed
Japan, Hong Kong

Portfolio highlights

Bgrass — bgrass is a consultation support platform for women working in the IT industry.
Tripi — Tripi provides travel media and digital marketing services, as well as the accommodation gift service.
microverse — Microverse offers NFT-related services such as content creation, distribution, and customer service.

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)

One Capital is a China-based private equity investment firm.

Investment focus

Information Technology, Manufacturing, Virtual Reality
Series A, Seed, Angel
China, Japan, Nigeria

Portfolio highlights

oVice — oVice is a virtual spatial platform that allows people to gather in one place, move, talk, and collaborate freely as avatars. With the mission of “maximizing effective online communication”, oVice develops and provides lifelike features that offer users a close-to-reality interactive online experience. Featuring customization, you can change thelayout to match the theme of your usage, build lockable rooms, place down static objects, and more!Use it as a remote office, an event venue, an academic conference hall, and even a space for parties!
Beatrust — Tags connect and drive collaboration, expanding your team's potential
SmarterEye — SmarterEye is a technology company dedicated to the R&D and manufacture of autonomous driving systems and related products.

Hideto Fujino - President, Cheif Investment Officer @ Rheos

Investment focus

Reservations, Travel, Real Estate
Funding Round, Seed, Series A
Japan, United States

Portfolio highlights

HOMMA — Inspired Modern Living. Homes to elevate healthy urban lifestyles. Design. Build. Technology.
Address Japan — ADDress is a provider of co-living spaces in both urban and rural areas, enabling people to live in a range of luxurious residences at fixed prices.
Unito — Unito offers people a friction-free lifestyle by pursuing optimization of living.

Ken Takayama - External Audit & Supervisory @ Media Do

Investment focus

Reservations, Travel, Apps
Seed, Angel, Funding Round
Japan

Portfolio highlights

SakeWiz — SakeWiz is an App to enjoy, buy and record sake located in Tokyo
Fun — Fun is a sightseeing entertainment company that makes the world even more of a fun place.
Tabinaka — Tabinaka is a Japanese booking & reservation platform for overseas tours and travel activities.

SOURCENEXT is principally engaged in the planning, development and sale of software.

Investment focus

Reservations, Travel, Software
Seed, Angel, Series B
Japan, United States

Portfolio highlights

Owl Labs — Owl Labs is a collaborative tech company revolutionizing how the world communicates through inclusive and immersive video experiences. Built for modern organizations, we’re dedicated to empowering hybrid and remote teams with our award-winning collaborative technology and product suite.
Tabinaka — Tabinaka is a Japanese booking & reservation platform for overseas tours and travel activities.
Fun Group — Hello! We are Fun Group (formally Tabinaka) and we are Japan's first Travel and Leisure startup offering unique tours and experiences. We currently offer experiences in 7 different locations globally.

Jun Nishikawa - Co-founder, Executive Vice President, COO @ eureka, Inc.

Investment focus

Media and Entertainment, Mobile, Content
Seed, Series A, Angel
Japan

Portfolio highlights

FamiOne — FamiOne is creating a society that will support the future of couples who want to receive children.
Petokoto — Petokoto is a media created with pet specialists such as certified veterinarians.
Reiwa Travel — Reiwa Trave is a digital travel agency intended that optimizes overseas travel. The company's platform uses online travel booking tools that provide digitalized contracts along with trip management, thereby enabling its customers' vacation and leisure experiences.

iSGS Investment Works is Japan-based venture capital firm.

Investment focus

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

Portfolio highlights

SOUNDRAW — Your personal AI music generator.
Inter — VIRUTUOUS CYCLE OF ECONOMY AND ECOLOGY
Gojo & Company — Gojo was founded to extend financial inclusion to everyone in the world beginning with the developing countries. Gojo encourages the formalization and growth of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises. Its long-term goal is to enable the provision of high-quality affordable financial services for 100+ million unserved and underserved people in50+ countries by 2030. Five and half years since their establishment, they work in Cambodia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and India with 3,400+ employees, serving more than 570,000 women who are also mothers.

TLM is a venture capital that invests basically in seed rounds, including some Series A startups.

Investment focus

Information Technology, Content, SNS
Seed, Angel, Funding Round
Japan, United States

Portfolio highlights

Morght — Morght is an information technology service company.
nanameue, Inc. — Nanameue creating a new future that makes people smile and has a fun experience. Create your own place by connecting people to people in “nanameue” way.
Hogetic Lab — Hogetic Lab specialize in DCaaS, AI development, and Data human resources training.

Paul Kuo - Director - Board of Directors @ Tamecco

Investment focus

Reservations, Travel, SaaS
Seed, Angel, Series A
Japan

Portfolio highlights

Fun — Fun is a sightseeing entertainment company that makes the world even more of a fun place.
Tabinaka — Tabinaka is a Japanese booking & reservation platform for overseas tours and travel activities.
Fun Group — Hello! We are Fun Group (formally Tabinaka) and we are Japan's first Travel and Leisure startup offering unique tours and experiences. We currently offer experiences in 7 different locations globally.

AG Capital is an investment firm that provides investment and property management solutions for middle-size businesses. The company was founded on December 12, 1985 and its headquarters are located in Minato-ku, Tokyo.

Investment focus

Finance, Software, Internet
Series A, Seed, Funding Round
Japan

Portfolio highlights

Torana — Torana provides "Toysub!" well known as educational toy subscription service in Japan market. We plan to go global and will be more bigger market share holder in East Asia. We collect month-age base toy feedback data and children's development status information. We plan best combination of toys and deliver. Customer returns and getsnew toys which fit children's growth and it is eco friendly service. We plan to build our own brand toys based on massive customer feedback and growth data and enter D2C market.
BitStar — BitStar accelerates potential of video creators with power of proprietary database and technology.
Toranotec — TORANOTEC CORPORATION aims to create a world where investment is familiar to everyone by realizing "from consumption to investment" through the services of asset management subsidiaries , utilizing advanced technology.

2011 At university, participated in the founding period as a director of Atcole Co., Ltd., and started the web service experience.2012 Founded Peroli Co., Ltd., which operates a curation platform for women "MERY" .2014 Founded Peroli Co., Ltd. Sold to DeNA 2015 Jointly established Tokyo Founders Fund as an angel investor and startedinvesting in startups in Japan and overseas 2019 Appointed outside director of FIREBUG Co., Ltd.

Investment focus

Internet, Software, Content
Seed, Angel, Funding Round
Japan, Hong Kong, United States

Portfolio highlights

For you — For you is a comprehensive Advertising agency business specializing in SNS.
Meetscare — Meetscare provides correct information and supports the self-awareness of all people involved in care. The company provides a wealth of information to ensure optimal care and create a mechanism for the realization. Users can make a telephone consultation and web diagnosis and search for free information using the system.Meetscare was founded on2016 and is headquartered in Arakawa, Tokyo.
SPORTS CROWN — SPORTS CROWN engages in the development and operation of fantasy sports.

Recruit Strategic Partners is a venture capital firm that invests in innovative startups from all around the world. It is a corporate venture capital arm of Recruit Holdings that seeks to invest in education and financial technology, digital healthcare, and infrastructure sectors. It was established in 2008 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.

Investment focus

E-Commerce, Software, Financial Services
Series A, Seed, Series B
United States, Japan, India

Portfolio highlights

Blacklane — Blacklane is the global chauffeur service that offers safety, sustainability, and stress-free travel. Since 2017, the company has been carbon-neutral, combining a five-star guest experience with care for the planet. The customers can book their travels using Blacklane’s mobile app or website.Blacklane was co-founded by Jens Wohltorf and FrankSteuer and is headquartered in Berlin, Germany.
Steady — Home Page Steady Your Income Home Page Steady Your Income Home Page Steady Your Income
ZenBusiness — Start a new business today for $0 or grow your existing business with the ZenBusiness platform. Get to your first dollar faster without the stress.

Kotaro Chiba is the founder of ChibaDojo Fund. Kotaro Chiba attended Keio University.

Investment focus

Internet, Drones, Software
Seed, Funding Round, Series A
Japan, United States

Portfolio highlights

MI-6 — MI-6 is a research, development, consulting, and project management for material development using IT. We will promote materials informatics in the field of material development with our technological capabilities and a wealth of project knowledge that challenge the world's most advanced technologies .
ELESTYLE — ELESTYLE are promoting mobile payments and providing high value-added services for users to realize a cashless society.
Luup — Luup is an Internet Company.

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!

Kotaro Chiba is the founder of ChibaDojo Fund. Kotaro Chiba attended Keio University.

Investment focus

Travel, Internet, Software
Seed, Funding Round, Series A
Japan, United States

Portfolio highlights

MI-6 — MI-6 is a research, development, consulting, and project management for material development using IT. We will promote materials informatics in the field of material development with our technological capabilities and a wealth of project knowledge that challenge the world's most advanced technologies .
ELESTYLE — ELESTYLE are promoting mobile payments and providing high value-added services for users to realize a cashless society.
Luup — Luup is an Internet Company.

Mr. Sugashita joined Polaris as Advisor in May 2011. He is Director and CEO of Sugashita Partners, Ltd since 1998 and provides consulting services to financial institutions and ventures in and outside of Japan. Prior to that position, he was CEO of Lazard Japan Asset Management from 1991 to 1998. His business career also includes positions at DaiwaSecurities and Merrill Lynch Securities, Tokyo Branch. On the academic front, Mr. Sugashita received a BA in Economics from Ritsumeikan University and since 2009 is Special Advisor for the Dean of Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University.

Investment focus

Marketing, Travel, Media and Entertainment
Seed, Series A, Funding Round
Japan

Portfolio highlights

G NEXT — G NEXT is an Information Technology based company.
Fun — Fun is a sightseeing entertainment company that makes the world even more of a fun place.
Tabinaka — Tabinaka is a Japanese booking & reservation platform for overseas tours and travel activities.

Z Venture Capital is the venture capital arm of Z Holdings that invests in companies that focuses on the insurance and finance industry.

Investment focus

Information Technology, Content, E-Commerce
Seed, Series A, Series B
Japan, South Korea, Thailand

Portfolio highlights

k-ID — At k-ID, we specialize in integrating safety and privacy by design compliance solutions for digital platforms, focusing on creating a safer, more responsible online environment for children and teenagers.
Utaite — Utaite is an operator of an entertainment platform that focuses on planning, production, and development of entertainment content.
Turing — Turing develops and manufactures fully autonomous vehicles.

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Investment focus

Information Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Consulting
Seed, Funding Round, Pre-Seed
Japan, United States, Estonia

Portfolio highlights

Yozboshi — Yozboshi is a software firm that develops accounting software along with legal compliance consulting services.
Zenmetry — Zenmetry primarily engages in the development of web services and business consulting.
Hexabase — Hexabase(formerly Beee Technology) is a venture company developing in-house IT services for corporations. Their greatest mission is to think, develop, and propose a system that can solve the business problems of corporate customers by making full use of the latest IT technology.Hexabase offers Cloud services and EBaaS [Hexabase] that specializedin corporate system development.

UNITED, Inc. is developing the smart phone app and the advertising technology business.

Investment focus

Media and Entertainment, Content, Information Technology
Funding Round, Seed, Series A
Japan, Nigeria, United States

Portfolio highlights

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.
Pinpin Kirari — Pinpin Kirari is a web platform that supports the region of the elderly.
Mirai no Genba — Mirai no Genba is an IT company that offers AI form creation, input assist, data analytics,and visualization services.

Kensuke Furukawa was born in June 2, 1981. He graduated Waseda University majoring Political Science and Economics, and in 2000, he launched "Milkcafe", a student community, which has grown to a site with 10 million PV per month. In 2004, he became the CEO of Media Clip, which operates a rental bulletin board service "ShitarabaBBS". After that year, he had transfer "Shitaraba BBS" to Livedoor, and took charge of starting up the Consumer Generated Media sector. In 2006, he joined Recruit, and took charge of starting up a new business at Business development sector. In June of 2009, he left Recruit, and became the CEO of nanapi （formerly Rocket Start), which operates the How-to Site "nanapi".

Investment focus

Content, Media and Entertainment, Social Media
Seed, Funding Round, Angel
Japan

Portfolio highlights

Plott — Plott producing youtube animation platform under Vision “Become a Content holder from YouTube”. In August 2019, the company name was changed from Fabo to Plott. Plott, the new company name, is derived from the plot that you make before writing novels, etc., and the idea that “I want to make content all the time” is put in the company name.
Now Do — Now Do provides online growth revolution platform.
Neighbor — The creative universe of Fortnite is infinite. To give an example , building fantasy and science fiction worlds, creating simple games and full-scale battle games can all be completed with Fortnite. Is the world of Fortnite, played by 350 million users worldwide, is it real or unreal? We will try to combining the vast world of Fortnite with the real world.

Shuuichi Wada - CTO @ alu Japan

Investment focus

Reservations, Content, Social Media
Seed, Angel, Series A
Japan

Portfolio highlights

Craftie — Craftie is an lesson reservation service.
hackjpn — HACK JPN is a company that transforms imagination into creativity and builds a natural tomorrow.
rocketa — Rocketa is a news curation and social media platform.

Nagoya TV Ventures is wholly owned by Nagoya Broadcasting Network, invests in everything from seed to later stage in companies focused on media, entertainment, video, and internet.

Investment focus

Media and Entertainment, Content, Internet
Funding Round, Seed, Series A
Japan

Portfolio highlights

Gatari — Gatari is developing an AR audio platform, including the AR camera app Vismuth, which can call avatars in reality.
Petokoto — Petokoto is a media created with pet specialists such as certified veterinarians.
bravesoft — bravesoft is a software company that operates events and in-house product for contract development and events. The company offering services such as UI / UX design, application consignment development service, appvisor push, and technical research service.

Delight Ventures is a venture capital firm that thoroughly reduces the hurdles of entrepreneurship in Japan and supports entrepreneurs in the world. Entrepreneurship is taken as a natural career path, and we aim to be a society where both successful and unsuccessful people can continue to take on challenges.

Investment focus

Software, Service Industry, Human Resources
Seed, Series A, Series B
Japan, United States, South Korea

Portfolio highlights

Ababa — Ababa provides recruitment and employment solutions.
Sotas — Sotas provides services to chemical trading companies and bridges the gap between raw material producers and consumers.
Tensor Energy — Creating the operating system of our zero-carbon, distributed energy future

An investment that restructures the value and quality.Supplying big capital is not an essential value of our firm.We have a strong attitude to input and drive critical thinking behind a new startup.After the problem is clarified and solution become established in the world,people could not imagine the society without that solution.An investment that innovates this world.We will become a real partner to execute the strategy together.INVENTION OF THE ESSENCE ----we will keep on doing it.

Investment focus

Financial Services, FinTech, Finance
Seed, Funding Round, Series A
Japan, United States, India

Portfolio highlights

Asuene — Asuene involves in clean power retail business, retail SaaS business, etc.
Fondo — Fondo is an all-in-one accounting platform for startups. We'll handle your bookkeeping, tax, and tax credits so you can focus on building your startup.
Mundi — Mundi provides financial, trade development, strategy, freight and reinventing international trade services.

As a pioneer and innovator in venture capital in Japan for the past 2 decades, we are deeply engaged in developing and supporting entrepreneurs and start-ups by leveraging our strategic position as a conduit between government, business and academia.“WERU” is the first research unit in the field of entrepreneurship in Japan established byprofessors at the graduate school, Waseda University in 1993.　“WERU Investment” is the first venture capital closely associated with university research labs, centers and institutes in japan. WERU Investment provides financial services for institutional investors (e.g. Pension funds and Endowments) as a Japanese discretionary investment manager (DIM) by fully taking advantage of these research resources, accumulated know-how and strong network.

Investment focus

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

Portfolio highlights

Synfini — Transforming modern drug discovery by uniting physical and virtual chemistry to deliver novel therapeutics for the benefit of human health and longevity.
Novity — Novity offers predictive maintenance, exceptional accuracy, and cold-start prognostics solutions for the chemical, oil, and gas industries.
Cinderelax — Cinderelax is a makeup video app through which individuals can learn makeup.

KDDI Open Innovation Fund is a corporate venture capital fund that will support promising startup companies. Total size of the fund is JPY10 billion. This is the first corporate venture capital fund established by KDDI. The fund will be managed by Global Brain Corporation (Head office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO, Yasuhiko Yurimoto),which has a strong track record in the venture capital business. By combining KDDI’s know-how and assets with Global Brain’s investment and management support capabilities, we will work together to accelerate cooperative activities with promising startup companies. Through this fund, as well as "KDDI ∞ Labo," a startup incubation program currently inviting a second round of applications, we will continue to support the growth of the next startup companies.

Investment focus

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

Portfolio highlights

Modhaus — Modhaus is a K-pop startup which aims to create the world's first open architecture entertainment ecosystem.
Eclypsium — Eclypsium's platform enhances supply chain security by incorporating zero-trust in every device, fortifying hardware, firmware, and software.
Parallel — Parallel Inc. develops a parallel SNS which can be used while playing games on smartphones.

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.

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