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Top 50 Digital Media Startup Investors in Japan in May 2025

Last updated: May 2025 A list of 50 angel investors and VC (Venture Capital) funds that invest in Digital media startups based in Japan. We rank investors based on the number of investments they made in Digital media companies from Japan. We update this investor list every month.

Top 50 Digital Media Startup Investors in Japan in May 2025

Investor	Digital Media Japan investments
Global Brain Corporation	3
One Capital	2
Vector	2
Seiko Electric	2
Quantum Leaps Ventures	1
Gree	1
KDDI Open Innovation Fund	1
AG Capital	1
B Dash Ventures	1
SBI Investment	1
Money Forward Venture Partners	1
SG INCUBATE	1
JAFCO	1
Hokkaido Electric Power Company	1
GMO VenturePartners	1
Delight Ventures	1
All About Japan	1
Adways Ventures	1
Innovation Hayate V Capital	1
North Pacific Bank	1
Hankyu Hanshin	1
Nissay Capital	1
QTnet	1
Chishima Real Estate	1
Shizuoka Capital	1
SMBC Venture Capital	1
Sazaby League	1
Makers Fund	1
Canon Marketing Japan MIRAI Fund	1
Seiichiro Wada	1
DFR Asia	1
Takeshi Natsuno	1
NetAge	1
Toyoshi Ryuichiro	1
W ventures	1
Mitsubishi UFJ Capital	1
Toranomon Impact Capital	1
Takeshi Aoki Yamato	1
Goshi Yamaguchi	1
Wavemaker Partners	1
SEPTENI HOLDINGS Japan	1
FFG Venture Business Partners	1
FGN ABBA Lab	1
Sagin Capital & Consulting	1
YoStar	1
Incubate Fund	1
Kiyohiro Sugashita	1
Richard Lo	1
JIG-SAW	1
Shinichi Misawa	1

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Investor list

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

10x — 10x provides One-stop service from meal planning to grocery shopping.
Otetsutabi — Otetsutabi is a regional revitalization platform that offers the opportunity for participants to help at accommodations and breweries in rural areas that struggle with seasonal labor shortages. The locals offer transportation expenses and places to stay in return, so participants can travel to the areas with ease.
Japan Culture and Technology — Japan Culture and Technology assists artists and craftspeople in expanding their activities by providing IT support.

A new tool that blends your everyday work apps into one. It's the all-in-one workspace for you and your team

Investment focus

Software, Information Technology, Health Care
Seed, Series B, Series A
Japan, Finland

Portfolio highlights

LOOV — LOOV is a video platform that helps in creating professional and data-driven videos for salesmen and marketers to boost conversion metrics.
Medmain — To create a world where medical services can be accessed with technology anywhere,anytime-As a supporting partner to medical practitioners throughout the world, Medmain develops and operates PidPort, an analytical system for pathological image diagnosis that makes use of Deep Learning, as well as Medteria, a specialized cloud-based service for medical students.
MagicPod Japan — MagicPod provides an automation cloud service through AI technology. MagicPod was founded in 2012 and was headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.

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

Software, Internet, E-Commerce
Funding Round, Seed, Corporate Round
Japan, Indonesia

Portfolio highlights

Pick You — Pick You offers a marketplace that facilitates seamless purchase of items directly from popular Instagram users.
Redcliff — Redcliff is a drone management company that organizes aerial shows and events for private and public organizations.
CareLink — CareLink is an app that connects people looking for one-time part-time work in nursing and welfare.

Seiko Electric has contributed to society with the best products and services. They have continued to develop technologies that usher in new eras based on sound management and human resource development. They will work to develop new products and businesses using original information and control technology and contribute to the construction ofenvironmentally friendly, safe, and comfortable social infrastructure.

Investment focus

Photography, Digital Media, Artificial Intelligence
Seed, Series A
Japan

Portfolio highlights

HMS — HMS develops AI smart camera that integrates image input and processing.

Quantum Leaps Ventures establish and invest in internet and technology companies.

Investment focus

Consulting, Health Care, Artificial Intelligence
Seed, Pre-Seed, Series A
Japan, Malaysia

Portfolio highlights

Agatyca — Agatyca is an IT company that develops customized solutions to optimize payment system processes for organizations.
CareMaker — CareMaker is a technology company that develops and operates visit schedule management and regional collaboration cloud services.
Umee Technologies — Umee Technologies is an IT firm that offers full-stack development, conversational AI, and psychological analysis engine services.

Gree is a Japanese internet media company that provides mobile social networking, and mobile technology services for its users. Gree shares development and operational expertise across all its studios as Gree always works to create new game models for its customers.

Investment focus

Mobile, Gaming, Internet
Seed, Series A, Funding Round
Japan, United States, Singapore

Portfolio highlights

Oasys — The Dedicated Gaming Blockchain. Oasys is an eco-friendly blockchain built for the gaming community, offering the best user experience with fast transactions and zero gas fees.
Oasys — The Dedicated Gaming Blockchain. Oasys is an eco-friendly blockchain built for the gaming community, offering the best user experience with fast transactions and zero gas fees.
Bankers Holding — Bankers Holding controls the bankers group companies that provide financial services via internet.

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

MOSH Japan — MOSH is a web page creation services for individual business owners.
Thinkr — THINKR provides advertising, video production, content, UX design, and animation services.
Turing — Turing develops and manufactures fully autonomous vehicles.

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

Mento — UGOKU is a provider of management of personal coaching service.
Chipee — Chipee is a social networking platform that enables its users to send digital gratitude in the form of chips.
Unito — Unito offers people a friction-free lifestyle by pursuing optimization of living.

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, Media and Entertainment
Seed, Funding Round, Series A
Japan, Taiwan, United States

Portfolio highlights

Newmo — newmo delivers sustainable local public transportation create a user experience (UX) that people may utilize with peace of mind and comfort.
Yosemite — Yosemite is a wellness company that provides health and wellness products, supplements, skincare, and personal care items.
Qlay — Qlay is an AI-automated global engineer hiring platform

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

Portfolio highlights

Zolve — Best neo bank in India offering international banking & financial services online. Apply for a US bank account, credit card & student education loan with Zolve!
Zerodoor HD — Zerodoor HD specializes in digital transformation in constructing industry.
TOKYO GameFi — TOKYO GameFi is a Web3 firm formed by a management team of developers and engineers with previous experience at CyberAgent.

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

SALOWIN — SALOWIN is a shared salon where freelance hairdressers can freely provide customer service and service.
Find — Find is a software company that provides cloud development and operation services.
MagicPod Japan — MagicPod provides an automation cloud service through AI technology. MagicPod was founded in 2012 and was headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.

SG Incubation was born as an investment company for the formation of corporate venture capital (CVC), which invests in Kyushu's first startup company.Regardless of the stage of growth, the startup company that will be the investor will first value the “human nature” of the manager, determine whether it is a company that should support thefuture, and provide capital and management back up. The Seibu Gas Group will continue to aim for new business areas.

Investment focus

Software, Logistics, Information Technology
Series A, Funding Round
Japan

Portfolio highlights

HMS — HMS develops AI smart camera that integrates image input and processing.
YeLL — YeLL is a company that help transform the organization by making the real sound of employees visible.
Metaverse Creators — Metaverse Creators is a feature-rich virtual platform providing gamers with a wide range of games, creation tools, and avatar editing tools.

Since its founding in 1973, JAFCO has always worked with leading-edge entrepreneurs. The total capital commitments of its investment funds in Japan and overseas have exceeded 1 trillion yen and the number of portfolio IPOs to date has reached over 1,000. In addition to venture investment, JAFCO also carries out buyout investment and commit to thecreations of innovative technologies and services worldwide. As entrepreneurs’ closest partner in bringing their visions to life, JAFCO provides support in areas of HR, marketing/ sales, and back-office operations, in addition to providing financing.

Investment focus

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

Portfolio highlights

Sanu — SANU is a subscription service that offers a home in nature.
Pocket Sign — Pocket Sign develops digital platforms that store e-signatures and other authentication details for it's users privacy and security.
Tech Doctor — Tech Doctor is a health monitoring service which provides analysis and insights for self care reducing the need for health care workers.

Hokkaido Electric Power Company focuses in electricity generation, electricity distribution, and the sales of electricity. The company also operates on electrical and telecommunications construction work, general management of buildings, civil engineering and general construction work, periodic inspection, maintenance, and repair of power plants.Hokkaido Electric Power Company is headquartered in Sapporo, Japan.

Investment focus

Video, Energy, Animation
Seed, Series B
Japan

Portfolio highlights

JOYCLE — JOYCLE is a waste management company that specializes in trash recycling, disposal, and environmental consulting services.
Enechain — enechain provides liquidity in Japan’s energy market by brokering OTC transactions of energy.
Forest Digital — Forest Digital is a media company that provides video, presentation, animation, and VR production services.

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, Series A, Series B
Japan, United States, India

Portfolio highlights

10x — 10x provides One-stop service from meal planning to grocery shopping.
RightTouch — RightTouch is a media company that offers customer support with KARTE RightSupport, and media CS Mag for tailored solutions and insights.
Zolve — Best neo bank in India offering international banking & financial services online. Apply for a US bank account, credit card & student education loan with Zolve!

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, Artificial Intelligence, Information Technology
Seed, Series A, Series B
Japan, United States, South Korea

Portfolio highlights

OSHIAI — OSHIAI is an AI chat software that lets you communicate with your favorite idol's "Ai" avatar, which represents their hobbies, preferences, and speaking style.
THA — THA is a technology company that enhances performance through IT and creative solutions, focusing on AI, and partnering with companies.
Josh Collaboration — Josh Collaboration is a software company that provides mailing, fax transmission, and partner management services.

All About Japan provides media and digital marketing, recommendation media, global marketing, trial marketing and commerce, and lifelong learning services. They also provide internet, advertising, and media services.

Investment focus

Medical, Task Management, Health Care
Series A, Series B, Funding Round
Japan

Portfolio highlights

Anchi — Anchi is a technology company that provides user-friendly services to support V-talents.
Awarefy — Awarefy is a mental health tech startup that offers CBT-based apps to maximize well-being.
Argos — Argos provides the online insurance medical treatment service.

Adways Ventures is a venture capital firm focused on multiple sectors. Through its investment business, they intend to create what is this for the first time for people all over the world. They provide management resources in a timely manner by using our wide know-how and network gained after more than 10 years of experience in the industry.Adways Ventures was established on February 28, 2011, and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.

Investment focus

Software, SNS, Web3
Series A, Seed, Series C
Japan

Portfolio highlights

Anchi — Anchi is a technology company that provides user-friendly services to support V-talents.
Parallel — Parallel is the hangout app where you can enjoy games, videos, music, and more with friends.
Brave group — Brave group engages in IP development, marketing and support services.

Innovation Hayate V Capital is a corporate venture capital business situated in Tokyo, Japan.

Investment focus

Sales, Video, Education
Seed
Japan

Portfolio highlights

LOOV — LOOV is a video platform that helps in creating professional and data-driven videos for salesmen and marketers to boost conversion metrics.

North Pacific Bank provides various banking products and services for individuals and corporations in Japan. It offers deposits, and negotiable certificates of deposit, as well as loans. North Pacific Bank also offers ATM, foreign exchange, and investment trust services. It operates 171 branches and 3 overseas representative offices. HokuyoSogo Bank that began operation in 1917 became North Pacific Bank in 1989. It has its headquarters in 1917, with its headquarters in Sapporo in Japan.

Investment focus

Manufacturing, Financial Services, Human Resources
Seed, Funding Round, Corporate Round
Japan

Portfolio highlights

Forest Digital — Forest Digital is a media company that provides video, presentation, animation, and VR production services.
Mechano Cross — Mechano Cross is a mechanical company that offers mechanochemical organic synthesis technology for solution reactions.
Interstellar Technologies — Interstellar Technologies is a rocket development, manufacturing and launch service.

Hankyu Hanshin operates in the urban transportation, real estate, entertainment and communications, travel, international transportation, and hotels businesses in Japan and internationally. It provides various urban transportation services linking railways, buses, and taxis; and advertising services. Hankyu Hanshin is also involved in theretailing business; development, lease, and administration of condominiums, commercial facilities, and office buildings; real estate fund management; and communication and media businesses, such as information services business, and broadcast and communications business. Moreover, it engages in the sports businesses, including professional baseball, Hanshin Koshien stadium, and related businesses; and stage businesses comprising Takarazuka Revue and related businesses. Further, Hankyu Hanshin is involved in the provision of travel and international transportation services, as well as ownership and management of hotels. It operated 46 hotels with 10,000 rooms as of March 31, 2018. Hankyu Hanshin began operation in 1907. It has its headquarters in Osaka in Japan.

Investment focus

Internet, Web Apps, Cryptocurrency
Funding Round
Japan

Portfolio highlights

DeCurret — DeCurret is into Cryptocurrency Business.
Thinkr — THINKR provides advertising, video production, content, UX design, and animation 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, Internet, Medical
Funding Round, Seed, Series A
Japan, United States, Ethiopia

Portfolio highlights

AirX — AirX is a management service company specializing in air transportation agency business and travel arrangement business. The company leverages technology to transform the notion of mobility into an unprecedented experience. It also provides services such as CodeShare, AIROS Skyview, and AIROS Air Loss. AirX will create the movement of the futuresociety, sightseeing and the way of life of helicopter, Empty MaaS, Flying taxi, eVTOL, and Next-generation traffic.AirX was established on February 23, 2015, and is based in Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
HQ — HQ offers next-generation employee benefits platform.
Doctor's Prime — Doctor's Prime is a technology company that provides is a part-time job information service for optimizing the working style of doctors.

QTnet is a telecommunication and internet service provider.

Investment focus

Artificial Intelligence, Medical, Software
Series A
Japan

Portfolio highlights

HMS — HMS develops AI smart camera that integrates image input and processing.
Medmain — To create a world where medical services can be accessed with technology anywhere,anytime-As a supporting partner to medical practitioners throughout the world, Medmain develops and operates PidPort, an analytical system for pathological image diagnosis that makes use of Deep Learning, as well as Medteria, a specialized cloud-based service for medical students.

Chishima Real Estate engages in a range of business including real estate, aircraft leasing, and regional revitalization activities.

Investment focus

Sales, Medical, Parking
Funding Round, Series D
Japan

Portfolio highlights

Thinkr — THINKR provides advertising, video production, content, UX design, and animation services.
Knowhere — Knowhere is a company that applies high-performance AI to sports.
Kringle Pharma — Kringle Pharma, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, develops pharmaceutical products based on its research on hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and NK4. Its HGF has the regenerative healing ability in regard to liver cells, as well as various cells and organs; and NK4 is a bi-functional molecule, which inhibits the invasion and metastasis of tumorcells as an HGF-antagonist, as well as possesses antiangiogenic activity. The company’s pipeline includes recombinant human HGF for the treatment of acute renal failure, skin ulcers, and CNS diseases; and recombinant human NK4 and NK4 gene drugs for cancer therapy. Kringle Pharma, Inc. was founded in 2001 and is based in Toyonaka, Japan.

Shizuoka Capital Company Limited operates as a venture capital firm. It engages in the acquisition, holding, and, sale of securities.

Investment focus

Software, Information Technology, Content
Funding Round, Series A, Series B
Japan

Portfolio highlights

JIZAIE — JIZAIE is an artificial intelligence firm that wants to combine VR, robots, and wearable computing to create solution.
Utaite — Utaite is an operator of an entertainment platform that focuses on planning, production, and development of entertainment content.
GROWTH VERSE — GROWTH VERSE is a developer of Aimstar an all-in-one tool that offers data integration, analysis, and policy implementation 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

Ababa — Ababa provides recruitment and employment solutions.
DelizMart — Deliz Mart is a digital-driven platform that helps to solve food distribution challenges and reduce cost transactions in the food industry.
Penetrator — Penetrator transforms the real estate market with space technology, tackling transaction issues and forming landslide observation systems.

Sazaby League is an online store that sells clothing, apparel goods, beauty accessories, household goods, food and restaurant products.

Investment focus

Fashion, Shopping, Recycling
Series A, Series B, Funding Round
Japan, Germany

Portfolio highlights

Comvey — Comvey provides a shopping experience that is friendly to people and the earth. It primarily offers a foldable share bag online.
AI Model — AI model specializes in the development and transformation of real-like virtual models for modeling on E-commerce platforms.
Experisus — Experisus provides Website production, development and management, and software.

Makers Fund is a global interactive entertainment venture capital firm focused on early stage investments. The team supports founders through an extensive network and deep experience in the industry.

Investment focus

Gaming, Video Games, Online Games
Seed, Series A, Funding Round
United States, United Kingdom, Finland

Portfolio highlights

Voldex — Voldex is an innovative video games studio focused on UGC (user-generated-content). It owns and operate several top Minecraft+Roblox games.
BIT ODD — Gaming company building games filled with wonder, weirdness and delight
Human Computer — Human Computer is an independent video game studio. Building games that matter. High-quality experiences that respect your time and push creative boundaries. Stories pull you in, computers provide the magic.

The information about the Canon Marketing Japan MIRAI Fund.

Investment focus

Speech Recognition, Information Technology, Artificial Intelligence
Seed
Japan

Portfolio highlights

RABO — RABO is a Cat-Tech Company that "watches cat life with technology.
Aeronext — Aeronext is a Japanese startup that provides a center of gravity control technology to enhance the basic performance of drone.
Smart Education — Smart Education, Ltd. (located in Tokyo, Japan, President Daigo Ikeya) launched it’s kid’s music app “Rhythm Book” for smartphones and tablets. It’s in the App Store as an universal app for iPhone, iPad and iTouch. With Rhythm book, kids can learn and feel the rhythm by tapping instruments along with their favorite songs. There are more than 100kid’s songs from TV, cartoons, to choose from and nursery rhymes in English and in Japanese. Stimulate the young mind with genuine and real studio recorded music and sounds. This app is designed to co-play between parents and child. You can purchase more songs via internet and the songs you’ve purchased can be co-owned by the same Apple ID through iCloud.

Seiichiro Wada started his career as employee No.5 at a technology startup. He then joined Dwango, the fast-growing startup that operates Japanese Youtube "Niko Niko Douga", incubating new businesses for the company and then helped the company go public. After that, he joined Monex Group, the leading online brokerage group in Japan, andled new businesses there as well. He also helped establish Monex Ventures as the CVC of Monex Group first and then raised funds from external LPs for an independent early-stage venture capital. He has invested in more than 100 early stage startups, including Money Forward (IPO), Uzabase (IPO), Mentalhealth Technologies (IPO), MFS (IPO), Folio, Emerada, Gracia, and orb.

Investment focus

Legal, Content, Information Technology
Seed, Series A, Series B
Japan

Portfolio highlights

Chipee — Chipee is a social networking platform that enables its users to send digital gratitude in the form of chips.
AGRI SMILE — AGRI SMILE is a platform that focuses on sharing agricultural technology.
CharacterBank — CharacterBank offers game development and production services using VR technology.

DFR is a digital media venture studio. DFR conceives, builds, and assumes ownership and execution responsibility for new ventures from inception. DFR is the first company in the world to deploy the emerging studio model in Asia, and the first venture studio dedicated exclusively to digital media.

Investment focus

Video, Digital Media, Media and Entertainment
Seed
Japan

Portfolio highlights

Breaker — Breaker is Japan's global digital studio.

Mr. Takeshi Natsuno serves as the Chairman of Japan Operations at Great Wall Club. Mr. Natsuno is a Professor of KEIO University. He served as a General Manager of Consumer Services Division and Manager of Distribution Platform Business Development Division at Pia Corporation since April 2012 and served as its Chief of Sales Promotion Bureau sinceApril 2010. He joined DoCoMo in 1997. He served as the Managing Director of Multimedia Services, Products & Services Division for NTT DoCoMo Inc. until June 23, 2009 and served as its General Manager of i-Mode Planning Division since July 2001, Senior Vice President from June 21, 2005 to June 23, 2009, Executive Officer and General Manager Multimedia Service Division since June 2005. At NTT DoCoMo, he developed the business strategy of all of NTT DoCoMo’s multimedia-related services, including i-mode strategic alliances with global application/content providers and key Internet players. He served as Vice President of Hyper Net Co., Ltd. since June 1996. He started his career with Tokyo Gas. He held key executive positions with HyperNet. He has been a Director of Dwango Co. Ltd., since December 1, 2008. He has been a Outside Director at Sega Sammy Holdings Inc. since June 2008. He has been a Director at Pia Corporation since April 2010. He serves as a Director of D.L.E Co. Ltd. He has been a Director of Gree, Inc. since September 2009 and Trans Cosmos, Inc. since 2008. He serves as a Director of GREE Ventures, Inc. He serves as a Member of Advisory Board at Great Wall Club. He served as an Independent Non-Executive Director of SBI Holdings Inc. from June 27, 2008 to June 28, 2012. He served as a Director of Hyper Net Co., Ltd. since June 1996. He is the Author of i-mode Strategy, published in 2000, a la i-mode, published in 2002, Keitai-no-Mirai, published in 2006, Iccho-yen kaseida otokono shigotojutu, and Google ni izonshi Amazon wo maneru bakakigyou published in 2009. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Economics from Waseda University, Japan in 1988 and an Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1995.

Investment focus

Financial Services, Music, Venture Capital
Angel, Funding Round, Series A
Japan, United States

Portfolio highlights

ZUU — ZUU is a Japan-based company that supports financial advisors with related consultancies and manages monetary websites. It also supports the asset management and asset advisor business of executives with finance and IT.
Zuu Online — ZUU online is a Tokyo-based financial media which provides original insights on financial market news,the latest business trend and personal finance advice
Confidence — Confidence ensures that the entertainment industry's cutting-edge manufacturers will be able to fulfil their objectives in the future.

netage, inc. is a venture capital firm specializing in startup and incubation investments. They invests in internet business. netage is located in Tokyo, Japan.

Investment focus

News, Local, Big Data
Pre-Seed, Series A
Japan

Portfolio highlights

JX Press — The JX PRESS Corporation is Japan’s“virtual news agency.”JX PRESS’s “FASTALERT” service provides breaking news bulletins for urgent information on accidents, natural disasters, and other incidents detected by AI to all six of the major television broadcast stations in Japan, including NHK, and the majority of the 100+ local broadcast stations.FASTALERT works with more companies than any other service that utilizes information gathered from social networking sites for news reporting in Japan.The version offered to ordinary consumers, an app called “NewsDigest,” is the biggest news bulletin app in Japan, boasting over 1 million downloads. It is gaining popularity because of its ability to use AI to automatically detect and deliver news bulletins on information worth reporting. Alongside FASTALERT, it is also gaining more widespread use by news reporters as a standardized service for information.Stakeholders in the JX PRESS Corporation include KYODO NEWS, the leading news agency in Japan, two of the leading commercial broadcast stations (TV Asahi and Fuji TV), and the Nikkei Group. We are a new kind of news agency that provides computerized news reporting to all of the major media groups in Japan.Bloomberg - This Media Startup Is Beating the Competition With a Newsroom Run by Robots https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-05-27/the-airline-geek-trying-to-build-a-media-giant-with-no-reporters
Oceans — Oceans Inc. was incorporated on September 16th, 2010 as an internet service company with the expressed goal of making the Internet more useful, more local, more here and now. Specialists from the fields of user interface, user experience, creative, programming and monetization gathered to make this possible. Currently, these development and serviceoperations professionals operate Eyeland(http://eyeland.in), a popular local communications platform.

Toyoshi Ryuichiro - CEO @ Misoca

Investment focus

Apps, mHealth, Internet
Pre-Seed, Funding Round
Japan

Portfolio highlights

ReadHub — ReadHub is a Information technology , Planning, development and management of Internet media and applications company.
Everyplus — Every Plus is a Nursing care facility recreation planning and dispatch service.

W Ventures is a Berlin based Venture Design and Venture Capital company that offers a complete framework for the acceleration of digital business ideas.

Investment focus

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

Portfolio highlights

Newmo — newmo delivers sustainable local public transportation create a user experience (UX) that people may utilize with peace of mind and comfort.
Tradom — Tradom is a company that offers the "Tradam Foreign Exchange Solution," an AI solution for managing foreign exchange risk.
Starley — Starley offers end-to-end development and implementation of artificial intelligence-related products.

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, Singapore

Portfolio highlights

Manabie — Manabie is an Education Technology start-up company on a mission to provide a new style of online & offline merged learning around the world. We provide students with everything they need for efficient learning; high-quality learning materials, great learning environments, personal coaches and more! We believe that our new method of learning,integrating online and offline will dramatically innovate the way students learn.
M&A Cloud — M & A is a Match Platform for Small & Medium Venture Companies
NABLA Mobility — Solving the complexities involved in the "Operation of Fleets" of Mobility and support its evolution and decarbonization

Toranomon Impact Capital provides impact investment in health sector.

Investment focus

EdTech, Training
Seed
Japan

Portfolio highlights

Chipee — Chipee is a social networking platform that enables its users to send digital gratitude in the form of chips.
MELON — MELON creates mindfulness programs using a scientific methodology and provides them in a specialized studio.

Takeshi Aoki Yamato is the Representative Director of Capital Medica Ventures.

Investment focus

Social Media, Digital Media, Social Network
Seed
Japan

Portfolio highlights

Chipee — Chipee is a social networking platform that enables its users to send digital gratitude in the form of chips.

Goshi Yamaguchi

Investment focus

Food and Beverage, Digital Media, Apps
Seed, Pre-Seed, Corporate Round
Japan

Portfolio highlights

ReadHub — ReadHub is a Information technology , Planning, development and management of Internet media and applications company.
Pan For You — Pan For You is a Food & Beverage Company. We deliver delicious bread from all over the world with our unique freezing technology and propose a lifestyle where you can enjoy freshly baked bread anytime.
ZAZA — ZAZA is focus to make the world where people can respect each other even thought they have a different culture and belief.

Wavemaker Group is a cross-border venture capital firm founded in 2003 and one of the most active early-stage investors across multiple funds.

Investment focus

Software, E-Commerce, Information Technology
Seed, Series A, Funding Round
United States, Singapore, Philippines

Portfolio highlights

Pi-xcels — Eco-friendly NFC digital receipts solution for actionable shopper data and enhanced customer journeys. No App, Just Tap. With one-tap convenience, Pi-xcels unlocks omni-channel marketing opportunities and boosts performance for retailers with our customer intelligence platform.
Oneteam — We acquire small to medium businesses and help next-gen hardworking employees grow into capable owners of these businesses. Using digital-first solutions to drive growth, synergies and innovation, we collaborate with your employees to transform your business into global enterprises.
Soul Parking — Soul Parking is a parking management service company, which has successfully developed motorcycle storage equipment as a solution for traffic and parking problems that are cluttered using 100% designs and raw materials. Soul Parking provides solutions by developing a modern, safe and comfortable vehicle parking system that takes into accountlimited land area.

Septeni Holdings started as a recruitment consulting company and become an internet advertising company in the year 2000. The company was established in October 1990 and is based in Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

Investment focus

Internet, Content, Marketing
Series A, Funding Round, Corporate Round
Japan, United States

Portfolio highlights

Sproot — Sproot engages in the media and entertainment business.
Gokko Club — Gokko Club operates in the digital entertainment industry, focusing on content creation, public relations, and video production. The company is known for its short drama productions, which are characterized by their condensed content and fast-paced development. Gokko Club handles all aspects of these productions in-house, including scriptwriting,directing, production, and editing. The company also has a strong presence on social media platforms like TikTok, where it has amassed a significant following. In addition to its entertainment offerings, Gokko Club also provides music streaming services.
Brave group — Brave group engages in IP development, marketing and support services.

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

Investment focus

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

Portfolio highlights

ACCEL Stars — ACCEL Stars is a fitness and wellness firm that offers sleep diagnosis and examinations like sleep health, hygiene and medical devices.
KOALA Tech — Koala Tech Inc. is an innovative high-tech startup company, whose goal is to pioneer practical applications of the world's first organic semiconductor laser diode that has been realized in the Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics Research (OPERA) at Kyushu University.
Neusignal Therapeutics — Neusignal Therapeutics is a medical company that develops therapeutic medicines for dementia and psychiatric illnesses.

FGN ABBA Lab is an investment fund that mainly supports pre-seed to series A early stage startups. In this FGN ABBA Lab fund, they will support startups with the idea of creating “things and things” that make the world exciting without limiting the genre, investment, training, and social implementation.

Investment focus

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

Portfolio highlights

neuet — neuet develops and operates a smartphone application that offers bike-sharing services.
HMS — HMS develops AI smart camera that integrates image input and processing.
Sorano Me — Sorano Me is a content creation and media company that provides space related content, space data and consulting services.

Sagin Capital & Consulting is the venture capital arm of The Bank of Saga.

Investment focus

Internet, Artificial Intelligence, Information Technology
Funding Round, Series A, Seed
Japan

Portfolio highlights

Yuime — Yuime is an HR consulting firm that offers agricultural staffing, contract farming, and recruitment services.
Precal — Precal is an information technology company that develops applications that are common with pharmacies, pharmacists, and dispensing clerks.
Live Search — Live Search provides the real estate industry with online room availability management, property photography, and floor plan services.

YoStar is an application that facilitates the adjustment of a telescope towards a space object.

Investment focus

Portfolio highlights

Thinkr — THINKR provides advertising, video production, content, UX design, and animation services.

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

Investment focus

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

Portfolio highlights

Gatebox — It is a research laboratory beyond dimension" which is researching and developing to realize "a world where you can live with a character". Therefore, Gatebox Co., Ltd. refers to itself as "Gatebox Lab" and conducts research and development beyond dimension in the area of Akihabara day and night. Dreaming that day,coming to meet beyond dimension.
NABLA Mobility — Solving the complexities involved in the "Operation of Fleets" of Mobility and support its evolution and decarbonization
Mjolnir Spaceworks — Mjolnir Spaceworks desings and manufactures state-of-the-art novel space rockets with efficient engines as well as other space equipments.

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.

Richard Lau serves as Head of Wealth and Personal Banking Risk at Hang Seng Bank.

Investment focus

Content, Marketing, Digital Media
Series A
Japan

Portfolio highlights

DoubleL — Doublel is a general trading company of pop culture that develops Japanese manga, anime, and games internationally. The company was founded in 2014 and based in Tokyo, Japan.

JIG-SAW (San Jose) offers neqto, an all-in-one solution for IoT. As an all-in-one, fully managed solution for IoT, neqto provides: hardware, embedded and edge software, communication mechanisms, and cloud. Through neqto, easy and secure bidirectional communication for transmitting, collecting, and controlling things and systems via IoT is madepossible.With their core competencies in monitoring services, cloud technologies, mobile communication modules, embedded systems, and IoT equipment they hope to support and accelerate the automation and decentralization of the next generation of technology companies.

Investment focus

Content, Marketing, Digital Media
Series A
Japan

Portfolio highlights

DoubleL — Doublel is a general trading company of pop culture that develops Japanese manga, anime, and games internationally. The company was founded in 2014 and based in Tokyo, Japan.

Shinichi Misawa - Director @ Zappallas

Investment focus

Content, Marketing, Digital Media
Series A, Funding Round
Japan

Portfolio highlights

Kudan — Kudan has been providing proprietary Artificial Perception technologies based on SLAM to enable use cases with significant market potential and impact on our lives such as autonomous driving, robotics, AR/VR and smart cities
DoubleL — Doublel is a general trading company of pop culture that develops Japanese manga, anime, and games internationally. The company was founded in 2014 and based in Tokyo, Japan.

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Artificial intelligence