Top 5 ESports Startup Investors in Japan in January 2026
A list of 5 angel investors and VC (Venture Capital) funds that invest in Esports startups based in Japan. We rank investors based on the number of investments they made in Esports companies from Japan. We update this investor list every month.Top 5 ESports Startup Investors in Japan in January 2026
| Investor | eSports Japan investments |
|---|---|
| BITKRAFT Ventures | 2 |
| W ventures | 1 |
| East Ventures | 1 |
| JAFCO | 1 |
| Z Venture Capital | 1 |
We provide early- and mid-stage venture capital and expertise for extraordinary founders in gaming and emerging technology.
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Investment focus
- Gaming, Video Games, Blockchain
- Seed, Series A, Funding Round
- United States, Germany, United Kingdom
Portfolio highlights
- Airoclip — Airoclip is a gaming studio that uses AI to create highly personalized casual puzzle game experiences. Enjoy our flagship game, Hexa Dreams.
- Studio 369 — METALCORE is a free-to-play, first-person/third-person multiplayer mechanized combat game powered by towering War Machines fighting for dominance in large-scale battles.
- Yield Guild Games — Yield Guild Games (YGG) is a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) for investing in non fungible tokens (NFTs) used in virtual worlds and blockchain-based games. The organization’s mission is to create the biggest virtual world economy, optimizing its community-owned assets for maximum utility, and sharing its profits with its token holders.
W Ventures is a Berlin based Venture Design and Venture Capital company that offers a complete framework for the acceleration of digital business ideas.
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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.
East Ventures is an early stage venture capital (VC) focused on Southeast Asia, Indonesia & Japan. Success cases include Tokopedia, Traveloka, and Mercari.
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Investment focus
- Software, Information Technology, E-Commerce
- Seed, Series A, Funding Round
- Japan, Indonesia, Singapore
Portfolio highlights
- Bababos — Bababos is a platform that allows SME manufacturers to quickly access a variety of high-quality raw materials, from polymers and chemicals to steel and other metal products. This eliminates the need to handle numerous suppliers. The company's platform streamlines the buying process by digitizing administrative duties. Additionally, Bababosprovides manufacturers with flexible payment options that lessen their financial burden and enable them to concentrate on what they do best—producing high-quality products. Bababos enhances the SME producers' supply chains.
- Bibit.id — Beli Reksa Dana & Obligasi Negara dengan mudah di aplikasi. Mitra Distribusi SBN Terbaik 2022-2024. Diawasi OJK.
- Prefab — Prefab offers cutting-edge AI SaaS solutions tailored for the construction industry, enhancing efficiency, safety, and decision-making through data-driven insights.
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.
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Investment focus
- Information Technology, Software, Artificial Intelligence
- Series A, Funding Round, Series B
- Japan, United States, Israel
Portfolio highlights
- QREATION — QREATION is a digital intellectual property studio specializing in producing a wide range of popular content that originates primarily from social media platforms. The company focuses on creating high-quality short-form entertainment, including short dramas, comedy sketches, and variety shows.
- Forward — Forward is a SaaS-based startup that offers recruitment agency services.
- Metagen Therapeutics — Metagen Therapeutics is a Drug discovery and medical business company which utilizes microbiome science.
Z Venture Capital is the venture capital arm of Z Holdings that invests in companies that focuses on the insurance and finance industry.
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Investment focus
- Information Technology, Software, Content
- Seed, Series A, Series B
- Japan, South Korea, United States
Portfolio highlights
- mahocast — Mahocast operates a comprehensive business platform that supports every stage of an artist’s journey—from initial planning and content production to ongoing management and promotion.
- Cinch Tech — Cinch Tech is a subscription service that offers technology products like computers, phones, tablets, and gaming equipment. Users can choose from different payment plans. The service includes damage cover for the devices. It is intended to help users access and maintain technology without paying full price upfront. The service provides analternative way to obtain and use tech devices.
- Commune — Commune is a developer of a platform that supports connections, community building, and customers between organizations and people.
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