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Top 50 Hospitality Startup Investors in Japan in April 2025

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

Top 50 Hospitality Startup Investors in Japan in April 2025

Investor	Hospitality Japan investments
Mizuho Capital	3
Monex Ventures	2
NEC Capital Solutions	2
Genesia Ventures	2
JR East Start Up	2
iFund	1
ANOBAKA	1
FUKUOKA BROADCASTING SYSTEM	1
Chihiro Asano	1
JTB Corp.	1
NIPPON STEEL KOWA REAL ESTATE	1
DCM Ventures	1
VOYAGE VENTURES	1
Change Holdings	1
MITSUI SUMITOMO INSURANCE Venture Capital (MSIVC)	1
Paul Kuo	1
JR West Innovations	1
Hiroshima Venture Capital	1
Goshi Yamaguchi	1
Concord Executive Group	1
Yu Akasaka	1
Ken Takayama	1
Midland Incubators	1
Learning Entrepreneurs Lab	1
Nissay Capital	1
Development Bank of Japan	1
Japan Airport Terminal	1
FGN ABBA Lab	1
TeNY	1
iMercury Capital	1
DBJ Capital	1
Animal Spirits Ltd.	1
Saison Ventures	1
Daishi Management Consulting	1
Evolable Asia Japan	1
Chukyo TV	1
Yusuke Sato	1
Michimasa Naka	1
Hokuyo Bank	1
500 Startups Japan	1
Innoventure	1
Mamoru Taniya	1
Kiyohiro Sugashita	1
Nobuyuki Idei	1
Allied Architects	1
Vector	1
Sansei Capital Investment	1
Adways	1
North Pacific Bank	1
Kotaro Chiba	1

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Investor list

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

Instalimb — Instalimb is the world's first 3D printing prosthesis business.
Penetrator — Penetrator transforms the real estate market with space technology, tackling transaction issues and forming landslide observation systems.
Umee Technologies — Umee Technologies is an IT firm that offers full-stack development, conversational AI, and psychological analysis engine services.

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 — Dengan menjadi Moneyduck, kamu bisa memberikan konsultasi finansial dan produk kamu ke pelanggan dan raih pendapatan tinggi tanpa modal apapun.

NEC Capital Solutions Limited provides financial services in Japan. It's Main Business is Leasing for Information and Communication Equipment, Office Equipment, Industrial Equipment and Installment Sales, Business Loans, Factoring Services, Business Outsourcing and Sales of Used Equipment.

Investment focus

Internet, Manufacturing, Information Technology
Funding Round, Series B, Series A
Japan, United States, Tanzania

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.
Luup — Luup is an Internet Company.
S-Mat — Smartmat is an eco-friendly IoT purchase system for on-demand, no-hassle grocery with cost-effective shipping.

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

Kinish — Kinish is a company leading a revolution in dairy products. To achieve environmentally friendly and delicious dairy products, we are developing a special rice variety that produces milk proteins.
PartnerProp — PartnerProp is a PRM tool with outstanding potential and a wide variety of capabilities that resolves all partner business difficulties.
Conoris Technologies — Conoris Technologies is a staffing agency that offers security check support services for companies.

JR East Startup Program is a program operated by East Japan Railway that provides incubator and accelerator services to startups in Japan. The firm was founded in February 2018 and is based in Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

Investment focus

Information Technology, Software, Task Management
Funding Round, Series B, Seed
Japan, United States

Portfolio highlights

Yadokari — Yadokari provides various types of Construction & Real Estate related other services.
EMobi — EMoBi is a transportation company that provides freight transport, and electric vehicle services with reservation facilities.
Ken Robotec — Ken Robotec is a construction company that provides labor-saving solutions.

iFund is an investment and financial service firm.

Investment focus

Apps, Music, Content
Seed
Japan

Portfolio highlights

Hagino — Hagino is a recruitment company that provides paid employment services for the hotel and lodging industries.
YUIMEX — YUIMEX specializes in copyright, digital content, animation, and network entertainment services.
Nekonome — Nekonome creates a game platform with global character designs, in-game updates, and regular events, providing a personalized gaming experience based on data.

ANOBAKA is a Tokyo-based venture capital firm with rich group resources to add value to seed-stage startups. ANOBAKA actively invests in and supports startups aiming to be a global leader in the innovative Internet business and promising to greatly grow up in the future. ANOBAKA's investment focuses on fledgling seed-stage startups. Inaddition to investment financing, ANOBAKA provides founders with a variety of business support such as development consulting by our engineers, sales support, and international marketing support.

Investment focus

Software, Content, Food and Beverage
Seed, Funding Round, Series A
Japan, United States, India

Portfolio highlights

Hagino — Hagino is a recruitment company that provides paid employment services for the hotel and lodging industries.
DrumRole Co — DrumRole Co is a process management services provider for the small factories and manufacturing industry.
Nicoli — Nicoli is a company that creates content and advertisements that increase happy time for parents and children .

FUKUOKA BROADCASTING SYSTEM is a TV station that produces and broadcasts various programs.

Investment focus

Travel, Content, Tourism
Series A
Japan

Portfolio highlights

EXest — EXest is aTokyo-based inbound travel promotion startup .The company provides the WOW U platform that connects inbound visitors to Japan with licensed interpreters and tour guides in addition to WOWU-media offering potential visitors to Japan with video clips introducing must-visit spots and popular local souvenirs on Facebook.

Chief Technology Officer at Money Forward.

Investment focus

Content, Legal, FinTech
Seed, Angel, Series A
Japan

Portfolio highlights

HERP — HERP is a recruitment management platform.
Issues — Issues provides development and management of web service issues that solve the problems.
Luup — Luup is an Internet Company.

One the most biggest company in Japan dealing with tourism.

Investment focus

Travel, Leisure, Sales
Seed, Series A, Series B
Japan, Denmark

Portfolio highlights

Goodwings — Choose responsible travel options, track emissions, and offset them for free with Goodwings. Our sustainability-focused travel management system helps you travel responsibly while reducing your carbon footprint.
byFood.com — Food tours, cooking classes, dining experiences & tastings in Japan. Enjoy a meal in Japan and help children around the world thr
Tablecross — Tablecross is a Marketing consulting business for restaurants.

NIPPON STEEL KOWA REAL ESTATE offers real estate services.

Investment focus

CRM, Career Planning, Management Consulting
Seed, Series A, Funding Round
Japan

Portfolio highlights

iYell — iYell Mortgage Platform consists of three pillars, Media that can be used for marketing, Technology to make the procedure more efficient.
SAGOJO — SAGOJO is a planning and operation of the amazing traveler recruiting site "SAGOJO" and production, direction, and editing of accompanying content.
Arsaga Partners — Arsaga Partners, Inc., "develop with the fastest and highest quality" as concept, is a one-stop IT system development company.- All functions necessary for IT system development such as IT strategy consulting, UX/UI consulting, planning, engineering, designing, maintenance and operations are provided through our one-stop solution.- With engineers accounting for over 90% of our company structure we can work directly with our clients. - Our motto is to providing services at a reasonable cost without outsourcing and to bring our Japanese omotenashi spirit to our development services. - We think of Digital transformation (DX) Not as a trendy word, but as IT system development that truly contributes to our clients' business needs.Main Services - One-stop IT System Development Business, Start-up/New IT Business Consulting, Enterprise System/New Business Planning and Development(Digital Transformation/DX), Web System Planning and Development, Application Planning and DevelopmentKey Clients - Nippon Steel Kowa Real Estate Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi Estate, ShionogiV-CUBE, Mizuho Securities, Sciseed inc.

DCM Ventures assists entrepreneurs in building companies that will change how institutions and people use and live with technology.DCM Ventures focuses on the size of its team, the money they raise, and the investments they make all so that it can focus on the business of helping portfolio companies succeed. Collectively, the DCM investingpartners have over a century of investing and operational experience and each DCM partner has experience building hyper-growth startups into billion-dollar businesses.DCM Ventures manages ten funds totaling $4.0 billion and has made investments in more than 400 technology companies across the United States and Asia. With offices in Silicon Valley, Beijing, and Tokyo, DCM provides hands-on operational guidance and a vast network of global business and financial resources to its portfolio companies.

Investment focus

Software, Internet, E-Commerce
Series B, Series A, Series C
United States, China, Japan

Portfolio highlights

Newmo — newmo delivers sustainable local public transportation create a user experience (UX) that people may utilize with peace of mind and comfort.
Route-D — Route-D is an operation management app that improves operating income and expenditures and manages logistics operations.
Lingopal — SaaS API Layer for translation

Voyage Ventures is the venture capital arm of Voyage Group specializing in seed and early-stage investments. The firm seeks to make investments in the internet and mobile internet industry. It invests from JPY1 million ($.01million) to JPY to 10 million ($.12 million) in its portfolio companies. The firm typically invests in Japan, China, and othergrowing Asian markets. Voyage Ventures, Inc., formerly known as EC Navi Ventures Company, was founded on March 25, 2011, and is based in Tokyo, Japan.

Investment focus

Software, Internet, Content
Funding Round, Seed, Series A
Japan, China, Germany

Portfolio highlights

pickupon — Pickupon is a company that transcribes important parts of the call
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.
ventus Japan — ventus is an Media and Entertainment based company.ventus aiming to be an entertainment company that provides technology that all fans can enjoy.

Change is offers AI and voice Internet, mobility, library of various algorithms such as IoT big data, cloud, security, etc. and training of services and IT human resources development utilizing basic technology.

Investment focus

Hotel, Finance, Hospitality
Series A, Funding Round, Corporate Round
Japan

Portfolio highlights

LisB — LisB provides cloud service development, smartphone, tuplet, PC application development web system.
Japan DX — Japan DX platform provides a comprehensive data-driven services to inbound tourists to Japan.
AVA Intelligence — AVA Intelligence is a Internet service development company.

MSIVC is a venture capital firm that invests in Japanese and global startups scaling to IPO. It focuses on startups in verticals of Fintech, SaaS, Healthcare, AI, E-Commerce, Foodtech, and Environment etc.

Investment focus

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

Portfolio highlights

SPACECOOL — Spacecool offers zero-energy cooling materials that radiate heat to space, reducing temperatures and mitigating global warming.
Secai Marche — SECAI MARCHE is Farm-Fresh Platform to link farmers and enthusiasm chefs and consumer in all over the world.
Gaudi Clinical — Gaudi Clinical is a health care firm that engages in regenerative medicine outsourcing and cell processing contract establishments.

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.

JR West Japan Group, they will utilize innovation based on external technologies and know-how to realize sustainable operation of the railway and expansion of business creation, contributing to the revitalization of areas including the West Japan area.

Investment focus

Software, Internet, Product Design
Funding Round, Seed, Series B
Japan

Portfolio highlights

GiXo — GiXo provides analysis support services using big data and solving business problems. GiXo is a data-driven company founded by strategists and analytics experts. GiXo solves client companies' management issues by utilizing analytics and supporting all types of data-driven decisions.
SPACER — SPACER is a 24-hour handover IoT locker that can open and close doors with a smartphone.
Infcurion — The Infucurion Group is a business development professional that is pushing the cashless era with the power of technology .

Hiroshima Venture Capital provides venture capital investment services. The firm creates corporate value from a long-term perspective.

Investment focus

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

Portfolio highlights

Ababa — Ababa provides recruitment and employment solutions.
ZABoooN — ZABoooN is a shipping company that offers crew labor management, movement management, and ship management services.
MaterialGate — MaterialGate focuses on single-molecule dielectrics, developing technologies for devices with better electronic characteristics.

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.

Concord Executive Group is a career design firm that strives to create a prosperous society through career support for “leaders who create the future”.

Investment focus

Travel, Content, Tourism
Series A
Japan

Portfolio highlights

EXest — EXest is aTokyo-based inbound travel promotion startup .The company provides the WOW U platform that connects inbound visitors to Japan with licensed interpreters and tour guides in addition to WOWU-media offering potential visitors to Japan with video clips introducing must-visit spots and popular local souvenirs on Facebook.

During Hosei University student, and intern at Hakuhodo C & D. After joining the Image-net, I do media monetization of EC site as a media planner. Then, new business, engaged in Alliance. Launched a crowdsourcing site "MILLION DESIGNS" of design in the individual, sold to Ransazu Corporation. Established the Eureka Co., Ltd., wasappointed Representative Director CEO.

Investment focus

Food and Beverage, Content, Internet
Seed, Angel, Funding Round
Japan, Australia, Hong Kong

Portfolio highlights

Now Do — Now Do provides online growth revolution platform.
RE — RE specializes in smartphone application design and development.
Vitalogue Health — Vitalogue Health offers Canvas, a home-based hormone testing service for women.

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.

Midland Incubators is an investment firm.

Investment focus

Hospitality, Food and Beverage
Seed
Japan

Portfolio highlights

ZAZA — ZAZA is focus to make the world where people can respect each other even thought they have a different culture and belief.

Learning Entrepreneurs Lab is a process-oriented startup accelerator that introduces startup tools and practice it with entrepreneurs.

Investment focus

Hospitality, Food and Beverage
Seed
Japan

Portfolio highlights

ZAZA — ZAZA is focus to make the world where people can respect each other even thought they have a different culture and belief.

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.

Development Bank of Japan is an integrated investment and loan service provider to domestic and international clients. They will support sustainability management that balances economic and social value and will help to realize a sustainable society.

Investment focus

Robotics, Renewable Energy, Information Technology
Funding Round, Series A, Series B
Japan, United States, Tanzania

Portfolio highlights

Qolab — Qolab is spearheading global collaboration across the semiconductor ecosystem to develop utility-scale superconducting quantum computers.
Cellid — Cellid developing the waveguide-architecture display module for AR glasses and high-performance spatial recognition software.
Preferred Networks — Preferred Networks (PFN) was established in March 2014 in Tokyo with the goal to develop practical, real-world applications of deep learning, robotics and other latest technologies. PFN is currently focused on three priority areas – transportation systems, manufacturing and bio-healthcare – and also exploring the use of deep learning in personalrobots, plant optimization, materials discovery, sports analytics and entertainment. PFN has a U.S. subsidiary in Burlingame, California.

Japan Airport Terminal is a facility management business that supports customers' safe travels, a product sales business that meets diversifying needs, and a restaurant business. They also involve the management and operation of airport passenger terminal buildings. They sell materials and equipment used in passenger terminals and invite andhold bonded art auctions.

Investment focus

Hotel, Hospitality
Series A
Japan

Portfolio highlights

Anveshan — At Anveshan, we make food products that are natural, healthy and chemical free. Anveshan provides the best quality food products through the use of technological solutions. We have cold-pressed/wood pressed oils, A2 vedic bilona ghee and super seeds for healthy diet and immunity boosting.
Japan DX — Japan DX platform provides a comprehensive data-driven services to inbound tourists to Japan.

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.

TeNY is a broadcasting and media production company that produces documentary programs and local TV shows.

Investment focus

Travel, Content, Tourism
Series A
Japan

Portfolio highlights

EXest — EXest is aTokyo-based inbound travel promotion startup .The company provides the WOW U platform that connects inbound visitors to Japan with licensed interpreters and tour guides in addition to WOWU-media offering potential visitors to Japan with video clips introducing must-visit spots and popular local souvenirs on Facebook.

iMercury Capital is an investment subsidiary established to expand Mixi's business portfolio and realize discontinuous growth beyond the SNS "Mixi" business. iMercury Capital plans to invest 5 billion yen together with Mixi, aiming to generate profits through long-term holdings. It also covers everything from start-ups to latestages, as well as both online and offline businesses.

Investment focus

Software, Internet, Mobile
Series B, Funding Round, Series C
Japan, United States

Portfolio highlights

WELMO — WELMO has currently been working on R&D to launch Japan's largest welfare AI service platform called "CPA(Care Plan Assistant)" which supports care coordinator (caregiver), who helps a daily activities of the elderly people, to create a care plan for them, with using ICT and advanced technology, especially NLP(Natural LanguageProcessing), in terms of knowledge support. It has mainly two fundamental technologies; data warehouse includes all fast date and big date about care, explainable AI that describes a reason why the care is provided for the users. It also reduces time and cost to create the care plan, which enables anyone to be able to use easily and get enough information that the users want to know and use.
Creema — Creema operates an online marketplace for handmade products. It provides its clients with social commerce, art events, and related services. The company is based in Shibuya, Kanagawa.
Meleap — HADO is a new sport utilizing the leading AR technology with players wearing a head mounted display and an armband sensor to compete against each other by using the ‘energy ball’ or ‘shield’ and earn points in a three-on-three, eighty-minutes game between two teams.

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

Investment focus

Software, Health Care, Medical
Funding Round, Series A, Series B
Japan, United States, Australia

Portfolio highlights

Ababa — Ababa provides recruitment and employment solutions.
MOSH Japan — MOSH is a web page creation services for individual business owners.
DigitalArchi — Realizing a revolution in architecture.

Animal Spirits is an investment firm that raises funds for seed and early-stage startups and provides relevant advisory services.

Investment focus

B2B, Legal, Farming
Seed, Series A, Funding Round
Japan

Portfolio highlights

Hagino — Hagino is a recruitment company that provides paid employment services for the hotel and lodging industries.
Rakubil — Rakubil is a software development firm that develops applications and platforms for the commercial real estate sectors.
Mign — Mign offers a generative AI-related SaaS solutions for the construction and real estate fields.

Saison Ventures is investment arm of Credit Saison.

Investment focus

Software, Internet, Content
Funding Round, Seed, Series B
Japan, Switzerland

Portfolio highlights

Kenzo — Kenzo enables the operation of a construction-specific ordering platform.
Luca Japan — LUCA Japan provides digital access to alternative investments, including but not limited to private equity, real estate, hedge funds, and private credit.
Better Place — Better place vision is to create a world in which kind people can continue to be kind, as well as a society in which people can work in their own way without worrying about money.

Daishi Management Consulting is a subsidiary of Daishi Bank engages in venture capital and consulting services

Investment focus

Travel, Content, Tourism
Seed, Series A
Japan

Portfolio highlights

EXest — EXest is aTokyo-based inbound travel promotion startup .The company provides the WOW U platform that connects inbound visitors to Japan with licensed interpreters and tour guides in addition to WOWU-media offering potential visitors to Japan with video clips introducing must-visit spots and popular local souvenirs on Facebook.
Creative Coatings — Creative Coatings is a manufacturing company that develops a state-of-the-art coating process that has both liquid phase and gas phase coating technologies.

Evolable Asia operates a comparison site for travel products focused on domestic airline tickets (the largest in the transaction volume industry), as well as providing travel content and products on an OEM basis. It specializes in wholesale and business trip services for corporations, and it is the fifth-largest online travel agent in Japan.Furthermore, it is expanding its IT offshore development business, employing approximately 500 engineers in Vietnam and becoming the largest Japanese IT offshore development company in Southeast Asia. It specializes in lab-type offshore development, with dedicated teams for clients, and provides services to a variety of Japanese companies as a solution to Japan's engineer shortage and rising labor costs.

Investment focus

Task Management, Marketing, Artificial Intelligence
Funding Round, Corporate Round, Seed
Japan

Portfolio highlights

LS Japan — LS Co., Ltd. is a company that plans, operates and manages lifestyle hotels, cafes and bars by launching its own inbound brand using Japanese content .
Ancar — Ancar is a company offering personal buying and selling services in Japan.
Upsell Technologies — Upsell Technologies is Customer data analysis service platform.

JOCH-DTV, branded as Chukyo TV, is the Chukyo metropolitan area flagship station of the Nippon News Network and Nippon Television Network System (NNS), owned by Nippon Television Holdings through the Chukyo TV. Broadcasting Co., Ltd. Its studios are located in Showa-ku, Nagoya, Japan.

Investment focus

Content, Audio, Travel
Series A, Seed, Funding Round
Japan

Portfolio highlights

EXest — EXest is aTokyo-based inbound travel promotion startup .The company provides the WOW U platform that connects inbound visitors to Japan with licensed interpreters and tour guides in addition to WOWU-media offering potential visitors to Japan with video clips introducing must-visit spots and popular local souvenirs on Facebook.
FIREBUG — FIREBUG enables comedians, actresses, models, artists, managers, and creators to develop their skills. They arrange production plans for numerous talents and create IP and advertising items based on the social networking sites of the talents. Additionally, they offer marketing solutions built around a range of talent-focused content. They offerbasic marketing assistance and advertising for businesses.
Newrope — NEWROPE is a web service business and Media business platform.

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.

Michimasa Naka is a member of the Board Of Directors of istyle.inc. He is an experienced Chairperson with a demonstrated history of working in the financial services industry.

Investment focus

Reservations, Travel, Employment
Seed, Angel
Japan

Portfolio highlights

DOFA — Dofa aims to develop services that enrich the way of life and work of human resources that are active mainly in sales.
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.

Hokuyo Bank provides various products and services to support its customers' needs for raising funds necessary for their business activities. It supports the efficiency and rationalization of customers' financial and accounting operations by providing various solutions to meet a wide range of their needs.

Investment focus

AgTech, Travel, Farming
Seed, Series B, Funding Round
Japan

Portfolio highlights

Akan Adventure Tourism — Akan Adventure Tourism creates, promotes, and markets activities for tourists in the adventure-tourism segment, with the goal of attracting overnight visitors by using the world-class natural resources of the Lake Akan Hot Spring and its surrounding area.As a company providing guidance to this region with earning potential (that is, creating andmaintaining business models, increasing employment and the population, and creating resources for destination marketing organizations (DMO) who do not rely completely on the government). The company aims to maximize the value of the Lake Akan Hot Spring (by finding clients who highly value the magic of the Lake Akan Hot Spring, or, in other words, by creating activities that target adventure tourists seeking high-value-added adventures).
Farmnote holdings Japan — Firm Note Holdings Co., Ltd., established in December 2016, is a pure holding company with SkyArc Co., Ltd., which operates the web integration business, and Farm Note Co., Ltd., which operates the agricultural IoT solution business.
Japan Platform of Industrial Transformation — Japan Platform of Industrial Transformation is providing equity investment and business management services for affiliated group companies.

500 Startups is the most active seed VC in the world. 500 Startups Japan is a $35M regional fund focusing on Japan.

Investment focus

Internet, Software, Human Resources
Seed, Series A, Funding Round
Japan

Portfolio highlights

Noin — Noin specializes in cosmetics and delivers content that accurately captures trends like videos that solve girls worries.
Trustdock — Trustdock is a platform for identity confirmation API service in Japan. You can outsource KYC / identity confirmation via online API, complying with various laws including criminal profit transfer prevention law, antique sales law, cell phone fraud prevention use law etc. It can be used with any ID service regardless of business type, such asmatching to FinTech, shared eco, etc.
Connected Robotics — Connected Robotics is an information technology company that designs and manufactures robotic arms for enterprises. The company's product, OctoChef, provides cooking services. It caters to individual restaurants, shopping malls, stations, service areas, amusement centers, and large-scale events. The company was founded in 2014 and is basedin Koganei-shi, Japan.

Innoventure provides marketing services by purchasing and selling excess inventory and service surplus in order to maintain brand value.

Investment focus

Travel, E-Commerce, Hospitality
Seed
Japan

Portfolio highlights

Cansell — Cansell is a web service that allows you to easily sell and buy accommodation reservations that incur cancellation fees.

After graduating from the Faculty of Law at the University of Tokyo, he joined Solomon Brothers, where he became the youngest managing director in Asia, where he was in charge of Asian investment. After that, he created one of the largest independent Asuka assets. He also launched Japan's first independent online life insurance company,LifeNet Life Insurance, and inspired Japan's first International.

Investment focus

Apps, Content, FinTech
Seed, Series A, Funding Round
Japan, Singapore, Spain

Portfolio highlights

Revorf — Revorf analyzes data and develops AI-related to infectious diseases and healthcare.
abillion — Find tips for plant-based food & products near you. Join the community to share reviews of restaurants & brands. Raise funds & drive sustainability!
RIMM Sustainability — RIMM Sustainability provides a SaaS platform that enables companies of all sizes to optimise their sustainability management effort. It builds tools for sustainability management, reporting and optimisation.

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.

Nobuyuki Idei has served as our independent director since June 2007.Being an experienced director, Nobuyuki Idei currently also serves as director of Accenture, director of FreeBit Co, Ltd., director of Lenovo Group, and chairman of the National Conference on Fostering Beautiful Forests in Japan.Nobuyuki Idei is the founder and chief executiveofficer of Quantum Leaps Corporation, a specialist consultancy that advises private and public institutions on the changing role of technology in the 21st century.Nobuyuki Idei is also the founder and chairman of the board of Asia Innovators’ Initiative, a private non-profit organization that he established in 2011 to serve as a catalyst for social innovation in Asia by bringing together a diverse range of individuals and promoting knowledge sharing.Nobuyuki Idei was chairman and chief executive officer of Sony Corporation from 2000 to 2005, chief corporate advisor from 2005 to 2007, and chairman of the advisory board from 2007 to 2012.Prior to that, Nobuyuki Idei held a range of leadership positions at Sony including general manager of the audio division, senior general manager of the home video group, and president and representative director.Nobuyuki Idei has also served in a number of other advisory positions including as counselor to the Bank of Japan, member of Japan’s national IT Strategy Council, and vice-chairman of Nippon Keidanren.Nobuyuki Idei received a bachelor of science degree in economics and politics from Waseda University in Tokyo.

Investment focus

Information Technology, Manufacturing, Internet
Seed, Funding Round, Corporate Round
Japan, France, United States

Portfolio highlights

Pyrenee — Pyrenee is a hardware startup that creates devices that protect people's lives.
Antescofo — Antescofo is the mariage of world-class R&D and Business endeavours. Their technology is the result of 7+ years of R&D in the world’s largest laboratory dedicated to Music and Technology, IRCAM in Paris, and public experience with the most important musicians and orchestras around the world. The principle? Through Intelligent MachineListening, they recognize how humans perform music in real-time and use that information to synchronize content and provide an immersive experience! Antescofo was incorporated in July 2016 and based in Paris, France.
Stake Technologies — Stake Technologies is a technology company that provides blockchain solutions to enterprises.

Allied Architects vision comes from the combination of two key aspirations being the leading company in their industry and being entrepreneurial at the same time. They not only aspire to be the finest provider of high quality service and to contribute to society, but they are also hungry to continually take on challenges with entrepreneurial driveand spirit.This is because they believe in connecting individuals and businesses together through social media and technology, with a view to enriching their society.The rise of social media has given new power to individuals to express their own personality through dialogue, and by developing a network of contacts on the internet it has dramatically improved the ease communication. Furthermore, businesses can now connect with their existing and prospective customers more easily through official social media accounts. In previous generations, small shops and businesses dealt directly with their customers. This brought people together, with close and direct connection being necessary to ensure complete customer satisfaction. Even though it helped to build strong relationships in the community, it did not go any further.However, the advancement of technology and the emergence of social media has broken down boundaries and upended traditional hierarchies that previously may have constrained the flow of transactions between individuals and businesses around the world. Businesses can now achieve various objectives, such as reducing the time and cost and for disseminating information, having essential communications, pursuing research and development through consumer dialogue and preventing marketing mistakes. This can result in a much more successful and profitable organization and being profitable enables businesses to develop prospective products and services in harmony with consumer needs, and to provide services of high value for a lower price. It means that consumers can purchase good products and services for a low price, creating a win-win relationship between individuals and businesses.

Investment focus

Content, Database, Internet
Funding Round, Series A
Japan

Portfolio highlights

Omatsuri Japan — Omatsuri is Japan's first festival company specializing in Japan.We provide planning, management, promotion, and customer support for festival organizers from local governments to store associations.
Pocket Concierge — Pocket Concierge is an online service for people to make online reservations at selected restaurants. The company's mission is to broadcast Japanese culinary culture worldwide and provide guests with exclusive dining experience.
Conversion Technology Japan — Conversion Technology is a Data and Tachonology Based company

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

Portfolio highlights

Wewill — Wewill is a consulting company that provides accounting, SaaS, business development, and business consulting services.
NEL — NEL is a creative agency that offers a platform that connects brands and customers through purchases and SNS posts.
Aplaca.Lab — Aplaca.Lab is a driver substitution platform that provides an unprecedented new driving experience. They released a driving agency application for providing comfortable driving experiences. It enables driving agencies to optimize their resources and clients' safety, prevent accidents, and receive assistance in areas with limited transportationoptions.

Sansei Capital provides portfolio management, corporate management support, and financing services.

Investment focus

Content, Medical, Task Management
Funding Round, Series A, Series B
Japan, China, Belgium

Portfolio highlights

RABO — RABO is a Cat-Tech Company that "watches cat life with technology.
MICOLY — MICOLY is a operator of a website aimed at publishing and selling creative video lessons. The company hosts lectures that are presented by the creators of all categories who are keen on sharing their techniques and philosophies in areas of nail art, Japanese calligraphy, flower arrangement, knitting and many more, as well as interacting with theirpassionate fans, enabling users to take creative lessons and start a new hobby.
Asoview — ASOVIEW Inc. is an online booking website that provides booking services for weekend leisure activities like skydiving and rafting. The company was founded in 2011 and is based in Shibuya, Kanagawa.

Based in Tokyo, Adways is a mobile marketing solution provider mostly known for its Asia’s largest mobile CPI adnetwork “AppDriver” and mobile app measurement & tracking tool “PartyTrack” used by great number of major app developers around the world. Since 2004 when it opened the first overseas office in China, Adways has been aggressivelyexpanding its mobile app distribution network in Asian markets. Now with 1,000 employees in 11 countries (Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan, India, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore and the USA), Adways supports app developers worldwide to maximize their user acquisition and monetization and furthermore thrives to provide new value to the market. Haruhisa Okamura is Founder and CEO of Adways who has grown Adways from a small startup to an international corporation with over a thousand employees around the world. In 2006, Adways went public and Okamura was one of the youngest entrepreneurs to list a company in Japan at that time.You can read his story here: "How a high school dropout became a multi-millionaire entrepreneur" http://www.techinasia.com/high-school-dropout-multimillionaire-entrepreneur/

Investment focus

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

Portfolio highlights

Brhino — Brhino provides planning, development, and management of web services. The company's product, Monokabu, is a site where people can buy and sell sneakers and things like stock. Brhino is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.
MICOLY — MICOLY is a operator of a website aimed at publishing and selling creative video lessons. The company hosts lectures that are presented by the creators of all categories who are keen on sharing their techniques and philosophies in areas of nail art, Japanese calligraphy, flower arrangement, knitting and many more, as well as interacting with theirpassionate fans, enabling users to take creative lessons and start a new hobby.
MiddleField — MiddleField is a team to make cars the best entertainment and to make the lives of everyone involved in cars into entertainment. They creates a society where a lot of people are involved as a middle point of all people's dreams. MiddleField owns and operates an e-commerce platform offering cars.

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.

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

Investment focus

Information Technology, 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.

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