Top 50 Media (entertainment) Startup Investors in Japan in November 2024
A list of 50 angel investors and VC (Venture Capital) funds that invest in Media (entertainment) startups based in Japan. We rank investors based on the number of investments they made in Media (entertainment) companies from Japan. We update this investor list every month.Top 50 Media (entertainment) Startup Investors in Japan in November 2024
Investor | Media (entertainment) Japan investments |
---|---|
Mizuho Capital | 28 |
Mizuho Capital | 28 |
Genesia Ventures | 23 |
Genesia Ventures | 23 |
East Ventures | 23 |
ANRI | 22 |
ANOBAKA | 22 |
ANOBAKA | 22 |
SMBC Venture Capital | 21 |
ANRI | 21 |
SMBC Venture Capital | 21 |
Incubate Fund | 17 |
Incubate Fund | 17 |
Mitsubishi UFJ Capital | 16 |
B Dash Ventures | 16 |
Vector | 15 |
B Dash Ventures | 15 |
Vector | 15 |
Mitsubishi UFJ Capital | 15 |
Monex Ventures | 13 |
Global Brain Corporation | 13 |
Monex Ventures | 13 |
Global Brain Corporation | 13 |
NOW Japan | 12 |
Yusuke Sato | 12 |
Yusuke Sato | 12 |
NOW Japan | 12 |
TLM | 11 |
Kotaro Chiba | 11 |
Kensuke Furukawa | 11 |
Kotaro Chiba | 11 |
Kotaro Chiba | 11 |
Kensuke Furukawa | 11 |
Kotaro Chiba | 11 |
TLM | 11 |
SBI Investment | 11 |
Future Venture Capital | 10 |
Future Venture Capital | 10 |
UNITED | 10 |
UNITED | 10 |
Akatsuki Games Inc. | 9 |
Akatsuki Games Inc. | 9 |
STRIVE | 9 |
D4V | 9 |
Yu Akasaka | 9 |
W ventures | 9 |
STRIVE | 9 |
D4V | 9 |
DNX Ventures | 9 |
Daiwa Corporate Investment | 9 |
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.
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Investment focus
- Information Technology, Software, Internet
- Funding Round, Series A, Series B
- Japan, United States, China
Portfolio highlights
- THE PHAGE — The phage is a medical device company that focuses on developing AI technology to predict postprandial blood glucose levels.
- elleThermo — elleThermo aims to implement Semiconductor-Sensitised Thermal Cells (STCs), an energy conversion technology that can generate electricity from unused waste heat above room temperature.
- Good News — Good News is a staffing agency that provides recruitment, public relations, and human resource management services.
Mizuho is the venture capital firm affiliated to Mizuho Bank, the second-largest Japanese bank in terms of assets. The firm has headquarters in Tokyo.The firm has ¥49.6 billion JPY under management, focusing on information technology and biotechnology investments. Over 600 Mizuho companies have gone public. According to Nikkei, Mizuho is thefifth-largest venture capital firm in Japan.Mizuho Capital was formed in 2002 by the merger of Fujigin Capital, Tokyo Venture Capital and IBJ Investment. Three firms were subsidiaries of Fuji Bank, Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank and the Industrial Bank of Japan respectively.
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Investment focus
- Information Technology, Software, Internet
- Funding Round, Series A, Series B
- Japan, United States, China
Portfolio highlights
- THE PHAGE — The phage is a medical device company that focuses on developing AI technology to predict postprandial blood glucose levels.
- elleThermo — elleThermo aims to implement Semiconductor-Sensitised Thermal Cells (STCs), an energy conversion technology that can generate electricity from unused waste heat above room temperature.
- Good News — Good News is a staffing agency that provides recruitment, public relations, and human resource management services.
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.
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Investment focus
- Information Technology, Software, Content
- Seed, Funding Round, Series A
- Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia
Portfolio highlights
- Flucle — Flucle provides company rule building and risk mitigation, cloud advisor, human resource development, training & labor management services.
- Haul — Haul is a human resources company that provides recruitment consulting and marketing SaaS development services.
- Logipeace — Logipeace is a SaaS communication platform that offers semi-automation of logistics operations and communication using generative AI.
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.
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Investment focus
- Information Technology, Software, Content
- Seed, Funding Round, Series A
- Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia
Portfolio highlights
- Flucle — Flucle provides company rule building and risk mitigation, cloud advisor, human resource development, training & labor management services.
- Haul — Haul is a human resources company that provides recruitment consulting and marketing SaaS development services.
- THE PHAGE — The phage is a medical device company that focuses on developing AI technology to predict postprandial blood glucose levels.
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
- SoLeLands — SoLeLands provides children with future-ready skills, virtues, and applied competences and inspires children to love learning.
- Maka Motors — MAKA is dedicated to building the best electric motorcycles for Indonesian riders.
- Zenith Learning Group — Zenith Learning Group's mission is to deliver a holistic, world-class education to learners across South East Asia through technology.
ANRI is a Japanese venture capital firm that mainly invests in seed and early-stage startups.
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Investment focus
- Health Care, Information Technology, Software
- Seed, Funding Round, Series A
- Japan, United States, India
Portfolio highlights
- Sukidayo — Sukidayo is a startup company that offers social services related to family and workshops for individuals, companies, and governments.
- Crowd Chem — Crowd Chem is an IT company that specializes in software development, data services, and consulting services.
- Tanp — Gracia is an EC business and media business that provides coloring precious moments and enriching human connections.
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.
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Investment focus
- Software, Content, Food and Beverage
- Seed, Funding Round, Series A
- Japan, United States, India
Portfolio highlights
- JOYCLE — JOYCLE is a waste management company that specializes in trash recycling, disposal, and environmental consulting services.
- Livetoon — Livetoon creates intellectual property characters to access various content artificial intelligence.
- 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.
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Investment focus
- Software, Content, Food and Beverage
- Seed, Funding Round, Series A
- Japan, United States, India
Portfolio highlights
- JOYCLE — JOYCLE is a waste management company that specializes in trash recycling, disposal, and environmental consulting services.
- Livetoon — Livetoon creates intellectual property characters to access various content artificial intelligence.
- Superworm — Superworm is a producer of environmentally friendly and long-term solutions to societal challenges. The company undertakes genome editing research and sells protein powders, biofuels, and organic fertilizers made from superworms, allowing customers to consume insect-derived proteins and biofuels.
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.
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Investment focus
- Information Technology, Health Care, Software
- Funding Round, Series B, Series A
- Japan, United States, Singapore
Portfolio highlights
- Flucle — Flucle provides company rule building and risk mitigation, cloud advisor, human resource development, training & labor management services.
- Quanmatic — Quanmatic is an information and technology company that provides algorithms development and solutions to bridge quantum technologies.
- Good News — Good News is a staffing agency that provides recruitment, public relations, and human resource management services.
ANRI is a Japanese venture capital firm that mainly invests in seed and early-stage startups.
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Investment focus
- Health Care, Information Technology, Software
- Seed, Funding Round, Series A
- Japan, United States, India
Portfolio highlights
- Pragtech — Pragtech develops and operates parking lot service software that helps to eliminate payment congestion and reduce operating costs.
- Crowd Chem — Crowd Chem is an IT company that specializes in software development, data services, and consulting services.
- Mirai no Genba — Mirai no Genba is an IT company that offers AI form creation, input assist, data analytics,and visualization services.
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) and its group companies offer a broad range of financial services centered on banking. They are also engaged in the leasing, securities, credit card, investment, mortgage securitization, venture capital and other credit related businesses. The following lists the activities of SMBC, its subsidiaries andaffiliates in the various business segments.
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Investment focus
- Information Technology, Health Care, Software
- Funding Round, Series B, Series A
- Japan, United States, Singapore
Portfolio highlights
- Quanmatic — Quanmatic is an information and technology company that provides algorithms development and solutions to bridge quantum technologies.
- Good News — Good News is a staffing agency that provides recruitment, public relations, and human resource management services.
- Okuma Diamond Device — Okuma Diamond Device supplies cutting-edge technologies that make diamond semiconductors vital.
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.
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Investment focus
- Software, Information Technology, E-Commerce
- Seed, Funding Round, Series A
- Japan, United States, India
Portfolio highlights
- Vieu — Learn about us, our team, our backers and the story behind Vieu.
- KOMPEITO — Office de Yasai is an online platform that enables users to order and get vegetables delivered to their offices. The platform’s operations are based in Tokyo, Japan.
- Phi — Phi is a social gaming platform that focuses on 'on-chain Identity' using ENS and wallet activity. It allows users to build their web3 cities based on their wallet activities. The platform also offers a variety of features such as Silver Gas Saver, Supersonic Bat, Gold Gas Saver, Hypersonic Bat, Iron Gas Guzzler, and Ethereum Wallpaper.Phi also provides a user guide for its users to understand how to play and access Phi Land, and how to create their Phi Land. The platform is designed to be immersive and interactive, providing a unique gaming experience for its users.
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.
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Investment focus
- Software, Information Technology, E-Commerce
- Seed, Funding Round, Series A
- Japan, United States, India
Portfolio highlights
- Blankr — Blankr inc has developed an application called Raidli. Using the app, Vtubers can hold a virtual handshake event.
- ZABoooN — ZABoooN is a shipping company that offers crew labor management, movement management, and ship management services.
- Mycel — Mycel is a decentralized cross-chain asset management platform with an intent-based token transfer layer.
Mitsubishi UFJ Capital is a venture capital firm focusing on life science, ICT, and high technology investments.
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Investment focus
- Information Technology, Software, Health Care
- Funding Round, Series A, Series B
- Japan, United States, China
Portfolio highlights
- A-Wave — A-Wave is a manufacturing company that develops and markets medical devices, pharmaceuticals, computer software, and hardware.
- Tribeau — Tribute is a word-of-mouth app for aesthetic medicine for cosmetic surgeries, cosmetic dermatologists, and orthodontists who are not covered by health insurance.
- AI model — AI model specializes in the development and transformation of real-like virtual models for modeling on E-commerce platforms.
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.
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Investment focus
- Information Technology, Internet, E-Commerce
- Seed, Funding Round, Series A
- Japan, Taiwan, India
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
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.
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Investment focus
- Media and Entertainment, Software, Marketing
- Funding Round, Seed, Corporate Round
- Japan
Portfolio highlights
- Nailie — Nailie is an app that lets you connect to a nail specialists just for you.
- xxxxnese — xxxxnese is a logistics company that focuses on import, export, domestic sales, influencer marketing, and software development businesses.
- AstroX — AstroX is a private space startup company that develops satellite launch vehicles for space development. It utilizes the rockoon method for developing launch vehicles and small rockets to help clients easily use space.
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.
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Investment focus
- Information Technology, Internet, E-Commerce
- Seed, Funding Round, Series A
- Japan, Taiwan, India
Portfolio highlights
- G.U. Group — G.U. Labs provides cloud tools and solutions, security technologies, and R&D capabilities to respond to the various social changes caused by blockchain. G.U.Labs provides cloud tools and solutions, security technologies, and research and development capabilities to respond to the various social changes caused by blockchain.
- Thirdverse — Thirdverse (formerly known as Yomuneco Inc) is engaged in Virtual Reality content and services planning, development, sales and management.
- Ascend — Ascend is a logistics company.
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.
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Investment focus
- Media and Entertainment, Software, Marketing
- Funding Round, Seed, Corporate Round
- Japan
Portfolio highlights
- Nailie — Nailie is an app that lets you connect to a nail specialists just for you.
- xxxxnese — xxxxnese is a logistics company that focuses on import, export, domestic sales, influencer marketing, and software development businesses.
- AstroX — AstroX is a private space startup company that develops satellite launch vehicles for space development. It utilizes the rockoon method for developing launch vehicles and small rockets to help clients easily use space.
Mitsubishi UFJ Capital is a venture capital firm focusing on life science, ICT, and high technology investments.
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Investment focus
- Information Technology, Software, Health Care
- Funding Round, Series A, Series B
- Japan, United States, China
Portfolio highlights
- Flucle — Flucle provides company rule building and risk mitigation, cloud advisor, human resource development, training & labor management services.
- Triorb — Triorb is a technology company that specializes in robot mobility development with the help of software and hardware solutions.
- Symbiobe — Symbiobe develops and promotes a resource-recycling material production platform that effectively utilizes natural biomass resources and photosynthetic organisms, which have not been fully exploited in the past, and to update manufacturing around the world to a form that can be passed on to the next generation, thereby making sustainable society...
Monex Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Japan that finances seed and early stage investments in startup companies.
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Investment focus
- Software, Financial Services, Information Technology
- Seed, Series A, Funding Round
- Japan, United States, China
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.
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Investment focus
- Software, Information Technology, Artificial Intelligence
- Series A, Series B, Funding Round
- Japan, United States, United Kingdom
Portfolio highlights
- Poetics — Poetics is an AI startup that develops communication related products concerning language and voice to provide business solutions.
- Endophyte — Endophyte specializes in endophytic soil solutions, harnessing beneficial microorganisms to plant growth and agricultural productivity.
- Qlay — Qlay is an AI-automated global engineer hiring platform
Monex Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Japan that finances seed and early stage investments in startup companies.
Show more
Investment focus
- Software, Financial Services, Information Technology
- Seed, Series A, Funding Round
- Japan, United States, China
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.
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Investment focus
- Software, Information Technology, Artificial Intelligence
- Series A, Series B, Funding Round
- Japan, United States, United Kingdom
Portfolio highlights
- Symbiobe — Symbiobe develops and promotes a resource-recycling material production platform that effectively utilizes natural biomass resources and photosynthetic organisms, which have not been fully exploited in the past, and to update manufacturing around the world to a form that can be passed on to the next generation, thereby making sustainable society...
- DoctorMate — DoctorMate is a service that allows you to consult with your doctor about problems at your nursing home.They will reduce the risks and burdens related to medical care from the field of nursing care, and support the creation of a system that allows nursing care providers to concentrate on daily care with peace of mind.
- GC Therapeutics — Discover GC Therapeutics, a pioneer in scalable, cutting-edge cell therapies designed to revolutionize treatment across a broad range of therapeutic areas.
Next One for the World.
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Investment focus
- Content, Marketing, Software
- Seed, Funding Round, Series A
- Japan
Portfolio highlights
- Aracan — Aracan is an e-commerce business that provides online and offline car-sharing services for vehicles.
- GEOFLA — Geofra develops Planning and creation of items that rejuvenate the movement of people in physical areas, regional revitalization initiatives
- HIGHRESO — GPUSOROBAN is a GPU cloud service that enables anyone to perform high-speed calculations on high-end GPUs with ease. Hi-Res, the running business, is the first GPU cloud operator in Japan to be accredited as a "NVIDIA Elite Partner," the program's highest level (CSP Compute field). Furthermore, it received the "Best CSP Partnerof the Year" award at the NVIDIA NPN Partner Award 2022. It is widely used by university research institutes, large corporations, and AI venture firms, with over 100 uses per year.
Yusuke Sato is the Co-Representative and Co-Founder of Pulit.
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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.
Yusuke Sato is the Co-Representative and Co-Founder of Pulit.
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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.
Next One for the World.
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Investment focus
- Content, Marketing, Software
- Seed, Funding Round, Series A
- Japan
Portfolio highlights
- Aracan — Aracan is an e-commerce business that provides online and offline car-sharing services for vehicles.
- GEOFLA — Geofra develops Planning and creation of items that rejuvenate the movement of people in physical areas, regional revitalization initiatives
- HIGHRESO — GPUSOROBAN is a GPU cloud service that enables anyone to perform high-speed calculations on high-end GPUs with ease. Hi-Res, the running business, is the first GPU cloud operator in Japan to be accredited as a "NVIDIA Elite Partner," the program's highest level (CSP Compute field). Furthermore, it received the "Best CSP Partnerof the Year" award at the NVIDIA NPN Partner Award 2022. It is widely used by university research institutes, large corporations, and AI venture firms, with over 100 uses per year.
TLM is a venture capital that invests basically in seed rounds, including some Series A startups.
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Investment focus
- Information Technology, Content, SNS
- Seed, Angel, Funding Round
- Japan, United States
Portfolio highlights
- Morght — Morght is an information technology service company.
- nanameue, Inc. — Nanameue creating a new future that makes people smile and has a fun experience. Create your own place by connecting people to people in “nanameue” way.
- Hogetic Lab — Hogetic Lab specialize in DCaaS, AI development, and Data human resources training.
Kotaro Chiba is the founder of ChibaDojo Fund. Kotaro Chiba attended Keio University.
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Investment focus
- Travel, Internet, Software
- Seed, Funding Round, Series A
- Japan, United States
Portfolio highlights
- MI-6 — MI-6 is a research, development, consulting, and project management for material development using IT. We will promote materials informatics in the field of material development with our technological capabilities and a wealth of project knowledge that challenge the world's most advanced technologies .
- ELESTYLE — ELESTYLE are promoting mobile payments and providing high value-added services for users to realize a cashless society.
- Luup — Luup is an Internet Company.
Kensuke Furukawa was born in June 2, 1981. He graduated Waseda University majoring Political Science and Economics, and in 2000, he launched "Milkcafe", a student community, which has grown to a site with 10 million PV per month. In 2004, he became the CEO of Media Clip, which operates a rental bulletin board service "ShitarabaBBS". After that year, he had transfer "Shitaraba BBS" to Livedoor, and took charge of starting up the Consumer Generated Media sector. In 2006, he joined Recruit, and took charge of starting up a new business at Business development sector. In June of 2009, he left Recruit, and became the CEO of nanapi (formerly Rocket Start), which operates the How-to Site "nanapi".
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Investment focus
- Content, Media and Entertainment, Social Media
- Seed, Funding Round, Angel
- Japan
Portfolio highlights
- Plott — Plott producing youtube animation platform under Vision “Become a Content holder from YouTube”. In August 2019, the company name was changed from Fabo to Plott. Plott, the new company name, is derived from the plot that you make before writing novels, etc., and the idea that “I want to make content all the time” is put in the company name.
- Now Do — Now Do provides online growth revolution platform.
- Neighbor — The creative universe of Fortnite is infinite. To give an example , building fantasy and science fiction worlds, creating simple games and full-scale battle games can all be completed with Fortnite. Is the world of Fortnite, played by 350 million users worldwide, is it real or unreal? We will try to combining the vast world of Fortnite with the real world.
Kotaro Chiba is the founder of ChibaDojo Fund. Kotaro Chiba attended Keio University.
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Investment focus
- Travel, Internet, Software
- Seed, Funding Round, Series A
- Japan, United States
Portfolio highlights
- MI-6 — MI-6 is a research, development, consulting, and project management for material development using IT. We will promote materials informatics in the field of material development with our technological capabilities and a wealth of project knowledge that challenge the world's most advanced technologies .
- ELESTYLE — ELESTYLE are promoting mobile payments and providing high value-added services for users to realize a cashless society.
- Luup — Luup is an Internet Company.
Kotaro Chiba is the founder of ChibaDojo Fund. Kotaro Chiba attended Keio University.
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Investment focus
- Internet, Drones, Software
- Seed, Funding Round, Series A
- Japan, United States
Portfolio highlights
- MI-6 — MI-6 is a research, development, consulting, and project management for material development using IT. We will promote materials informatics in the field of material development with our technological capabilities and a wealth of project knowledge that challenge the world's most advanced technologies .
- ELESTYLE — ELESTYLE are promoting mobile payments and providing high value-added services for users to realize a cashless society.
- Luup — Luup is an Internet Company.
Kensuke Furukawa was born in June 2, 1981. He graduated Waseda University majoring Political Science and Economics, and in 2000, he launched "Milkcafe", a student community, which has grown to a site with 10 million PV per month. In 2004, he became the CEO of Media Clip, which operates a rental bulletin board service "ShitarabaBBS". After that year, he had transfer "Shitaraba BBS" to Livedoor, and took charge of starting up the Consumer Generated Media sector. In 2006, he joined Recruit, and took charge of starting up a new business at Business development sector. In June of 2009, he left Recruit, and became the CEO of nanapi (formerly Rocket Start), which operates the How-to Site "nanapi".
Show more
Investment focus
- Content, Media and Entertainment, Social Media
- Seed, Funding Round, Angel
- Japan
Portfolio highlights
- Plott — Plott producing youtube animation platform under Vision “Become a Content holder from YouTube”. In August 2019, the company name was changed from Fabo to Plott. Plott, the new company name, is derived from the plot that you make before writing novels, etc., and the idea that “I want to make content all the time” is put in the company name.
- Now Do — Now Do provides online growth revolution platform.
- Neighbor — The creative universe of Fortnite is infinite. To give an example , building fantasy and science fiction worlds, creating simple games and full-scale battle games can all be completed with Fortnite. Is the world of Fortnite, played by 350 million users worldwide, is it real or unreal? We will try to combining the vast world of Fortnite with the real world.
Kotaro Chiba is the founder of ChibaDojo Fund. Kotaro Chiba attended Keio University.
Show more
Investment focus
- Internet, Drones, Software
- Seed, Funding Round, Series A
- Japan, United States
Portfolio highlights
- MI-6 — MI-6 is a research, development, consulting, and project management for material development using IT. We will promote materials informatics in the field of material development with our technological capabilities and a wealth of project knowledge that challenge the world's most advanced technologies .
- ELESTYLE — ELESTYLE are promoting mobile payments and providing high value-added services for users to realize a cashless society.
- Luup — Luup is an Internet Company.
TLM is a venture capital that invests basically in seed rounds, including some Series A startups.
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Investment focus
- Information Technology, Content, SNS
- Seed, Angel, Funding Round
- Japan, United States
Portfolio highlights
- Morght — Morght is an information technology service company.
- nanameue, Inc. — Nanameue creating a new future that makes people smile and has a fun experience. Create your own place by connecting people to people in “nanameue” way.
- Hogetic Lab — Hogetic Lab specialize in DCaaS, AI development, and Data human resources training.
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.
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Investment focus
- Information Technology, Software, Financial Services
- Series B, Funding Round, Series A
- Japan, South Korea, United States
Portfolio highlights
- BasiGo — BasiGo is an early-stage e-mobility start-up looking to revolutionize the public transportation sector by providing matatu owners with a cost-effective electric alternative to diesel buses.
- AI model — AI model specializes in the development and transformation of real-like virtual models for modeling on E-commerce platforms.
- Ultra Social — Ultra Social offers marketing support, management creator production, and tiktok live production services.
Future Venture Capital Co., Ltd. is a venture capital firm specializing in early stage investment. The firm invests in diversified investment in a broad range of industrial sectors. It seeks to invest in Japan. The firm prefers to be the lead investor in its portfolio companies. Future Venture Capital Co., Ltd. was founded in 1998 and is based inKyoto, Japan with offices in Tokyo, Aomori, Iwate, Yamagata, Kanazawa, Mie, Sakai, Kobe, and Ehime.
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Investment focus
- Health Care, Information Technology, Manufacturing
- Funding Round, Seed, Series A
- Japan, United States, Myanmar
Portfolio highlights
Future Venture Capital Co., Ltd. is a venture capital firm specializing in early stage investment. The firm invests in diversified investment in a broad range of industrial sectors. It seeks to invest in Japan. The firm prefers to be the lead investor in its portfolio companies. Future Venture Capital Co., Ltd. was founded in 1998 and is based inKyoto, Japan with offices in Tokyo, Aomori, Iwate, Yamagata, Kanazawa, Mie, Sakai, Kobe, and Ehime.
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Investment focus
- Health Care, Information Technology, Manufacturing
- Funding Round, Seed, Series A
- Japan, United States, Myanmar
Portfolio highlights
- Flucle — Flucle provides company rule building and risk mitigation, cloud advisor, human resource development, training & labor management services.
- Dioseve — Dioseve is providing novel possibilities for all life.
- Second Heart — Second Heart is a medical center that offers preventive diabetic care and awareness programs to avoid foot amputations.
UNITED, Inc. is developing the smart phone app and the advertising technology business.
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Investment focus
- Media and Entertainment, Content, Information Technology
- Funding Round, Seed, Series A
- Japan, Nigeria, United States
Portfolio highlights
- LOMBY — LOMBY is a logistic firm that delivers orders through its robotic machines.
- Coopel — Coopel is an RPA that allows beginners to easily automate daily tasks and make work efficient.
- xxxxnese — xxxxnese is a logistics company that focuses on import, export, domestic sales, influencer marketing, and software development businesses.
UNITED, Inc. is developing the smart phone app and the advertising technology business.
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Investment focus
- Media and Entertainment, Content, Information Technology
- Funding Round, Seed, Series A
- Japan, Nigeria, United States
Portfolio highlights
- MTU — MTU offers medical security cloud services to medical organizations and delivers IT support, including the recent cyber harm to medical institutions, both online and offline.
- xxxxnese — xxxxnese is a logistics company that focuses on import, export, domestic sales, influencer marketing, and software development businesses.
- AstroX — AstroX is a private space startup company that develops satellite launch vehicles for space development. It utilizes the rockoon method for developing launch vehicles and small rockets to help clients easily use space.
Akatsuki offers MobileSocialGame services. They utilize cutting edge technology and ideas to realize and deliver their ambitions to their users. They provide new value to society through the services we manage daily. Providing services throughout the world that brighten up everyone's daily lives.
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Investment focus
- Media and Entertainment, Gaming, Content
- Seed, Funding Round, Corporate Round
- Japan, India, United States
Portfolio highlights
- Hitcard — Hitcard is a trendy card culture brand that uses technology to upgrade card-like consumer products.
- Stems Labs — community and platform for collaborative creativity
- MetaverseGo — MetaverseGo is a web 3.0 app that offers easy access to Play-and-Earn Games, Guilds, NFTs, and Decentralized Applications allowing users to own assets, connect with industry players, and use their earnings across multiple payment platforms.
Akatsuki offers MobileSocialGame services. They utilize cutting edge technology and ideas to realize and deliver their ambitions to their users. They provide new value to society through the services we manage daily. Providing services throughout the world that brighten up everyone's daily lives.
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Investment focus
- Media and Entertainment, Gaming, Content
- Seed, Funding Round, Corporate Round
- Japan, India, United States
Portfolio highlights
- Hitcard — Hitcard is a trendy card culture brand that uses technology to upgrade card-like consumer products.
- Stems Labs — community and platform for collaborative creativity
- MetaverseGo — MetaverseGo is a web 3.0 app that offers easy access to Play-and-Earn Games, Guilds, NFTs, and Decentralized Applications allowing users to own assets, connect with industry players, and use their earnings across multiple payment platforms.
STRIVE focuses on investing in early-stage (Seed to Series A) internet and mobile companies. It seeks out companies in Japan, Southeast Asia, and India with top-notch management teams and strong market potential. It is not tied to strategic investments for GREE Inc. and leverages its pan-Asia expertise for guiding its portfolio in an engaged,hands-on role.
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Investment focus
- Software, Internet, E-Commerce
- Seed, Series A, Funding Round
- Japan, India, Indonesia
Portfolio highlights
- Asuene — Asuene involves in clean power retail business, retail SaaS business, etc.
- YOUTRUST — YOUTRUST is a startup to operate YOUTRUST a referral recruitment platform for side-job change.
- Testsigma — Powerful cloud-based test automation platform that lets you automate tests for web, mobile, desktop apps, and APIs in minutes. Sign up now!
D4V (Design for Ventures) is a Tokyo-based early-stage venture capital firm that invests in disruptive, consumer and enterprise technology startups.
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Investment focus
- Financial Services, Software, Apps
- Seed, Funding Round, Series A
- Japan, United States, Singapore
Portfolio highlights
- MTU — MTU offers medical security cloud services to medical organizations and delivers IT support, including the recent cyber harm to medical institutions, both online and offline.
- Pragtech — Pragtech develops and operates parking lot service software that helps to eliminate payment congestion and reduce operating costs.
- SUN METALON — Next Generation Sustainable Metal Manufacturing
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.
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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.
W ventures is a Japan-based venture capital firm investing in Pre-Seed, Seed, and Series A rounds. They have been conducting investment to 25 companies in a total of about a year from the start of investment activities in April 2019. The company works not only with investment business but also with companies that provide services related to HR, PR,infrastructure, legal and accounting, etc., as incubation support after investment. It is also characteristic to provide support for the investor companies. In addition, in cooperation with other venture capital companies, Ar Rase TAGE startups regularly hold office hours that allow financing and business consultations to two companies at the same time and actively support startups are doing.
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Investment focus
- Information Technology, E-Commerce, Internet
- Seed, Funding Round, Series A
- Japan, Indonesia, United States
Portfolio highlights
- Uniam — Uniam is a manufacturing company that produces and sells pet food and other pet-related products.
- Edukita — Belajar Bahasa Inggris jadi menyenangkan, interaktif, dan memberi hasil yang nyata. Diajar oleh guru asing berpengalaman.
- Fogg Japan — Fogg is a platform that makes life styles more convenient without being affected by trends and deprecation like media and content
STRIVE focuses on investing in early-stage (Seed to Series A) internet and mobile companies. It seeks out companies in Japan, Southeast Asia, and India with top-notch management teams and strong market potential. It is not tied to strategic investments for GREE Inc. and leverages its pan-Asia expertise for guiding its portfolio in an engaged,hands-on role.
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Investment focus
- Software, Internet, E-Commerce
- Seed, Series A, Funding Round
- Japan, India, Indonesia
Portfolio highlights
- Asuene — Asuene involves in clean power retail business, retail SaaS business, etc.
- YOUTRUST — YOUTRUST is a startup to operate YOUTRUST a referral recruitment platform for side-job change.
- Testsigma — Powerful cloud-based test automation platform that lets you automate tests for web, mobile, desktop apps, and APIs in minutes. Sign up now!
D4V (Design for Ventures) is a Tokyo-based early-stage venture capital firm that invests in disruptive, consumer and enterprise technology startups.
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Investment focus
- Financial Services, Software, Apps
- Seed, Funding Round, Series A
- Japan, United States, Singapore
Portfolio highlights
- Pragtech — Pragtech develops and operates parking lot service software that helps to eliminate payment congestion and reduce operating costs.
- Genba Hub — Genba Hub specializes in providing business management systems for construction and maintenance enterprises.
- SUN METALON — Next Generation Sustainable Metal Manufacturing
DNX Ventues is an early stage VC firm focusing on B2B Startups that are shaping industries and transforming the way we live and work.
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Investment focus
- Software, Information Technology, SaaS
- Seed, Series A, Series B
- Japan, United States, Canada
Portfolio highlights
- Butlr — Butlr protects people's health and well-being during the coronavirus pandemic with a low-cost thermal imaging system that captures people’s behavior in indoor and outdoor environments. Butlr’s proprietary hardware pairs with advanced AI to gain insight into people’s movements in physical space, providing actionable intelligence to assistedliving, homes, and public spaces, all while safeguarding privacy. Butlr is a spin-off from the MIT Media Lab. Butlr’s sensor network captures human dynamics through state-of-art sensory monitoring and AI, understanding users’ needs to achieve a seamless automation experience, preventing risk, and monitoring health. Responsive architecture is a vision of a future where the built environment is as customizable as a streaming music podcast, based on simple, intelligent architectural objects. The natural world is in a constant state of flux; combinations of moisture, breeze and temperature change continuously. When we are inside our buildings, however, our environment loses its dynamism, and we’re forced to constantly tweak the conditions to achieve optimal comfort. Responsive architecture uses intelligent objects to mirror the processes of the natural world, creating environments and “microclimates” that are suited to individuals or small groups based on the heat signature of their bodies. Today the team at Butlr uses small, low-cost sensors to track the motions and body heat of Each person has a biometric heat signature as unique as a fingerprint. The Butlr sensors recognize an individual’s heat signature, and can modify room temperature and lighting for ideal comfort. Unlike cameras that track and record faces, the Butlr system relies on a heat signature, which is unique, but cannot be used to trace your identity. Starting from home applications, the future vision for responsive architecture is to empower cities with networks of heat sensors that can make cities responsive, predicting and responding to vehicle flows, pedestrian density, and weather conditions on the fly. Using thermal data provides many news layers of interaction not possible with cameras.
- Crisp — Crisp connects data between retailers, distributors, and brands to power real-time insights across the supply chain.
- Planetary Technologies — info@planetarytech.com
Daiwa Corporate Investment is a private investment firm of Daiwa Securities Group that has been engaged in overseas VC investments by taking advantage of an extensive business network in Japan and foreign countries, long experience and professional knowledge, and by supporting the growth of a number of overseas portfolio companies and their stockexchange listings.
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Investment focus
- Software, Task Management, Internet
- Funding Round, Series A, Seed
- Japan, France, Singapore
Portfolio highlights
- GITAI — GITAI is a robotics startup for space development. The company aims to replace astronauts with robots that can work for a long time while being remotely controlled from earth while in low earth orbit space stations to decrease the burden on astronauts, shorten the time it takes to perform work in space, and reduce costs.
- COUNTERWORKS — Counter works is an Information technology company.
- Nippon Hydropowtech — Nippon Hydropowtech uses proprietary technology and experience in hydrolysate production to investigate new food applications.
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