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Top 50 Music Startup Investors in Japan in May 2025

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

Top 50 Music Startup Investors in Japan in May 2025

Investor	Music Japan investments
ANOBAKA	3
East Ventures	3
UNITED	3
Genesia Ventures	3
Kazuomi Kaneto	2
Z Venture Capital	2
Kotaro Chiba	2
FIREBUG	2
iSGS Investment Works	2
MIRAISE	2
Kotaro Chiba	2
Ceres	2
SMBC Venture Capital	2
mixi	2
NES Venture Capital	2
Saito Taro	1
Satoshi Aoyagi	1
iFund	1
Resona Bank	1
Fuji Pacific Music	1
The Seed Capital	1
For Life Music Entertainment	1
Carbide Ventures	1
Takuma Kudo	1
Dentsu Ventures	1
Masanori Sugiyama	1
Shoko Chukin Bank	1
Paul Rosenberg	1
Shizuoka Capital	1
Bricks Fund Tokyo	1
NOW Japan	1
Towa Pharmaceutical	1
Uzabase	1
MUFG Bank	1
Murata Manufacturing	1
Sony Music Entertainment	1
Global Brain Corporation	1
KDDI Open Innovation Fund	1
Mint	1
Tatsuo Sakamoto	1
Sevenwoods Investment	1
Shuhei Yamashita	1
Yamaguchi Capital	1
Masashige Obara	1
Japan Finance	1
Atsushi Fukuda	1
Gumi Ventures	1
DRG FUND	1
Masahiro Yamashiro	1
Mobile Internet Capital	1

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Investor list

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

hicrea — hicrea is an AI-powered SaaS platform for fashion companies.
Blackbox — Blackbox is an entertainment firm that is involved in businesses, including VTuber production, media mix, and live music events.
Josh Collaboration — Josh Collaboration is a software company that provides mailing, fax transmission, and partner management services.

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

Investment focus

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

Portfolio highlights

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

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

Investment focus

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

Portfolio highlights

Precal — Precal is an information technology company that develops applications that are common with pharmacies, pharmacists, and dispensing clerks.
Gab — Gab is a company that works to solve social problems as well as develops and markets ethical products.
FLASH — FLASH is an entertainment and technology startup.

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

Manabie — Manabie is an Education Technology start-up company on a mission to provide a new style of online & offline merged learning around the world. We provide students with everything they need for efficient learning; high-quality learning materials, great learning environments, personal coaches and more! We believe that our new method of learning,integrating online and offline will dramatically innovate the way students learn.
Mined — Mined is a marketplace that provides online lessons in various subjects for elementary school students. Mind develops and operation of education-related services.
Finovo — Finovo specializes in the research, development, operation, and maintenance of cutting-edge accounting and financial software solutions.

Kazuomi Kaneto is the Founder & CEO of Dream Project Incubators. He previously worked at Pacifico Energy as a Founder, President & CEO. Kazuomi Kaneto attended Tsinghua University.

Investment focus

Artificial Intelligence, Music, Energy
Funding Round, Seed, Series B
Japan, United States

Portfolio highlights

Sustainable Lab — SusLab is a data bank that uses AI technology to support SDG and ESG development goals and investments.
SOUNDRAW — Your personal AI music generator.
Persistent Energy Partners — Africa's Climate Venture Builder - We believe in the power of climate-positive economic development in Africa. For the last decade, we have been working hand in hand with exceptional entrepreneurs, investing both financial and human capital to build successful climate ventures on the continent. Our companies offer competitive financial returns required to drive lasting impact.

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

Investment focus

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

Portfolio highlights

Vivident — Vivident is to create an unparalleled entertainment world where fans and creators collaborate, blurring the lines between the virtual and the real.
Cinch Tech — Cinch Tech is a subscription service that offers technology products like computers, phones, tablets, and gaming equipment. Users can choose from different payment plans. The service includes damage cover for the devices. It is intended to help users access and maintain technology without paying full price upfront. The service provides analternative way to obtain and use tech devices.
Smart Bank — Smart Bank is a softawre firm that has developed an application for money spending management.

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.

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.

Investment focus

Music, B2C, Apps
Seed, Series A
Japan

Portfolio highlights

Baby Jam — Baby Jam is a music app that offers music promotion, video editing, videography, and transaction services.
Pick You — Pick You offers a marketplace that facilitates seamless purchase of items directly from popular Instagram users.
TicketMe — TicketMe is Japan's largest NFT, allows to freely purchase and sell tickets for live music, theater, sports, and other events. Its purpose is to ''find the hidden value in the world and deliver the appropriate value to the right location.

iSGS Investment Works is Japan-based venture capital firm.

Investment focus

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

Portfolio highlights

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

We are engineers investing in engineers. With experienced mentors, MIRAISE supports you hands-if basis, for business model, financial planning and presentation. All founders of our potfolio automatically join MIRAISE online community that gives you the peer-learning opportunities with other founders. Join us updating the normal!

Investment focus

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

Portfolio highlights

XDeli — XDeli is a digital application that offers food delivery and meal subsidy service for corporate employees.
CareLink — CareLink is an app that connects people looking for one-time part-time work in nursing and welfare.
SUSHI TOP MARKETING — SUSHI TOP MARKETING is an IT company that offers marketing, NFT utilization, and consulting services.

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

Investment focus

Information Technology, Content, Internet
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.

Ceres is a company providing internet marketing services and is engaged in the planning, development, and operation of smartphone media.

Investment focus

Cryptocurrency, Content, Internet
Funding Round, Seed, Corporate Round
Japan

Portfolio highlights

DINETTE — DINETTE is a cosmetics manufacturing company.
SOUNDRAW — Your personal AI music generator.
Indent — Indent creates products that help writers create original works such as novels, manga, screenplays, and game scenarios. They will work to create an environment in which artists can focus on their creations and enjoy sharing their work.

Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) and its group companies offer a broad range of financial services centered on banking. They are also engaged in the leasing, securities, credit card, investment, mortgage securitization, venture capital and other credit related businesses. The following lists the activities of SMBC, its subsidiaries andaffiliates in the various business segments.

Investment focus

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

Portfolio highlights

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.

Mixi is a Japanese social networking service that allows users to connect with their friends in a convenient way.It enables users to send and receive messages, write in a diary, read and comment on others' diaries, organize and join communities, and invite their friends.

Investment focus

Media and Entertainment, Apps, Information Technology
Funding Round, Series A, Series B
Japan, United States, India

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.
UniFa — UniFa is the developer of LookMee, an AI and IoT-powered healthcare solution for tracking kindergarteners' physical and mental growth. The system consists of LookMee Nap Check, an IoT sensor that aims to secure a baby's naptime; LookMee thermometer, which measures and monitors the baby's body temperature; and LookMee Photo, acommunication and photo-sharing service that collects data from children at kindergarten to give parents a better idea of their child's well-being
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.

NES Venture Capital is an investment firm.

Investment focus

Web3, Music, Apps
Seed, Series A, Series B
Japan

Portfolio highlights

Recri — Recri works for the entertainment industry and specializes in operations management tasks like ticketing for stage, film, and music shows.
OMO — OMO is a hybrid online and offline used goods buying support service,
Metaverse Creators — Metaverse Creators is a feature-rich virtual platform providing gamers with a wide range of games, creation tools, and avatar editing tools.

Saito Taro - Outside Directors @ for Startups

Investment focus

B2C, Music, Consulting
Seed
Japan

Portfolio highlights

Recri — Recri works for the entertainment industry and specializes in operations management tasks like ticketing for stage, film, and music shows.
onlyone travel — Only One is a travel agency specialized in Latin American destinations run by Japanese managers.

Satoshi Aoyagi

Investment focus

B2C, Music, Consulting
Seed
Japan

Portfolio highlights

Recri — Recri works for the entertainment industry and specializes in operations management tasks like ticketing for stage, film, and music shows.

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.

Resona Bank provides various banking products and services for individual and corporate customers in Japan.

Investment focus

Information Technology, Internet, Internet of Things
Debt Financing, Funding Round, Series A
Japan

Portfolio highlights

Brushup — Brushup is a review tool that dramatically streamlines the checking and feedback of files such as designs, videos, PDFs and Office document.
Luup — Luup is an Internet Company.
LocationMind — LocationMind is an IT company that provides human flow analysis, IoT solutions, and security for positioning signals. Through AI analysis of location information and big data, they provide end-to-end services to customers in a variety of fields. A position critical to the advancement of next-generation technology. They have independently developedmultiple AI models that specialize in people flow to make predictions for the near future, in addition to analyzing people flow in the past.

Fuji Pacific Music, a music company.

Investment focus

Music, Content, Social Media
Corporate Round
Japan

Portfolio highlights

Lab — Lab is a music company that supports artists through digital marketing, aiming to expand fan bases through various strategies like YouTube, social media, concerts, and fashion sales. They prioritize artists' music, personality, concept, and message to foster closer connections between artists and fans.

The Seed Capital is a Japan-based venture capital firm.

Investment focus

Audio, Architecture, Information Technology
Seed, Angel, Series A
Japan, Singapore

Portfolio highlights

FiT — FiT encourages the use of information technology in fitness to address industrial concerns. We will build a highly sustainable fitness facility using a business model that allows consumers to easily use the gym without being burdened by price or procedures, while also allowing owners to build a very successful business with low running costs.
AGRI SMILE — AGRI SMILE is a platform that focuses on sharing agricultural technology.
AI Communis — Automatic Speech Recognition, NLP, SaaS

For Life Music Entertainment is a music record company.

Investment focus

Music, Content, Social Media
Corporate Round
Japan

Portfolio highlights

Lab — Lab is a music company that supports artists through digital marketing, aiming to expand fan bases through various strategies like YouTube, social media, concerts, and fashion sales. They prioritize artists' music, personality, concept, and message to foster closer connections between artists and fans.

Carbide Ventures is a venture capital firm.

Investment focus

Software, Payments, Artificial Intelligence
Seed, Series A, Funding Round
Japan, United States, United Kingdom

Portfolio highlights

Bifrost AI — Build AI in a day instead of a year, at a fraction of the price, with the Bifrost synthetic data engine.
SOUNDRAW — Your personal AI music generator.
Lumber — Lumber automates scheduling, time tracking, payroll, and more for building contractors. Discover effortless construction workforce management software today.

Takuma Kudo is the Branding Director at dof Inc.

Investment focus

B2C, Music, Consulting
Seed
Japan

Portfolio highlights

Recri — Recri works for the entertainment industry and specializes in operations management tasks like ticketing for stage, film, and music shows.

Dentsu Ventures is the corporate venture capital fund of Dentsu. It specializes in seed, early, mid and later-stage investments. It prefers to invest in the marketing and communication business sectors in the United States of America, Europe, and Asia.

Investment focus

Software, Virtual Reality, Machine Learning
Series B, Series A, Funding Round
United States, Japan, India

Portfolio highlights

HERALBONY — HERALBONY is an art organization that uses art to challenge stereotypes about people with disabilities and create a new culture.
Fiddler AI — Monitor, observe, analyze, and explain your machine learning models in production with Fiddler AI. Maximize ML model performance with our Model Performance Management Platform that simply plugs in.
Infobox — Infobox is a sales data platform that includes every detail from market research to creating a list of companies and contacting decision-makers.

He graduated from Kansai University in 1988. He was enrolled in Ljoma while he was in college. 2002 Vice President of Practice (now index lights). In 2004, he became president of zappallas. Listed on the TSE Mothers in the second year of his appointment, and in 2010 he was listed in part of the TSE. In 2011 he became the CEO of enish. Listed on apart of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Thereafter, he served as outside directors such as Nikkatsu and JibannetHD.

Investment focus

Software, Internet, Media and Entertainment
Seed, Angel, Series A
Japan

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 .
STUDIO — The easiest and quickest way to build your beautiful portfolio website, landing page or anything. No code. All creative freedom.
STUDIO Japan — STUDIO is a development and operation of the next-generation design tool.

Shoko Chukin Bank is a financial company offering personal banking services.

Investment focus

Software, Information Technology, Robotics
Debt Financing, Funding Round, Series B
Japan, Singapore, Canada

Portfolio highlights

Sanu — SANU is a subscription service that offers a home in nature.
Mento — UGOKU is a provider of management of personal coaching service.
RightTouch — RightTouch is a media company that offers customer support with KARTE RightSupport, and media CS Mag for tailored solutions and insights.

Paul Rosenberg is currently the CEO of Def Jam Recordings.

Investment focus

Music, Apps, Logistics
Series A, Funding Round
Japan, United States

Portfolio highlights

Cargo — Ara Screens is a digital out of home network solution provider, DOOH smart signage operator, and the world's leading car-top and in-car advertising placement provider for Rideshare & Taxi.
SOUNDRAW — Your personal AI music generator.
Sound — Sound connects artists and listeners to take ownership over the culture they create together.

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

Investment focus

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

Portfolio highlights

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

Bricks Fund Tokyo collaborates to establish new enterprises that address social challenges and alter industrial systems.

Investment focus

Music, Video, Content Creators
Series B, Series A, Series C
Japan

Portfolio highlights

IVRy — Ivry offers cloud based telephonic answering service.
Utaite — Utaite is an operator of an entertainment platform that focuses on planning, production, and development of entertainment content.
MOSH Japan — MOSH is a web page creation services for individual business owners.

Next One for the World.

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.
Geofra — 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.

The Towa Group contributes to people's health by creating superior products and services. Through our corporate activities, we aim to be a company that is pleased and sought after by all people, including patients, healthcare professionals, and local communities.

Investment focus

Music, Medical, Robotics
Series A, Series C
Japan

Portfolio highlights

INNOPHYS — INNOPHYS is developing, designing, manufacturing, consulting and distributing robotics equipment for various industries. Their flagship product, Muscle Suit® is a wearable robot supported by artificial muscle technology, well known for its high quality and reasonable price compared with the same kind of support exoskeletons. The company is planningto expand its business to Asia Pacific, Europe, and North America.
VIE STYLE — VIE STYLE offers wearable music device and AI technology services.

Official corporate site of Uzabase, Inc., the provider of SPEEDA, NewsPicks and other services

Investment focus

Content, Information Services, SNS
Seed, Series A, Angel
Japan, United States, Singapore

Portfolio highlights

Arches — Arches is a premier global expert network with an APAC focus. We connect you to custom-recruited specialists across Asia. Fast insights for your business.
EventHub — Deliver engaging B2B events with the event platform designed with lead generation and nurturing in mind. Webinars, expos, conferences, job fairs, meetups, and more.
Baseconnect Japan — Baseconnect Co., Ltd. connects people from all over the world and spends one-tenth the time it takes for people to “know”.

MUFG Bank is Japan's largest bank. ; MUFG

Investment focus

Energy, Renewable Energy, Financial Services
Debt Financing, Post-IPO Debt, Funding Round
Japan, United States, India

Portfolio highlights

Sunraycer — Accelerate your energy transition goals with Sunraycer, a well-capitalized company driving change at scale through innovative clean energy solutions. Our portfolio of 25 projects delivers long-term power solutions while avoiding 300 Mt of direct CO2 emissions. Benefit from our strategic partnerships with industry leaders, landowners, and communities. Discover the latest news and insights as we speed towards a sustainable future. Explore Sunraycer today and unlock the potential of clean energy solutions for your industry.
ACEN Australia — ACEN Australia develops renewable energy assets including several solar, wind, battery, and hydro projects across Australia.
Cypress Creek Renewables — Cypress Creek Renewables is committed to making the world cleaner and healthier. From development to operation, we create and operate valuable solar and storage projects that benefit communities for decades.

This is Murata Manufacturing's products-related website. You can view electronic component information, product and event news, exhibition, campaign and webinar information, application guides, and more.

Investment focus

Information Technology, Software, Semiconductor
Series A, Series B, Series C
United States, Japan, Israel

Portfolio highlights

Asuene — Asuene involves in clean power retail business, retail SaaS business, etc.
Lightsynq — Lightsynq is developing universal optical quantum interconnects that bridge the gap to large-scale quantum computers.
Xona Space Systems — Xona's Pulsar service is the first high-performance alternative to GPS designed to support the age of autonomy. Our constellation of smallsats will provide secure navigation and timing services with the resilience and accuracy needed to enable modern devices to operate safely in any conditions.

Sony Music is a United States music corporation owned and operated by Sony Corporation of America, a subsidiary of Japanese conglomerate Sony Corporation. It is a global music company with a roster of current artists that includes both local and international superstars, as well as a vast catalog that comprises some of the most important recordingsin history. In 1929, the enterprise was first founded as American Record Corporation (ARC) and, in 1938, was renamed Columbia Recording Corporation, following ARC's acquisition by CBS. In 1966, the company was reorganized to become CBS Records. In 1987, SCA bought the company and, in 1991, renamed it SME. In 2004, SME and Bertelsmann Music Group merged as Sony BMG Music Entertainment.

Investment focus

Music, Digital Media, Apps
Seed, Funding Round, Series A
United States, Japan, Germany

Portfolio highlights

MakersPlace — MakersPlace is an authentic and unique digital creation platform powered by blockchain technology for digital creators. The company enables creators to protect and sell authentic and unique editions of digital creations. The company connects creators with fans and collectors worldwide through a marketplace and network of partners. Creators are ableto sign and set a limited supply on the work while delivering proof of authenticity, ownership. and scarcity on the blockchain.With MakersPlace, creators are able to better capture the full underlying value of the digital work.MakersPlace was founded on 2016 and is based in San Francisco, California.
Slip.stream — The world's largest creator safe music library built for creators. One subscription gives you unlimited downloads, for unlimited channels, on unlimited digital platforms. Royalty free. No takedowns.
Tiger Media — tigermedia develop media for children as they should be: child-friendly, safe and with a lot of heart

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

Investment focus

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

Portfolio highlights

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

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

Investment focus

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

Portfolio highlights

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

Mint operates as an independent venture capital firm specializing in the early stage of startups. It focuses on bridging the boundaries between finance and business, investors and entrepreneurs, creating a foundation for startup growth, and supporting entrepreneurs.

Investment focus

Artificial Intelligence, Information Technology, Video Chat
Seed, Series A, Funding Round
Japan

Portfolio highlights

PICK — PICK is a startup that provides a digital transformation platform for the real estate and construction industries.
Suit Up — Suitup is a project and task management solution that teams can readily utilize regularly. With spreadsheet-like processes, it make teamwork evident and prevents tasks from being neglected or deadlines from being missed.
Sky Link Technologies — Sky Link Technologies specializes in the establishment of new technologies for the improvement of people's convenience.

Tatsuo Sakamoto is a Head of Sales, Japan at MOLOCO. He Attended The University of Tokyo.

Investment focus

Information Technology, Education, Recruiting
Seed, Angel, Pre-Seed
Japan

Portfolio highlights

bgrass — bgrass is a consultation support platform for women working in the IT industry.
Cloudbase — Cloudbase is an information technology company that specializes in the fields of cloud services and management.
Metaverse Creators — Metaverse Creators is a feature-rich virtual platform providing gamers with a wide range of games, creation tools, and avatar editing tools.

Sevenwoods Investment is a global multi-asset investment firm providing Venture Capital & Private Equity.

Investment focus

Music, Content, Animation
Seed
Japan

Portfolio highlights

Elaly — Elaly Technology makes life better for people around the world.We aim to make the value of money and the experience gained from it flatter.As many people as possible will use technology to realize a happier life, independent of the money economy.
YUIMEX — YUIMEX specializes in copyright, digital content, animation, and network entertainment services.

Shuhei Yamashita - Representative Director @ CRE

Investment focus

Music, Content Creators, Artificial Intelligence
Seed
Japan

Portfolio highlights

SOUNDRAW — Your personal AI music generator.

Yamaguchi Capital Co., Ltd. is a venture capital firm. Yamaguchi Capital Co., Ltd. was established in 1996 and is based in Yamaguchi-ken, Japan.

Investment focus

Apps, Manufacturing, Software
Funding Round, Series B, Seed
Japan, India

Portfolio highlights

Pocket Sign — Pocket Sign develops digital platforms that store e-signatures and other authentication details for it's users privacy and security.
Tech Doctor — Tech Doctor is a health monitoring service which provides analysis and insights for self care reducing the need for health care workers.
NABLA Mobility — Solving the complexities involved in the "Operation of Fleets" of Mobility and support its evolution and decarbonization

Masashige Obara

Investment focus

E-Learning, Education, SNS
Seed, Funding Round
Japan

Portfolio highlights

Lang-8 — Lang-8 is the best place for learning and practicing foreign languages. Post an entry in the language you are learning, then a native speaker will correct your entries. Currently there are more than 80 languages available on Lang-8.
LanCul — LanCul is an education based start up.
TIGALA — TIGALA is deployed M & A services

Japan Finance provides a diversified portfolio of financial services to the small and medium enterprise sector.

Investment focus

Software, Internet, Information Technology
Funding Round, Seed, Debt Financing
Japan, India, Hong Kong

Portfolio highlights

Hogetic Lab — Hogetic Lab specialize in DCaaS, AI development, and Data human resources training.
Smart Shopping — Smartmat is an eco-friendly IoT purchase system for on-demand, no-hassle grocery with cost-effective shipping.
OriCiro Genomics — DNA amplification | OriCiro Cloning Kit - OriCiro Genomics, Inc.

Atsushi Fukuda is the president of Speedy.

Investment focus

Music, Content Creators, Artificial Intelligence
Seed
Japan

Portfolio highlights

SOUNDRAW — Your personal AI music generator.

Gumi Ventures helps the new entrepreneurs and businesses to cause a new innovation in the smartphone field. Gumi Ventures supports the new entrepreneurs and businesses that can resonate with gumi listed in the business mission, that cause a new innovation in the smartphone field. They will create a global company that represents the future ofJapan.

Investment focus

Video, Media and Entertainment, Gaming
Seed, Funding Round, Series A
Japan, Taiwan, Finland

Portfolio highlights

1SEC — 1sec is a virtual influencers in Japan,develop in-house and management. IMPACT to CEKAI in 1 second. Based on the concept of making CEKAI happy in one second, US based in Los Angeles and Japan, based in Tokyo, virtual influencers × AI, fashion & music & The company will develop a number of CEKAI's first and first projects in Japan inthe field of enter teignment.
Mech — Mech is an NFT-based metaverse game that is currently developing their first versions of a match-3 game in which players can earn the in-game currency ore.
Brave group — Brave group engages in IP development, marketing and support services.

DRG FUND is a seed stage venture capital firm.

Investment focus

B2C, Music, Drones
Seed
Japan

Portfolio highlights

XDeli — XDeli is a digital application that offers food delivery and meal subsidy service for corporate employees.
Swap — Swap is a tech company offering IT services and business consulting, as well as supporting companies and educational institutions.
First Penguins — First Penguins envisions a world in which everyone interested in sports and culture can reach their full potential and fully enjoy themselves.

Masahiro Yamashiro is the Co-Representative of Growth Camp.

Investment focus

B2C, Music, Sports
Seed, Funding Round
Japan

Portfolio highlights

Recri — Recri works for the entertainment industry and specializes in operations management tasks like ticketing for stage, film, and music shows.
Back Dooor — Back Dooor is an app that provides 1on1 chatting services with favorite player of the users.
onlyone travel — Only One is a travel agency specialized in Latin American destinations run by Japanese managers.

Mobile Internet Capital (MIC) keeps up on the latest developments of Mobile Internet technologies and services at a high level, and continues to be a venture capital with both technical expertise and execution capability.

Investment focus

Software, Mobile, Internet
Funding Round, Series A, Seed
Japan, United States, China

Portfolio highlights

MedUp — MedUp operates foro CRM, a SaaS CRM tool that provides hospitals with sales and marketing support, data analysis and visualization, and more.
KAUCHE — KAUCHE is a social commerce app. They provide services for online and mail-order retail shops. Their customers' inquiries are addressed through phone, email, and online applications.
Sumutasu — sumutasu is an online real estate marketplace that enables users to quickly buy and sell their properties.

Investors by industry

Artificial intelligence