Global Brain

Global Brain is a Tokyo-based venture capital firm founded in 1998, specializing in early-stage investments across various sectors, including e-commerce, software, gaming, media, IoT, education, entertainment, and fintech. The firm has expanded its investment activities to the US and Asia, targeting series A-stage technology companies. Since its inception, Global Brain has invested in approximately 30 companies, achieving seven initial public offerings and seven mergers and acquisitions. The firm supports its portfolio companies by providing not only capital but also strategic guidance, partnerships, and team-building resources to help them reach their milestones. Global Brain is particularly adept in e-commerce, operating a platform called EC-PLANET, which encompasses several group companies, including a large online sports goods store and a logistics firm offering comprehensive fulfillment services. This network, along with Global Brain's connections to established Japanese companies, facilitates market entry for US and Asian businesses into Japan.

Kaori Akiba

Principal, Corporate Management Group

Tatsunori Arai

Director, Investment Group

Megumi Asatsuma

Corporate Management Group, Director

Anjani Bansal

Partner, India Office Representative

Brooke Beers

Partner

Takuji Chida

Director, Investment Groups

Hogil Doh

General Partner, Investment Group

Thomas Duong

Principal

Brian Flucht

Partner and Head, US Division

Daisuke Furukawa

Venture Partner

Hajime Furuya

Venture Partner

Kenji Hayashi

Principal, Investment Group

Shohei Hayashi

Partner

Harue Hayashi

Partner and Vice Chief Fund Management Officer

Yosuke Hirai

Director

Joopyo Hong

Partner Investment Group

Naoki Horie

Principal, Investment Group

Jang Hyeokjin

Principal, Investment Group

Shohei Ichimiya

Partner, US Office

Nozomu Ikuta

Principal

Kotona Inaida

Director, Fund Management Group

Tomoaki Ishikure

Investment Group Partner

Yoshinari Ito

Venture Partner

Yuki Ito

Director

Hiroyuki Izumi

Partner, Investment Group

Ken Kajii

General Partner, Investment Group

Naoki Kamimaeda

Partner and Europe Division Head

Masaru Kaneshiro

Principal

Daisuke Kashiro

Partner, Investment Group

Kirin Kato

Principal

Takashi Kato

Partner, San Francisco Office Representative

Masaya Kawakami

Partner

Hiroyuki Kawamoto

Principal

Ko Kawaragi

Director

Maiko Kayata

Principal

ByeongJin Kim

Principal, Fund Management Group

Jungyong Kim

Principal, Investment Group

Riichiro Kimura Ph.D

Director, Investment Group

Kenta Kitsuka

General Partner

Issei Kokubu

Principal, Investment Group

Yoshiomi Kubota

Principal

Jinya Kurita

Director

KyungHun Lee

Partner, South Korea Office Representative

YingQi Liang(Joy)

Principal, Investment Group

Chukaku Lin

Principal

Atsushi Matsuda

Venture Partner

Akira Matsumoto

Principal, Investment Group

Natsumi Matsuoka

Principal

Hiroshi Mihayashi

Principal

Tomoko Minagawa

Director, Investment Group

Ai Minamizaki

Principal, Investment Group

Shigeru Mitarai

Principal

Kazuhiko Miyama

General Partner

Shuhei Mori

Principal

Seiichiro Mukai

Director

Satoko Murata

Principal, Investment Group

Kohtaro Nagawa

Director, Investment Group

Tasuke Nakagawa

Partner / M&A

Mitsutaka Nakao

Principal, Investment Group

Shien Nakayama

Director, Investment Group

Yuya Namiki

Director

Ying Jian Ng

Director, Investment Group

Daisuke Nishida

Partner, Investment Group

Akiko Noguchi

Director, Corporate Management Group

Rina Obi

Investment Director

Sho Ohtani

Principal, Investment Group

Tetsui Okada

Director, Investments Group

Mayu Okamoto

Principal

Akane Okuyama

Director

Shingo Otaki

Partner, Investment Group

Naoki Sadakuni

Venture Partner

Enen Sai

Principal, Fund Management Group

Kazuki Sakuragawa

Partner and Editor in Chief, Corporate Management Group

Masumi Sato

Principal

Naoki Sato

Principal, Investment Group

Tomoki Sekiguchi

Principal

Rie Shibata

Director, Fund Management Group

Takeru Shigemura

Director

Miku Shimamura

Principal

Hiroshi Shimazu

Managing Director

Masamune Shin

General Partner, Investment Group

Ayu Shinoyama

CFO and Board Member

Chisa Shinsakaue

Director

Divyansh Singh

Principal

Hiroto Sorita

Director, Investment Group

Sachiko Sugiura

Principal

Yusuke Suzuki

Partner

Kazumo Tachibana

Director

Mana Takabayashi

Director, Investment Group

Hiroki Takai

Director, Investment Group London Office

Toko Takao

Principal

Hideyuki Tanaka

Principal

Marika Tazaki

Partner

Hirotaka Togashi

Director, Investment Group

Haruka Tsujii

Principal

Atsushi Ueda

Principal, Investment Group

Takuya Ukai

Principal, Investment Group

Tetsuya Urimoto

Director, Investment Group

Noriko Usui

Partner and Chief Fund Management Officer

Keita Washizu

Principal

Hirokazu Watanabe

Partner

Keita Wazhizu

Principal, Investment Group

Masao Yamada

Senior Partner, Investment Groups

Kazunori Yamaguchi

Partner, Investment Group

Ryozo Yamamoto

Partner, Investment Group

Michiko Yamazaki

Principal, Investment Group

Isao Yasuda

Senior Partner

Takuro Yoda

Principal, Investment Group

Sayaka Yoshino

Director

Miku Yoshio

Partner, Investment Group

Yasuhiko Yurimoto

Founder and President and CEO & Board Member

Miyazawa Yusuke

Venture Partner

Lusheng Zou

Director, Investment Group

Past deals in Industrial Automation

New Innovations

Series A in 2023
New Innovations Inc. is a Tokyo-based company that specializes in designing and developing artificial intelligence-driven robots for the café industry. Their flagship product, the robot known as "√C," is equipped with demand forecasting capabilities, allowing it to offer personalized coffee selections based on individual preferences, busy schedules, and even the customer's mood. This innovation aims to enhance the café experience without displacing human workers, as the robots are designed to assist rather than replace them. The company recognizes the challenges posed by a talent shortage in the industry and seeks to integrate technology into the offline experience of food and beverage service. In collaboration with Nankai Electric Railway, New Innovations began demonstration experiments of the √C robot at Namba Station in August 2019, marking a significant step in providing a unique coffee experience tailored to consumer needs.

SCADAfence

Venture Round in 2023
SCADAfence Ltd. develops cyber security solutions to protect the industrial Internet of Things in manufacturing industries and critical infrastructure. It serves industrial facilities, such as power, oil and gas, water, chemical, pharmaceutical, and manufacturing. The company was founded in 2014 and is based in Be'er Sheva, Israel.

Toggle

Series A in 2023
Toggle is a company based in the United States that specializes in robotics as a service (RaaS) for the construction industry, specifically focusing on the assembly of rebar cages for reinforced concrete. The company has developed two-arm robotic platforms and proprietary jig designs that enable the construction of rebar structures directly from computer blueprints, allowing for greater precision and efficiency in construction processes. By integrating industrial robotics and automation into traditional construction methods, Toggle aims to transform the way infrastructure and buildings are created, addressing the increasing complexity of modern construction projects.

Mazin

Series A in 2022
Provider of research and development of smart factory system services intended to solve the shortage of technicians. The company specializes in the use of artificial intelligence that automates machining operations and the development of industrial IoT service that measures the conversion of factories, enabling factories to function efficiently.

RightHand Robotics

Series C in 2022
RightHand Robotics, Inc. specializes in manufacturing robotic order-picking systems designed for various industrial applications, including e-commerce, food handling, and flexible manufacturing. The company offers innovative products such as the ReFlex SF, which features a 3D-printed palm equipped with servos and compliant fingers, and the ReFlex TakkTile, a tactile sensor that enhances the robots' ability to grasp items gently and make adjustments to avoid errors. Their technology allows robots to automatically grasp a wide range of items from bins and cases, eliminating the need for extensive data-entry or parameter-tuning, thereby making the systems cost-effective and adaptable to the evolving needs of businesses. Founded in 2015, RightHand Robotics is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with a sales and business development office located in Frankfurt, Germany.

Humanising Autonomy

Series A in 2021
Humanising Autonomy is a predictive AI company focused on enhancing the interaction between vehicles and people across various environments. The company develops behavior artificial intelligence software that integrates behavioral psychology, computer vision, and large language models to predict human decision-making. Its platform analyzes camera data in real-time to interpret and forecast the behavior of pedestrians, passengers, and vehicles. This capability supports automated decision-making processes, improving driver alerts and vehicle motion response. By providing an end-to-end software solution for dashcam manufacturers, Humanising Autonomy aims to establish a global standard for safety and efficiency in vehicle operations.

Touch To Go

Series B in 2021
Operator of unmanned payment stores intended to eliminate labor shortage. The company offers full-scale commercialization of unmanned artificial intelligence payment stores that solves solve issues such as labor shortages at retail stores and maintenance of regional stores, thus improving customer service, reforming employee work styles.

Cognigy

Series B in 2021
Cognigy GmbH is an enterprise software provider specializing in conversational AI automation. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany, with offices in San Francisco, Sydney, Seoul, and Tokyo, Cognigy offers two primary products: Cognigy.AI, an enterprise conversational automation platform for customer and employee services, and Cognigy.VG, an AI-based voice gateway solution for deploying virtual voice agents in automated phone conversations. Cognigy.AI supports various conversational channels, including chatbots and virtual assistants, and is available in both on-premise and SaaS models. The platform aims to enhance service delivery and loyalty while reducing costs and resource demands for enterprises. Cognigy has received recognition in the industry, including being named a Cool Vendor by Gartner in 2018, and it serves a diverse client portfolio that includes numerous Global 2000 companies.

SCADAfence

Series B in 2021
SCADAfence Ltd. develops cyber security solutions to protect the industrial Internet of Things in manufacturing industries and critical infrastructure. It serves industrial facilities, such as power, oil and gas, water, chemical, pharmaceutical, and manufacturing. The company was founded in 2014 and is based in Be'er Sheva, Israel.

GITAI

Series B in 2021
GITAI Inc. is a Tokyo-based robotics company that specializes in manufacturing humanoid telepresence robots aimed at enhancing space exploration and development. Founded in 2016, GITAI develops a range of robots including the G1, a general-purpose robot designed for task automation internally and externally on space stations and lunar bases; the S1, which focuses on automating specific tasks in similar environments; and the H1, a robot manipulation system that allows for teleoperation of robots working in space. The company's technology enables remote control of robots, facilitating long-duration tasks in low Earth orbit while alleviating the workload on human astronauts, thereby reducing operational costs and improving efficiency in space missions.

Cognigy

Venture Round in 2021
Cognigy GmbH is an enterprise software provider specializing in conversational AI automation. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany, with offices in San Francisco, Sydney, Seoul, and Tokyo, Cognigy offers two primary products: Cognigy.AI, an enterprise conversational automation platform for customer and employee services, and Cognigy.VG, an AI-based voice gateway solution for deploying virtual voice agents in automated phone conversations. Cognigy.AI supports various conversational channels, including chatbots and virtual assistants, and is available in both on-premise and SaaS models. The platform aims to enhance service delivery and loyalty while reducing costs and resource demands for enterprises. Cognigy has received recognition in the industry, including being named a Cool Vendor by Gartner in 2018, and it serves a diverse client portfolio that includes numerous Global 2000 companies.

Cognigy

Series A in 2020
Cognigy GmbH is an enterprise software provider specializing in conversational AI automation. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany, with offices in San Francisco, Sydney, Seoul, and Tokyo, Cognigy offers two primary products: Cognigy.AI, an enterprise conversational automation platform for customer and employee services, and Cognigy.VG, an AI-based voice gateway solution for deploying virtual voice agents in automated phone conversations. Cognigy.AI supports various conversational channels, including chatbots and virtual assistants, and is available in both on-premise and SaaS models. The platform aims to enhance service delivery and loyalty while reducing costs and resource demands for enterprises. Cognigy has received recognition in the industry, including being named a Cool Vendor by Gartner in 2018, and it serves a diverse client portfolio that includes numerous Global 2000 companies.

Autify

Seed Round in 2019
Autify, Inc. is a Tokyo-based company that specializes in developing an artificial intelligence-driven software testing automation platform. Founded in 2016, the platform is designed to streamline quality assurance processes by monitoring user interface changes and automatically updating affected test scenarios with each software release. It offers a variety of features, including cross-browser testing, email testing, local replay, service integration, and parallel execution. These functionalities enable quality assurance teams to enhance productivity, save time, and improve accuracy, ultimately helping organizations deliver superior product versions more efficiently.

Connected Robotics

Series A in 2019
Connected Robotics Inc, founded in 2014 and based in Koganei-shi, Japan, specializes in designing and manufacturing robotic arms tailored for the food service industry. Their flagship product, OctoChef, addresses labor shortages in restaurants by utilizing advanced artificial intelligence and deep learning technologies to streamline cooking processes. The company's solutions are aimed at a diverse clientele, including individual restaurants, shopping malls, service areas, amusement centers, and large-scale events. By enhancing kitchen efficiency and enabling the provision of healthy meals, Connected Robotics aims to improve the work environment for staff and contribute positively to society.

Humanising Autonomy

Seed Round in 2019
Humanising Autonomy is a predictive AI company focused on enhancing the interaction between vehicles and people across various environments. The company develops behavior artificial intelligence software that integrates behavioral psychology, computer vision, and large language models to predict human decision-making. Its platform analyzes camera data in real-time to interpret and forecast the behavior of pedestrians, passengers, and vehicles. This capability supports automated decision-making processes, improving driver alerts and vehicle motion response. By providing an end-to-end software solution for dashcam manufacturers, Humanising Autonomy aims to establish a global standard for safety and efficiency in vehicle operations.

LinkWiz

Series B in 2019
LinkWiz, Inc. is a Japanese company that specializes in the development and sale of intelligent robot system software for industrial and manufacturing applications. Founded in 2015 and based in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, the company offers two primary products: L-ROBOT, an automatic control solution for robots engaged in tasks such as welding and coating, and L-QUALIFY, a production-line inspection software that enhances quality assurance. These solutions utilize proprietary algorithms to automate repetitive tasks, improving efficiency and consistency in operations. LinkWiz also provides technical consulting services to assist clients in optimizing their use of robotic systems. The company has successfully established partnerships with major industries, including automotive manufacturers, demonstrating the effectiveness of its technology in enhancing productivity and profitability.

StradVision

Series A in 2018
StradVision, Inc. specializes in developing perception algorithms for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous vehicles. Founded in 2014 and headquartered in San Jose, California, with additional offices in South Korea, Germany, India, Japan, and China, the company offers various products including SVNet External for external vehicle perception and SVNet Internal for monitoring driver and passenger status. StradVision's technology utilizes artificial intelligence and deep learning to enhance vehicle safety features such as lane detection, object recognition, and real-time environmental analysis. The firm also provides an Auto Labeling Tool for automatic annotation of key objects and road elements. With a strong emphasis on innovation, StradVision holds over 60 patents and has more than 150 pending, positioning itself as a significant player in the automotive technology sector, particularly in the transition towards autonomous driving solutions.

SCADAfence

Series A in 2017
SCADAfence Ltd. develops cyber security solutions to protect the industrial Internet of Things in manufacturing industries and critical infrastructure. It serves industrial facilities, such as power, oil and gas, water, chemical, pharmaceutical, and manufacturing. The company was founded in 2014 and is based in Be'er Sheva, Israel.

Enlighted

Series C in 2017
Enlighted Inc. specializes in manufacturing lighting control systems for commercial environments both in the United States and internationally. Established in 2009 and based in Sunnyvale, California, the company offers a range of products, including the Enlighted Sensor, which collects data on occupancy, ambient light, temperature, and energy consumption, and the Enlighted Room Control, a device that allows users to manage lighting levels in their spaces. The Enlighted Gateway aggregates data from these sensors and integrates it with the Energy Manager, a web-based interface designed for optimizing building system performance. Enlighted’s technology not only enhances energy efficiency but also improves workspace comfort, helping clients achieve sustainability goals while significantly reducing energy costs—sometimes by up to 70%. The company's solutions have been implemented across various commercial settings, including prominent Fortune 1000 companies. Since May 2018, Enlighted operates as a subsidiary of Siemens Industry, Inc.

Arcstone

Seed Round in 2015
Arcstone Pte. Ltd. is a Singapore-based company that specializes in developing and marketing manufacturing software solutions. Founded in 2013, it offers a comprehensive platform known as the Arcstone Operations Platform (arc.ops), which integrates various data streams from IoT sensors, machines, ERPs, and workstation tablets. This platform enables manufacturers to monitor, track, visualize, and control production operations, facilitating both automated and manual processes in manufacturing, machine maintenance, and warehousing. By operationalizing data, Arcstone empowers facility managers to enhance visibility and control, leading to significant cost reductions and quality improvements across the manufacturing supply chain. The company also has a presence in India, Vietnam, and Indonesia, highlighting its regional commitment to optimizing operational efficiency.

August Pro

Series A in 2015
August Pro, a division of August Home, specializes in providing smart home access solutions tailored for professional installers. Founded in 2012 and headquartered in San Francisco, California, August Home develops advanced smart home products, including the flagship August Smart Lock, which replaces traditional keys with smartphone-controlled access. This technology allows users to create virtual keys for their homes, granting temporary access to house cleaners, dog walkers, delivery services, and others, all managed through a mobile app. The company's products are designed to enhance home security and convenience, enabling homeowners to monitor and control access from anywhere in the world. August Home operates as a subsidiary of ASSA ABLOY AB, further strengthening its position in the smart home market.
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