Founded in Tokyo in 1998, Global Brain is a venture capital firm focusing on seed to late-stage investments across various sectors globally. They have invested in over 300 startups, facilitating 25 IPOs and 61 M&As through hands-on support services.
Mitsubishi UFJ Capital is a venture capital firm based in Tokyo, with additional offices in Osaka and Nagoya, founded in 1974. It concentrates on seed to development stage and startup investments across healthcare, biotech, information technology, electronics, high technology, life sciences, fintech, ICT, SaaS, and AI sectors. The firm targets opportunities in Japan and with relevance to the Japanese market, and it participates in investment syndication for Japanese investments to support entrepreneurs and innovation within the domestic economy.
Established in 2005, SMBC Venture Capital is a Tokyo-based corporate venture capital arm of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation. It invests primarily in early-stage companies operating within the information technology, life sciences, services, and manufacturing sectors.
Established in 2002 through the merger of three subsidiaries, Mizuho Capital is a Tokyo-based venture capital firm affiliated with Mizuho Bank. With approximately ¥50 billion JPY under management, it focuses on investments in information technology and biotechnology sectors.
Founded in 2013, Mizuho Bank is a Tokyo-based commercial bank offering corporate and investment banking services. It provides a wide range of deposit products, loans, and investment banking services to major corporations, financial institutions, and public sector entities worldwide.
Established in 2000, Dream Incubator is a strategic consulting firm primarily serving Japanese corporate clients and governmental institutions. It provides capital and professional services to support the growth of next-generation companies, while also operating its own businesses.
SBI Investment is the corporate venture capital arm of SBI Holdings, based in Tokyo, Japan. It funds and supports the growth of private venture companies by managing venture capital funds and attracting capital from institutional partners. The firm backs a broad range of technology-driven sectors, including artificial intelligence, blockchain, fintech, information technology, cybersecurity, e-commerce, biotechnology, life sciences, healthcare, and environmental energy. Through regional operations such as SBI Investment Korea, it engages with startups in Korea and focuses on sectors including healthcare, consumer, ICT, entertainment, information services, and manufacturing. SBI Investment aims to create value by helping portfolio companies scale, form strategic partnerships, and pursue exits via initial public offerings or acquisitions, reinforcing its role in fostering innovation and core industries in the 21st century.
Founded in 1991 and based in Tokyo, Nissay Capital is a venture capital firm that invests in information technology, manufacturing, medical, distribution, and retail sectors. It supports companies from seed and start-up stages through growth, middle, and later stages, providing funding to help them scale and compete in their markets.
Founded in Japan in 2012, ANRI is a venture capital firm primarily investing in seed and early-stage startups across various sectors including business products, services, information technology, life sciences, mobile, software-as-a-service, media, telecom, robotics, and blockchain.
Founded in 1996, Globis Capital Partners is a Tokyo-based venture capital firm that invests in consumer, business, and frontier sectors. It combines local business presence with Western VC experience, offering hands-on support to portfolio companies.
AG Capital, a subsidiary of Aiful Corporation, is a venture capital firm focusing on investments in a range of sectors including information technology, telecommunications, distribution, environment, healthcare, biotechnology, and services. Founded in 1985 in Tokyo, Japan, AG Capital specializes in funding companies from seed to late stages of development. Formerly known as New Frontier Partners Co., Ltd., the firm has a strategic approach to supporting innovative businesses and driving growth in diverse industries.
Established in 1973, JAFCO is a prominent venture capital firm based in Tokyo, Japan. With over $1 trillion committed to investment funds globally, it has facilitated over 1000 portfolio company IPOs. JAFCO supports entrepreneurs with financing and operational assistance across HR, marketing/sales, and back-office operations, focusing on innovative technologies and services worldwide.
MSIVC is a venture capital firm that invests in Japanese and global startups scaling to IPO. It focuses on startups in verticals of Fintech, SaaS, Healthcare, AI, E-Commerce, Foodtech, and Environment etc.
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation is a Japanese multinational banking and financial services company that provides a comprehensive array of financial services primarily focused on banking. Its operations encompass leasing, securities, credit card services, investment, mortgage securitization, venture capital, and various credit-related businesses. As a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, the bank has established a significant presence in the financial sector, being recognized as the second largest bank in Japan by assets as of 2009. Through its diverse offerings, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation serves a wide range of clients, contributing to its strong standing in the banking industry.
Established in 1925, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank is a leading Japanese financial institution offering a wide range of services including banking, leasing, investment sourcing, market research, asset management, debt financing, securities investment, and investment advisory services. It also manages equity products for corporate and governmental pension funds, with a focus on Japanese and Asian markets.
Incubate Fund is an independent venture capital firm founded in 2010 and based in Tokyo, Japan. It specializes in seed and early-stage investments in technology startups, backing entrepreneurship across Asia. The firm has built a portfolio of more than 300 companies and has delivered multiple exits, including 12 initial public offerings and 20 mergers and acquisitions since its inception. It maintains a broad sector focus that spans business products and services, consumer products and services, information technology and the Internet of Things, as well as media, entertainment, games, commerce, logistics, medical, financial services, real estate, automobiles, and housing-related innovation. Through its regional presence in Asia, the firm supports founders from early development through scaling, aiming to back ambitious teams with potential for significant growth.
Founded in Tokyo in 2006, Archetype Ventures is a venture capital firm specializing in seed and early-stage investments in B2B tech startups. The company focuses on sectors such as software-as-a-service, fintech, deep tech, AI/ML, healthcare, sustainability, and marketing tech across Asia and the Americas.
DBJ Capital is the corporate venture capital arm of the Development Bank of Japan, founded in 2010 through the merger of two DBJ Group venture firms. As a subsidiary of the Development Bank of Japan, DBJ Capital mobilizes the bank's full network to support investments in frontier technologies and new business models aimed at global growth, spanning industries and scales. It provides investment solutions ranging from growth-focused equity to financing schemes and assists venture startups through a value enhancement team that helps commercialize intellectual property and university- or research-developed technologies. The firm focuses on technology-driven and knowledge-intensive companies, including frontier tech, information technology services, biotechnology and healthcare, and other industrial sectors, with the aim of contributing to Japan's economic revival by helping investee firms grow and create new industries. Based in Tokyo, DBJ Capital operates as a corporate venture capital investor under the Development Bank of Japan.
NTT Docomo is a leading Japanese telecommunications company offering mobile services, including voice and data communication, value-added services, international roaming, satellite cell phone services, and machine-to-machine (M2M) services. It provides a wide range of products and services for both consumers and businesses, operating in various fields such as media, finance, commerce, healthcare, M2M, aggregation, ecology, safety, and lifestyle guidance.
MUFG Bank is a global financial institution offering comprehensive banking services. Established in 1919, it provides consumer banking, corporate banking, investment banking, transaction banking, and global markets services to clients worldwide. With offices across Japan and in over 40 other countries, MUFG Bank is one of the world's largest banks.
Established in 1998, Future Venture Capital is a Japanese venture capital firm specializing in early-stage investments. It focuses on diverse industries within Japan, with a preference for technology and industrial sectors.
QB Capital is a venture capital investment firm based in Fukuoka, Japan, founded in 2015. It makes equity investments in technology-focused venture companies, targeting sectors including business products and services, consumer products and services, healthcare, and information technology across the Kyushu region.
Founded in 2004, this venture capital firm is associated with The University of Tokyo. It focuses on early-stage investments in deep-tech sectors such as Healthcare & Life Sciences, IT/AI, and Physical Sciences & Engineering. As of March 2021, UTEC has invested in over 100 companies globally, with a track record of 13 IPOs and 12 successful M&A.
Japan Post Capital is an investment and management financial consulting firm and the corporate venture capital arm of Japan Post Holdings, based in Tokyo. Founded in 2017, it concentrates on investing in startups and companies aligned with the Japan Post Group’s core businesses and related areas.
Nippon Venture Capital (NVCC), established in 1996 and based in Tokyo, Japan, is one of the largest independent venture capital firms in the country. It serves as the corporate venture capital arm of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone. NVCC specializes in providing comprehensive venture capital services and collaborates with prominent Japanese business leaders and companies to foster and support innovative startups. The firm focuses its investments on various sectors, including communications, software, systems, devices, life sciences, and environmental technologies, with the aim of nurturing new ventures and driving technological advancement.
DNX Ventures is a San Mateo–based venture capital firm founded in 2011. It invests in Seed and Series A B2B startups, with activities in the United States and Japan and an office in Tokyo. The firm focuses on SaaS and cloud, cybersecurity, deep tech, sustainability, hardware, retail, and finance. It emphasizes helping early-stage companies validate product–market fit and secure their first customers by leveraging a CXO network and partnerships with Fortune 500 companies. DNX Ventures also provides strategic guidance and operational insight to portfolio companies as they grow. The organization operates as an investment adviser and supports founders through active involvement in building customer relationships and scaling business development.
The Shoko Chukin Bank is a commercial bank based in Tokyo, Japan, established in 1936. It specializes in offering banking services primarily to small and medium enterprises, catering to their financial needs and contributing to their growth. In addition to its focus on business banking, the bank also provides personal banking services to individual customers. Through its commitment to supporting local businesses, Shoko Chukin Bank plays a crucial role in the Japanese financial landscape.
Established in 2020 and headquartered in Tokyo, JIC Venture Growth Investments is a venture capital firm that supports innovation by investing in growth-stage startups operating primarily in the technology sector.
DEEPCORE is an AI-focused incubator and startup ecosystem in Tokyo that supports entrepreneurs aiming to use technology to address societal challenges. It provides an open R&D environment through a co-working space in Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, and an AI computing platform featuring GPUs in partnership with NVIDIA. It enables members to apply deep learning and related technologies through joint demonstration experiments with industry partners and projects. Leveraging ties to SoftBank Group, DEEPCORE helps connect startups with industry players, manages projects, and offers support to advance early-stage AI ventures.
Established in 2018, Aozora Corporate Investment is a venture capital arm of Aozora Bank, based in Tokyo, Japan. The firm focuses on investing in Japanese small and medium-sized enterprises.
SoftBank Robotics Europe, formerly Aldebaran Robotics, designs and manufactures humanoid robots for education, research, health, distribution, tourism, business applications, and home use. The company serves customers worldwide and focuses on interactive robotics that assist professionals and individuals. Founded in 2005, it is based in Paris, France, with additional offices in France, Japan, the United States, and China, and operates as a subsidiary of SoftBank Group.
Salesforce is a cloud-based software company that provides enterprise customer relationship management software and applications on a subscription basis. It designs and develops cloud-based enterprise software for sales, customer service, marketing automation, e-commerce, analytics, and application development, offering a comprehensive suite including Service Cloud, Marketing Cloud, Commerce Cloud, MuleSoft for data integration, and the Salesforce Platform. Its Customer 360 platform unifies customer data across systems, apps, and devices to help organizations sell, service, market, and conduct commerce more effectively.
Glocalink is a Tokyo-based venture firm that supports science and technology entrepreneurs with seed funding and hands-on assistance to commercialize laboratory technologies. Founded in 2010, the firm concentrates on technology companies, helping founders overcome technical and market hurdles through guidance and resources drawn from experience in bringing academic research to market.
Founded in 2006, CyberAgent Ventures is a Tokyo-based venture capital firm focusing on seed-to-early stage investments in technology companies across Asia-Pacific and the United States.
UTokyo Innovation Platform Company, established in 2016 and based in Tokyo, Japan, is dedicated to fostering innovation by supporting start-ups and facilitating corporate innovation. The company focuses on enhancing the innovation ecosystem by providing resources and guidance to university-affiliated ventures, particularly in sectors such as life sciences, healthcare, agricultural technology, space, robotics, hardware, information technology, and artificial intelligence. In addition to its investment activities, UTokyo Innovation Platform Company operates an incubation program designed to nurture new enterprises and accelerate their growth, thereby contributing to the global innovation landscape stemming from the University of Tokyo.
Monex Ventures is a venture capital firm located in Tokyo, Japan, established in 2005. The firm specializes in financing seed and early-stage investments in startup companies, focusing on sectors such as business products and services, consumer products and services, and technology. Through its investments, Monex Ventures aims to support innovative entrepreneurs and contribute to the growth of emerging businesses in these dynamic markets.
Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Tokyo. It develops and manufactures audio, video, communications, and information technology products for consumer and professional markets. Sony operates through seven main business segments, including electronics appliances, games, devices and semiconductors, entertainment content, and financial services.
East Ventures is a venture capital firm founded in 2009, headquartered in Tokyo with offices in Singapore and Indonesia. It operates as a sector-agnostic investor, providing multi-stage capital from seed to growth for technology startups across Southeast Asia. The firm has backed more than 300 companies in the region, including notable names such as Tokopedia, Traveloka, Ruangguru, and Xendit, and focuses on early-stage technology companies to drive regional growth. East Ventures emphasizes active involvement in the Indonesian and broader Southeast Asian ecosystems and is recognized for its long-standing commitment to responsible investing, having signed the Principles for Responsible Investment. The firm combines investment with guidance and ESG-aligned practices to support sustainable development of the regional tech sector.
Established in 2018 as a public-private partnership, Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ) promotes innovation and enhances value through 'open innovation'. It provides financial, technological, and management support to foster next-generation businesses across sectors like green energy, electronics, IT, biotechnology, and infrastructure. INCJ is capitalized at 280 billion yen, with the Japanese government contributing 266 billion yen and private corporations providing 14 billion yen. The government also offers guarantees up to approximately 2,000 billion yen for INCJ investments.
Canal Ventures is a corporate venture capital firm founded in 2017 and based in Tokyo, Japan. It operates as the venture capital arm of the Nihon Unisys Group and focuses on investing in seed and early-phase startups. The firm primarily targets the technology sector, emphasizing investments that address social causes. Through its investments, Canal Ventures aims to support innovative solutions that contribute positively to society while fostering growth in emerging companies.
SPARX Group Co., Ltd. is a Japan-based holding company established in 1989 by founder Shuhei Abe, recognized as one of the pioneers of independent asset management in Japan. Initially focused on Japanese equities, it has since expanded into a diversified asset management firm serving the Asia-Pacific region. SPARX Group engages in various investment strategies, including clean technology, renewable energy, and venture capital, notably through the Mirai Creation Fund, created in collaboration with Toyota Motor Corporation and SMBC. The company provides investment management and advisory services to a range of clients, including corporate pension funds, government entities, and private banks. It offers mutual funds that are accessible directly or through various intermediaries, catering to both domestic and international markets.
WiL (World Innovation Lab) is a venture capital firm headquartered in Palo Alto with an office in Tokyo. It partners with global corporations and government entities to act as a bridge between startups and corporates in the United States and Asia, with a particular focus on Japan. The firm helps portfolio companies by forging corporate partnerships that enable U.S. and European startups to scale globally and Japanese startups to innovate and internationalize. WiL invests across seed, early, and later stages in sectors including fintech, insurtech, automation, cybersecurity, cloud infrastructure, developer tools, health tech, sustainability, artificial intelligence, machine learning, SaaS, consumer products and services, and information technology. It has backed exits such as Asana, Mercari, Raksul, Wise and Auth0, demonstrating a track record of guiding companies to public markets or strategic acquisitions. Beyond direct investing, WiL also commits capital to venture funds and collaborates with corporate investors to advance innovation capabilities, partnerships, and organizational change within their ecosystems.
Shinsei Corporate Investment is a private equity firm established in 2012 and headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. The firm focuses on supporting the creation and development of businesses, primarily within the technology sector. By investing in companies in this field, Shinsei Corporate Investment aims to foster growth and innovation, contributing to the advancement of the technology landscape in Japan and beyond.
Established in Tokyo in 2000, ITOCHU Technology Ventures is the venture capital arm of global conglomerate ITOCHU Corporation. It invests in and supports leading information technology companies worldwide, leveraging ITOCHU's extensive resources across various industries and countries.
Samurai Incubate is a Tokyo-based venture capital firm that invests in early-stage startups across Africa, Israel, and Japan, with a focus on information technology and software-as-a-service companies. The firm provides hands-on support in management, marketing, sales and human resources, and offers advisory services and external director assignments to help portfolio companies develop vision, build revenue models, and monetize growth. Established to empower startups to scale through practical expertise and strategic guidance, Samurai Incubate emphasizes action and market-facing execution to realize greater revenue potential. By combining investment with active governance and mentorship, it aims to accelerate growth for businesses operating in dynamic technology sectors across multiple regions.
Founded in Tokyo, Japan in 2014, Beyond Next Ventures is a venture capital firm dedicated to growing and commercializing revolutionary technologies from motivated entrepreneurs. They focus on seed-stage companies operating in deep tech sectors such as agriculture, biotech, electronics, robotics, medtech, healthcare, climate tech, digital, space, science, technology, drug discovery, food tech, and more across Japan and India.
Itochu Corporation is a prominent trading company that has been operating since its founding in 1858 by Chubei Itoh. Initially focused on linen trading, the company has evolved into a diversified sogo shosha, engaging in the import and export of a wide range of products, including textiles, machinery, chemicals, metals, minerals, energy, and food. Itochu's operations extend beyond trading to include investments in sectors such as insurance, finance, construction, real estate, and warehousing. The company emphasizes efficiency in its food segment, overseeing operations from production to retail, while its energy and chemicals division specializes in trading crude oil and related products. Through its extensive network and multifaceted business approach, Itochu continues to play a significant role in international trade and commerce.
Energy & Environment Investment, Inc. is a Tokyo-based impact investment firm founded in 2006, specializing in the clean technology sector. As Japan's first venture capital firm dedicated to this area, it aims to support promising ventures by providing both financial resources and strategic guidance. The firm is comprised of experienced professionals who have a strong background in founding and managing companies within the venture capital landscape. By focusing on the environment and energy sectors, Energy & Environment Investment seeks to foster innovation and sustainable practices in clean technology, contributing to the broader goals of environmental sustainability and energy efficiency.
STRIVE III, the venture capital arm of GREE International, focuses on seed and early-stage investments in internet and mobile companies. Established in 2011 and based in Tokyo, Japan, STRIVE primarily targets businesses operating in sectors such as business-to-business services, e-commerce, advertising technologies, and social services. The firm seeks opportunities in Japan, Southeast Asia, and India, aiming to invest between 30 million to 200 million yen in Southeast Asia and 50 million to 300 million yen in East Asia per company. STRIVE emphasizes selecting companies with strong management teams and significant market potential, engaging actively with its portfolio to support their growth.