Top 16 Investor Venture Capital Firms in Japan [2023]

In this article, we will discuss the best venture capital firms in Japan. The VC market in Japan is not as developed and matured compared to Silicon Valley or New York, but there are still several good investors who have made several successful investments over the years. In this article, we will also discuss some of the famous startups backed by these venture capitalists.

1. Innovation Bank

Bank of Innovation is a Tokyo-based venture capital firm. It was founded by Masayoshi Son and Hirotaka Watanabe in 2002. The firm invests in early stage start-ups to help them grow into bigger companies that can succeed.

In 2011, the company invested billion in online communications, helping the messaging app become one of Japan’s most popular social media networks with over 200 million users worldwide. In 2016, Bank of Innovation led a million investment round for Mercari Inc., an online shopping platform for used items.

The company has also made investments outside of Japan, including, for example, investing million alongside other investors in DoComo Inc., which provides wireless communication services across East Asia. , including Japan and South Korea; Apart from being involved in several other well-known companies such as OpenTok (a video conferencing platform), Viki Corporation (a video streaming service), QOO10 Group Holdings Ltd. and Etsy Inc.

2. Global Brain Corporation

Global Brain Corporation is a Japanese venture capital firm that invests in internet, AI, robotics and other technology sectors. The company was founded in 2011 by Hirotaka Takeuchi and Keiji Yasuda.

The company’s portfolio includes some of the most recognizable names in mobile gaming: Gungho Online Entertainment (Gungho), Dena Co., Ltd., Cygames Inc., Colopl Ni Inc., Sony Music Entertainment Japan Inc., and more.

3. Eastern ventures

East Ventures is a global venture capital firm that invests in the world’s most innovative startups. The company has offices in Tokyo, San Francisco and Shanghai. The company has invested in over 300 startups in 40 countries.

East Ventures was founded by James Hong and Fabrice Grinda, two of Asia’s most successful entrepreneurs who have built several businesses together and separately, including Mangopay (acquired by PayPal), Dailymotion (acquired by Vivendi) and Hopmarket (acquired by E-Commerce Giant Rakuten). Today, East Ventures manages over billion in assets under management across its portfolio companies, including Japan Laundry Service Co., Ltd.; Boxed Wholesale Inc.; VSCO Corporation; Meetic SA; Dresslink CO., Ltd.;

4.Jafco

JAFCO is a venture capital firm that invests in early-stage startups. He has invested in over 300 companies, including Mobage (acquired by Dena), Dena and Gree.

JAFCO is based in Tokyo and was founded in 2004 by Jun Aida.

5. SBI Investment

SBI Investment is one of Japan’s largest venture capital firms. The company has invested in over 100 companies over the past 10 years, including some of Japan’s biggest startups. Some notable investments on SBI investments include Line and Mercari.

6. Beyond Borders

Beyond Borders is a Tokyo-based venture capital firm that invests in global companies and startups around the world. It focuses on investing in disruptive technologies, such as artificial intelligence and IoT, that can help improve people’s lives. Beyond Borders was founded by a group of investors, entrepreneurs, and technologists with a successful track record of investing in and building global startups.

7. Japan Cloud Capital

Japan Cloud Capital is a start-up venture capital fund that invests in AI, IoT and blockchain startups. The company was founded in 2016 by five partners who previously worked at Softbank Group Corp. Japan Cloud Capital have invested in more than 100 companies since its launch, including Mobinaute Technologies Inc., which provides a solution to manage logistics information; and Bizstream Inc., which develops software for use in manufacturing industries such as automotive and electronics manufacturing.

The Japan Cloud Capital portfolio includes more than 50 companies with a market capitalization of nearly 1 billion USD (JPY).

8. Mistletoe

Mistletoe is a Japan-based venture capital firm and incubator. It was founded in 2017 by several prominent investors, including Softbank Group Corp., Kawasaki University professor Masahiro Yasuoka, and former startup founder Yutaka Matsuo.

Mistletoe has invested in over 60 companies since its founding. The company’s portfolio includes over 30 startups and 20 AI companies with million or more in funding each; He has also co-invested with other venture capital firms on some of these deals. In addition to venture capital investments, the company also offers support services such as mentorship programs for startup founders looking to scale their businesses globally through joint ventures in regions across Asia- Pacific such as India and China.

9. Incubation funds

Incuber Fund is a venture capital fund that invests in early-stage startups.

The company was founded by Hirotaka Imamura and Daisuke Nakagawa in 2012 to invest in promising start-ups with growth potential. Incubation Fund has invested in over 200 companies, including Naver (a popular search engine provider).

10. Daol

Daolaunch is a Japanese venture capital firm that invests in early-stage startups and has made investments in over 300 companies. The company was founded in 2017 by Eri Asai, who previously worked as an investment banker for Goldman Sachs Group.

Daolaunch has invested in many notable startups, including online flower delivery service Floraqueen and social media influencer platform ShiftChat.

11. SPARX Group

SPARX Group is a venture capital firm that invests in early-stage startups. The company was founded in 2014 by Hirotaka Yoshida, who was CEO of Softbank Ventures Korea.

SPARX Group has invested in over 300 companies since its founding, including major Japanese e-commerce platforms like Mercari and Mobile Messaging App Line.

12. Capital Mizuho

Mizuho Capital is a venture capital firm that was founded in 2017. It has offices in Tokyo and New York. Mizuho Capital focuses on early-stage investments, particularly those involved in the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Blockchain, Renewable Energy, and Healthcare Technology.

The company has made more than 100 investments since its founding, including big names like Tobotz Inc., which was acquired by Google for 8 million; Libellion Inc., which was acquired by Line Corp.; Yume Flavor Co Ltd., which raised million; and Fluxxl Inc., which raised million from Mizuho Capital along with two other companies.

13. Samurai incubate

Samurai Incubate is a venture capital firm that invests in early-stage start-ups in Japan and Asia. The company was founded in 2015 by former Softbank executives Hirotaka Takeuchi and Yutaka Matsuo. The company makes investments between one million yen (US,000) and ten million yen (US,000). In June 2016, Samurai Incube announced that it had raised an additional 0 million to support its investment activities.

In 2019, Samurai Incubate made 23 investments, 7 of which are IPOs or exits through commercial sales, including 3 unicorns such as Keyence Corporation (NYSE: KEC), Best Inc. (OTCC: Besti) and Neuron Robotics Corp. (OTCQX:NR0D).

14. Anri

Founded in 2016, ANRI is a venture capital firm that invests in early-stage companies in Japan and the United States. Based in Tokyo, Japan, the firm was founded by Yasushi Shiina and Takayuki Aoki. Anri has offices in Palo Alto, California, where they seek to invest primarily in US companies. The company wants to finance entrepreneurs who have ambitions to develop innovative technologies with global potentials.

15. Utokyo Innovation Platform

The Utokyo Innovation Platform is a subsidiary of the University of Tokyo (Utokyo), one of Japan’s leading research universities with over 200 years of history and heritage. The Utokyo Innovation Platform was established in 2019 to support innovation and entrepreneurship at Utokyo by connecting its professors with startups in Japan.

The Utokyo Innovation Platform invests in start-up companies that can benefit from the university’s expertise and resources, including its large network in several sectors such as healthcare, agriculture and processing food or robotics. The company makes venture capital investments varying between 0,000 and million per company, generally for minority stakes (10% to 20%).

16. Cyber Agent Capital

Cyberagent Capital is a venture capital fund that invests in early stage startups. It was established in 2010 and has invested in over 180 companies. The fund’s portfolio includes Mixi, Mobage and Gree, which were later acquired by CyGames (based on Crunchbase data).

Cyberagent Capital also invests in finch and web services companies; However, it limits its investments to Japanese startups.

Conclusion

The venture capital industry continues to grow in Japan. With the investment market expected to reach billion by 2024, there are many opportunities for investors who want their money to work for them.