As the third-largest economy in the world, Japan's ecosystem and industries are highly developed and sophisticated. The Japanese government's effort in introducing regulations and initiatives to promote foreign investment and startup development has paid off - with a vast pool of investments pumping into the thriving startup ecosystem. Japan has a strong long-term investment culture, making it an ideal market for startups seeking patient capital. In this article, we have compiled a comprehensive list of VCs and Angel Investors in Japan, so you may find the right funding partner for you!
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Venture Capitalist Funds in Japan
The venture capitalist funds below are actively looking for investments in promising companies throughout various stages and sectors. The stages stated do not limit the possibility of getting funding if your company is at any stage other than what is listed.
Year of Inception: 2011
Stage: Pre Seed
Focus: Hard Tech
Notable Portfolio: Somatic, R-Zero, Formlabs, Drip, Nura
Year of Inception: 2008
Stage: Pre Seed, Seed, Series A
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Notable Portfolio: Classmate, ILEO, Morus, PaylessGate, Ventus
Year of Inception: 2013
Stage: Seed, Series A
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Notable Portfolio: GrubMarket, OSSO VR, NOOM, Photosynth, Origin, Vidpresso
Year of Inception: 2019
Stage: Seed, Series A
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Notable Portfolio: Aipass, Skysense, Woodstock.club, Zeroboard, AnyReach
Year of Inception: 1996
Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B
Focus: Communications & Infrastructure, Components, Internet & Digital Media, Social & Gaming, Software & Services
Notable Portfolio: Analogix, Augmedix, BitTorrent, Coffee Meets Bagel, Honeycomb
Year of Inception: 2006
Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B
Focus: Internet
Notable Portfolio: Paidy, Retreat Technologies, Allesgood, Glocalist
Year of Inception: 2011
Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Notable Portfolio: Playthink, Qoala, Grab, Galapagos, RABO, Relook, Pintek
Year of Inception: 2018
Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Notable Portfolio: Tricot, Spacemarket, Cocolive, Slogan, Monokabu, Rabo
Year of Inception: 1973
Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Notable Portfolio: Repro, Money Forward, Chatwork, LayerX, Air Closet, TamaHome
Year of Inception: 2015
Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B
Focus: Technology
Notable Portfolio: JALA, Profile Print, Sentient.io, Shiok Meats, Aerodyne
Year of Inception: 1998
Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C
Focus: Ad, AgriTech / FoodTech, AI, Blockchain, Climate Tech, Cloud / SaaS, Commerce, Cybersecurity, Education, Electronics and Photonics, Energy, Enterprise, Entertainment Tech, Fintech, Game, HR Tech, IoT, Life Science / Healthcare, Materials, Media, Mobility, Quantum Computing, Real Estate Tech, Robotics, Space, Travel Tech, XR / Metaverse
Notable Portfolio: Base Food, Tapjoy, Coins.ph, Giftee, Mercari, eSPORTS, Comnico
Year of Inception: 2009
Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C
Focus: AgriTech, Commerce, Crypto, D2C, EdTech, F&B, FinTech, HealthTech, Logistics, SaaS
Notable Portfolio: 99.co, Anyplace, AppBrew, Base, Carro, Fairbanc, GoTo, Japan Info
Year of Inception: 1996
Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C
Focus: AI, Blockchain, FinTech, IT Service/DX, Security, EC, Life Science, Healthcare, Bio, Environment, Other Advanced Technologies
Notable Portfolio: Space Market, Accuthera, Campfire, Modalis, Ascent
Year of Inception: 2012
Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C
Focus: Consumer Enterprise, Frontier, Healthcare
Notable Portfolio: Conyac, UUUM, CLUE, AppBrew, Rentio, Hubble, Strand Therapeutics
Year of Inception: 1996
Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C
Focus: DeepTech, Technology, Consumer Enterprise
Notable Portfolio: Smart Bank, FlyWheel, Anyflow, Photosynth, Leaner
Year of Inception: 2004
Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C
Focus: Science and Technology
Notable Portfolio: MiRTEL, Elixirgen Therapeutics, Faraday Pharmaceuticals, Regcell
Year of Inception: 1991
Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Notable Portfolio: Aillis, Welyco, Axell, Olygogen, KOTAI, Clover Lab
Year of Inception: 2012
Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C
Focus: Software, Commerce, Media, Fintech, SaaS, AI, Data, Crypto, Healthcare, HR, Edtech, Cybersecurity
Notable Portfolio: Aiming, 17Live, Baseconnect, Dialpad, Geniee, Hubble, KKDay
Year of Inception: 2010
Stage: Series A
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Notable Portfolio: Aiming, Ceres, bellFace, Aquwa, Axel Mark Group, bitFlyer
Year of Inception: 2020
Stage: Series A, Series B
Focus: Consumer, Social, Gaming & Entertainment, Social Commerce & Marketplaces, Work, Wellness, & Education
Notable Portfolio: Dapper Labs, Sandbox VR, Omeda Studios, Wave XR, Luma
Year of Inception: 2016
Stage: Series A, Series B
Focus: Consumer & Enterprise Technology
Notable Portfolio: Cinnamon AI, Evolany, Scalar, STUDIO, Infostellar, Panalyt
Year of Inception: 2017
Stage: Series A, Series B
Focus: Deep Tech, Hard Science
Notable Portfolio: Mawari, Cuebus, Lebo Robotics, Rutilea, Telexistence
Year of Inception: 1983
Stage: Series A, Series B, Series C
Focus: IT / Internet, Service, Bio/Healthcare/Medical Manufacturing
Notable Portfolio: Techtouch, Amptalk, Sorajima, Ascenty, Nudge
Year of Inception: 2015
Stage: Series A, Series B, Series C
Focus: PropTech, IoT, Cyber Security, Sharing Economy, E-commerce, FinTech, Energy and GreenTech, Robotics, AI and Big Data, Healthcare, Mobility, Space, Food, Agriculture, Entertainment
Notable Portfolio: Yanekara, Gaussy, nearMe, SANU, Photosynth
Year of Inception: 2015
Stage: Series A, Series B, Series C
Focus: Social Impact
Notable Portfolio: MONOCO, BluAge, OSIRO, Rei Frontier, Loss Zero Corporation
Year of Inception: 2014
Stage: Series B, Series C
Focus: B2B SaaS, FinTech, InsurTech, Automation and Productivity, Cybersecurity, Cloud, Infrastructure, Developer Tools, Health Tech, Sustainability
Notable Portfolio: Asana, ADARA, DeepL, Sendbird, Mural, Ladder, SkyDrop
Year of Inception: 2018
Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C
Focus: AI, IoT, Big Data, XR, Healthcare, Robotics, Home, New Technology, Financial, Sports, Entertainment, New Space
Notable Portfolio: Sorajima, PoliPoli, Nudge, Gojo and Company, Mirrativ, Kirilys Therapeutics
Year of Inception: 2008
Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C
Focus: B2B, B2C
Notable Portfolio: Techtouch, Sidetracker, PoliPoli, Senseye, Arcturus, Photosynth
Year of Inception: 2016
Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C
Focus: Entertainment, FinTech, Healthcare, IoT, Mobility, Deep Tech, Sensor Technologies
Notable Portfolio: aba, Caulis, Cinnamon, FastLabel, Infostellar, RUN.EDGE
Year of Inception: 2015
Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Notable Portfolio: Arraiy, CLUE, Folio, Kakehashi, Kauche, Loom.ai, OpenWeb
Year of Inception: 2000
Stage: Series A, Series B
Focus: Technology
Notable Portfolio: Thinkcyte, Volterra, Skydrive, Beatrust, Kakehashi, Yappli
Year of Inception: 1974
Stage: Series A, Series B, Series C
Focus: IT, Services, Manufacturing, Life Science, Retail
Notable Portfolio: LayerX, Link Therapeutics, PostCoffee, Beatrust, Scalar, Aculys
Year of Inception: 2005
Stage: Series A, Series B, Series C
Focus: Social Impact
Notable Portfolio: Elements, Torico, Modalis, Base, Aiming, Cookbiz
Angel Investors in Japan
The Angel investors listed below are part of an Angel community located throughout Japan. They may act as an individual or as a syndicate to fund projects of their preference, so these networks are the best opportunity for you to find a potential Angel with an aligned vision and interests.
Stage: Seed
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Notable Portfolio: -
Stage: Seed
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Notable Portfolio: -
Closing Thoughts on VCs and Angel Investors in Japan
Said to be in its fourth venture boom, Japan now has over 10,000 active startups. The Japanese venture capital and angel investor ecosystem are growing more lively, supportive, and varied, making it an appealing place for startups looking for finance and assistance. With numerous regulations and frameworks put in place to assist both entrepreneurs and investors alike, this trend should only continue into the future.
Find VCs and Angel Investors in APAC:
Frequently Asked Questions on VCs and Angel Investors in Japan
What are the typical investment ranges for Japanese venture capital and angel investments?
Japanese VC investments typically range from ¥50M-¥500M ($350K-$3.5M) for early-stage rounds, while angel investments range from ¥5M-¥30M ($35K-$200K). Corporate venture capital (CVC) is particularly active in Japan, with major corporations like SoftBank, KDDI, and Rakuten making significant investments. Series A rounds often exceed ¥1B ($7M), with strong participation from both domestic and international investors.
How do foreign investors navigate Japan's startup investment landscape?
Foreign investors typically enter through partnerships with local VC firms or establish Japanese subsidiaries. Understanding local business culture (keiei-style), building relationships through proper introductions (keiretsu networks), and navigating corporate governance requirements are crucial. Many successful entries come through established channels like JETRO or local accelerator programs.
Which sectors are attracting the most venture capital in Japan?
Priority sectors include deep tech, robotics, AI/ML applications, healthtech, and B2B SaaS solutions. There's particular interest in startups addressing Japan's aging population, industrial automation, and digital transformation needs. Government initiatives like J-Startup program influence investment flows toward strategic sectors aligned with national priorities.
What unique aspects should investors consider in Japanese startup investments?
Investors should understand Japan's conservative business culture, emphasis on long-term relationships, and preference for steady growth over rapid scaling. Key considerations include corporate governance standards, importance of business card exchanges (meishi), and the role of large corporations in the startup ecosystem. Understanding the concept of nemawashi (consensus-building) is crucial for successful dealings.
What are the standard due diligence requirements in Japan's startup ecosystem?
Due diligence in Japan emphasizes detailed documentation, corporate governance structures, and regulatory compliance. Investors typically focus on team background checks (particularly important in Japanese culture), intellectual property rights, and market validation within Japan's unique business environment. Understanding relationships with keiretsu groups and potential corporate partners is also crucial.
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