# Top 25 Art Startup Investors in Japan in May 2026 ## Ryosuke Matsumoto - Type: Angel - Relevant deals: 2 - Stages: Seed, Angel, Series A - Focus: Art, Reservations, Software Ryosuke Matsumoto is the founder and CEO of Community Factory Inc.Ryosuke is born in Kanagawa Prefecture in 1981. He joined launching of the publication venture company, and ran a cafe while he was attending Chuo University in Tokyo. Since he joined launching the social media venture company in 2004, he has been in social media business. In2006, Ryosuke founded Community Factory Inc. which specialized in planning and operating social media and blog services.Community Factory started to specialize in social application for mobile from 2009, and Community Factory draw investments of around 4.5 million US dollars from venture capitals and mixi inc. then the biggest social media in Japan. DECOPIC, Community Factory's one of the apps for smartphone, has been downloaded 6 million times in the 6 months since its release, and it is rapidly gaining users mainly in Asian countries.In Sep 2012, Ryosuke and other stock holders sold Community Factory to Yahoo Japan Corp., and he remains as CEO of Community Factory. ## Globe Advisors - Type: VC Fund - Location: Marunouchi, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 2 - Stages: Seed, Series A - Focus: SNS, Content, Recruiting Globe Advisors is an independent investor that finds companies that are expected to grow significantly in the future. A growing company is one that a good manager and his team can put in a good product in a good market. Such companies are properly valued, funds for growth are raised and a better future is created. Globe Advisors wants to be acompany that can contribute to the creation of such a society. ## Fuji Startup Ventures - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 2 - Stages: Seed, Series A - Focus: Information Technology, Product Design, Internet Fuji Startup Ventures, the venture capital arm of Fuji Media Holdings, specializes in startup to early stage investments. ## DK Gate - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 2 - Stages: Series A, Seed, Series B - Focus: Software, Information Technology, Social Media DK Gate is a joint venture company of Digital Garage and Kodansha. ## East Ventures - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Series A - Focus: Software, Information Technology, E-Commerce East Ventures is an early stage venture capital (VC) focused on Southeast Asia, Indonesia & Japan. Success cases include Tokopedia, Traveloka, and Mercari. ## Future Venture Capital - Type: VC Fund - Location: Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Series A - Focus: Information Technology, Manufacturing, Health Care Future Venture Capital Co., Ltd. is a venture capital firm specializing in early stage investment. The firm invests in diversified investment in a broad range of industrial sectors. It seeks to invest in Japan. The firm prefers to be the lead investor in its portfolio companies. Future Venture Capital Co., Ltd. was founded in 1998 and is based inKyoto, Japan with offices in Tokyo, Aomori, Iwate, Yamagata, Kanazawa, Mie, Sakai, Kobe, and Ehime. ## Ryutaro Katayama - Type: Angel - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Series A - Focus: Art, Blockchain, Information Technology He holds a BA in Economics and a Master of Sociology from Keio University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. After regenerating many companies as president, he served as a representative of Giuliani Partners Japan and the president of Japan's oldest and largest art auction company Christie's Japan. He has also served as a number ofprominent corporate outside directors and director of art groups. Participated in the creation of Whiz Partners, a leading venture capital firm, and is still a managing partner of international venture capital. ## Kazuma Yamauchi - Type: Angel - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Angel - Focus: Content, Art, Social Media Kazuma Yamauchi ## Akatsuki - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Corporate Round - Focus: Content, Media and Entertainment, Gaming Akatsuki offers MobileSocialGame services. They utilize cutting edge technology and ideas to realize and deliver their ambitions to their users. They provide new value to society through the services we manage daily. Providing services throughout the world that brighten up everyone's daily lives. ## Taiga Matsuyama - Type: Angel - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Angel, Series A - Focus: Software, E-Commerce, Internet Taiga Matsuyama graduated form Waseda University, Matsuyama has been engaged in venture company support for more than ten years in Tokyo, after experience as a consultant at Accenture.Matsuyama became one of the board member of NetAge, Inc (IPO 2006), start-up incubator known by having invested in MIXI – Japanese top SNS and support severalstart-up companies.He also has contributed to the activity for create the start-up eco-system in Tokyo through the NPO Organization BVA (Bit Valley Association). Currently he has established Kronos Fund with angel investors, venture capital fund for investment in emerging early-stage companies.Kronos Fund has invested in more than 20 companies. ## Mai Fujimoto - Type: Angel - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Series A - Focus: Blockchain, Marketplace, Art Mai Fujimoto is known domestically and internationally as Miss Bitcoin. She has been promoting the spread of Bitcoin around the world since 2011. ## SX Capital Japan - Type: VC Fund - Location: Toranomon, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Series A, Series B - Focus: Information Technology, Art, Content SX Capital is an asset management firm targeting private IT-related venture companies. It aims to provide all kinds of support for growth, not just investment. The firm was founded in 2000 and is based in Toranomon, Tokyo, Japan. ## Gakken Plus Japan - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Pre-Seed, Series A - Focus: Art, EdTech, Robotics Gakken Plus is a publishing business offering a catalog of books and magazines. ## Shunsuke Oyu - Type: Angel - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Angel - Focus: Content, Internet, Media and Entertainment Shunsuke Oyu is the co-founder of Connehito Inc. Started an online Q&A platform “mamari” which is the largest platform for moms in Japan. Connehito was acquired by one of the telecom giant KDDI in 2016. Selected as a “Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia” at consumer technology department. Angel-investing 50+ companies globally. ## YJ Capital - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Series A, Seed - Focus: Software, Information Technology, Internet YJ Capital is a Corporate Venture Capital of Yahoo Japan. Our value is to help global minded entrepreneurs build successful and lasting internet companies. We invest in all stages, all sectors in Asia, US and Israel.YJ Capital has a unique access to Yahoo Japan's operational experience and unparalleled Japan market entry support. Oursole LP allows us to focus only on our portfolio companies and make fast decision making. ## Morinaga - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Series B, Corporate Round - Focus: Art, Pet, Mobile Morinaga is a confectionery company that manufactures, purchases, and sells confectionery food and healthy drinks. The company aims to contribute to the realization of abundant, safe eating choices, and the promotion of health among the people of the world. Its diverse range of confectionery products is divided into five groups that includeconfectioneries, food, frozen desserts, weider, and healthcare. ## Sotaro Karasawa - Type: Angel - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Pre-Seed, Series B - Focus: Blockchain, Art, Travel Sotaro Karasawa - Chief Technology Officer @ STAR FESTIVAL ## Shota Horii - Type: Angel - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed - Focus: Information Technology, Internet, Art Shota Horii ## Kenji Yabuno - Type: Angel - Location: Osaka, Osaka, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Angel - Focus: Art, Social Media, Product Design Kenji Yabuno is a Founder & CEO at Cookbiz Co.,Ltd. ## Oki Matsumoto - Type: Angel - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Angel, Seed, Series A - Focus: Information Technology, Cryptocurrency, FinTech Oki Matsumoto began his career at Salomon Brothers Asia Limited in April 1987. He then joined Goldman Sachs Japan Co., Ltd. in April 1990 and was appointed General Partner of The Goldman Sachs Group, L.P. in November 1994. As a General Partner, he was Co-Head of its Tokyo Branch’s FX & Fixed Income Business and was in charge of FX and fixedincome products and the related risk management. It was in April 1999 that Matsumoto jointly established (the former) Monex, Inc. with Sony Corporation. In August 2004, Matsumoto become the Representative Director and CEO of the Company (former name: Monex Beans Holdings, Inc.) upon its formation through management integration of Monex, Inc. and Nikko Beans Inc. He was named the Representative Director, Chairman and CEO of the Company in February 2011 and then assumed his current position in June 2013. ## Nippon Venture Capital - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Series A, Seed - Focus: Software, Health Care, Information Technology Nippon Venture Capital ("NVCC"), established in 1996 as one of the few largest Japanese independent venture capital firms, is destined to undertake the unprecedented task of providing full-range venture capital services in cooperation with major Japanese business leaders and leading companies, which have supported and nurtured various newbusinesses on their own, as well as proactively developing new venture enterprises. ## Monex Ventures - Type: VC Fund - Location: Minato, Chiba, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Series A - Focus: Software, Financial Services, Information Technology Monex Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Japan that finances seed and early stage investments in startup companies. ## Dentsu - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Series B, Corporate Round - Focus: Information Technology, Media and Entertainment, Software dentsu are champions for meaningful progress. We create award-winning solutions across media, creative and CXM. ## Sachiko Kuno - Type: Angel - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Angel - Focus: Art, Social Media, Museums and Historical Sites Sachiko Kuno - Co-Founder, President & CEO @ Halcyon Incubator ## Kunihiro Tanaka - Type: Angel - Location: Osaka, Osaka, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Angel - Focus: Art, Gaming, Sports Kunihiro Tanaka is a President/CEO of Sakura Internet Inc. # About Shizune Shizune.co is an investor database. Core features: - 48,091 startup investors (angels, VCs, accelerators, and others) - Email, phone, LinkedIn (for intros), socials, and other contact data - Updated daily from public funding news - CSV and Excel export The User can access the full database FOR FREE after signing up: shizune.co