# Top 20 Digital Media Startup Investors in Japan in May 2026

## Vector
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 2
- Stages: Seed, Corporate Round
- Focus: Media and Entertainment, Marketing, Content

Vector is a Japan-based PR agency that provides PR planning and implementation services for its clients. The agency also offers other services covering areas such as management, finance, accounting, human resources, administration, internal controls, and audits.
Vector was founded in 1993.

## Goshi Yamaguchi
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Pre-Seed, Corporate Round
- Focus: Food and Beverage, Digital Media, Apps

Goshi Yamaguchi

## JIG-SAW
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Otemachi, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Series A
- Focus: Content, Marketing, Digital Media

JIG-SAW (San Jose) offers neqto, an all-in-one solution for IoT. As an all-in-one, fully managed solution for IoT, neqto provides: hardware, embedded and edge software, communication mechanisms, and cloud. Through neqto, easy and secure bidirectional communication for transmitting, collecting, and controlling things and systems via IoT is madepossible.With their core competencies in monitoring services, cloud technologies, mobile communication modules, embedded systems, and IoT equipment they hope to support and accelerate the automation and decentralization of the next generation of technology companies.

## Shinichi Misawa
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Series A
- Focus: Content, Marketing, Digital Media

Shinichi Misawa - Director @ Zappallas

## B Dash Ventures
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Series A
- Focus: Internet, Information Technology, E-Commerce

B Dash Ventures does seed to late stage tech investments in Japan, Asia Pacific, and the U.S. LPs include Japan's largest technology companies and financial institutions including NTT Docomo, Mitsubishi UFJ Capital, GREE, NEC BIGLOBE, Fuji Television, and the Japanese government. B Dash Ventures also operates an incubation space inpartnership with Mori Building Co. and holds the invitation-based B Dash Camp conference.

## UNITED
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Shibuya, Kanagawa, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Series A
- Focus: Internet, Content, Media and Entertainment

UNITED, Inc. is developing the smart phone app and the advertising technology business.

## Nissay Capital
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Series A
- Focus: Health Care, Internet, Medical

Nissay Capital is a venture capital Company specializing in seed, start-up, growth capital, middle stage, and later stage investment.

## Kiyoshi Nishikawa
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Pre-Seed
- Focus: News, Social Media, Big Data

After working at KDD Corporation （Currently known as KDDI Corporation）, Kiyoshi Nishikawa next went to work at Arthur D. Little Inc. in the United States, where he became inspired to start his own company. After returning to Japan, he established a Japanese corporation of the world’s largest Internet company, America On Line, LLC. Later andbased on this experience and the relationships he developed, he founded the first Internet business incubator, NETAGE, Inc. After serving as the President and CEO of NETAGE Group, he later became and still serves as the Chairman of ngi group, inc. Kiyoshi was one of the main entrepreneurs responsible for proposing and realization of “Shibuya Bit Valley Concept” and is well known for his various speeches and writings. He is a graduate of the Department of Education at Tokyo University.

## Takeshi Natsuno
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Angel, Series A
- Focus: Financial Services, Music, Venture Capital

Mr. Takeshi Natsuno serves as the Chairman of Japan Operations at Great Wall Club. Mr. Natsuno is a Professor of KEIO University. He served as a General Manager of Consumer Services Division and Manager of Distribution Platform Business Development Division at Pia Corporation since April 2012 and served as its Chief of Sales Promotion Bureau sinceApril 2010. He joined DoCoMo in 1997. He served as the Managing Director of Multimedia Services, Products & Services Division for NTT DoCoMo Inc. until June 23, 2009 and served as its General Manager of i-Mode Planning Division since July 2001, Senior Vice President from June 21, 2005 to June 23, 2009, Executive Officer and General Manager Multimedia Service Division since June 2005. At NTT DoCoMo, he developed the business strategy of all of NTT DoCoMo’s multimedia-related services, including i-mode strategic alliances with global application/content providers and key Internet players. He served as Vice President of Hyper Net Co., Ltd. since June 1996. He started his career with Tokyo Gas. He held key executive positions with HyperNet. He has been a Director of Dwango Co. Ltd., since December 1, 2008. He has been a Outside Director at Sega Sammy Holdings Inc. since June 2008. He has been a Director at Pia Corporation since April 2010. He serves as a Director of D.L.E Co. Ltd. He has been a Director of Gree, Inc. since September 2009 and Trans Cosmos, Inc. since 2008. He serves as a Director of GREE Ventures, Inc. He serves as a Member of Advisory Board at Great Wall Club. He served as an Independent Non-Executive Director of SBI Holdings Inc. from June 27, 2008 to June 28, 2012. He served as a Director of Hyper Net Co., Ltd. since June 1996. He is the Author of i-mode Strategy, published in 2000, a la i-mode, published in 2002, Keitai-no-Mirai, published in 2006, Iccho-yen kaseida otokono shigotojutu, and Google ni izonshi Amazon wo maneru bakakigyou published in 2009. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Economics from Waseda University, Japan in 1988 and an Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1995.

## Toyoshi Ryuichiro
- Type: Angel
- Location: Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Pre-Seed
- Focus: Apps, mHealth, Internet

Toyoshi Ryuichiro - CEO @ Misoca

## Nobuhiro Ariyasu
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Angel
- Focus: Content, Internet, Finance

Nobuhiro Ariyasu is the CEO at Coach United.

## Kiyohiro Sugashita
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Series A
- Focus: Marketing, Travel, Media and Entertainment

Mr. Sugashita joined Polaris as Advisor in May 2011. He is Director and CEO of Sugashita Partners, Ltd since 1998 and provides consulting services to financial institutions and ventures in and outside of Japan. Prior to that position, he was CEO of Lazard Japan Asset Management from 1991 to 1998. His business career also includes positions at DaiwaSecurities and Merrill Lynch Securities, Tokyo Branch. On the academic front, Mr. Sugashita received a BA in Economics from Ritsumeikan University and since 2009 is Special Advisor for the Dean of Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University.

## NetAge
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Pre-Seed, Series A
- Focus: News, Local, Big Data

netage, inc. is a venture capital firm specializing in startup and incubation investments. They invests in internet business. netage is located in Tokyo, Japan.

## GREE
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Series A
- Focus: Mobile, Gaming, Internet

Gree is a Japanese internet media company that provides mobile social networking, and mobile technology services for its users. Gree shares development and operational expertise across all its studios as Gree always works to create new game models for its customers.

## Incubate Fund
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Series A
- Focus: Software, Information Technology, E-Commerce

Incubate Fund is an independent early-stage venture capital that specializes in providing capital to technology startups at the seed stage. The firm built a portfolio of over 300 companies in Asia, taking 12 companies to public and 20 companies to M&A exit since 2010.

## Wavemaker Partners
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Singapore, Central Region, Singapore
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Series A
- Focus: Software, E-Commerce, Information Technology

Wavemaker Group is a cross-border venture capital firm founded in 2003 and one of the most active early-stage investors across multiple funds.

## DFR Asia
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Wan Chai, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed
- Focus: Video, Digital Media, Media and Entertainment

DFR is a digital media venture studio.
DFR conceives, builds, and assumes ownership and execution responsibility for new ventures from inception.
DFR is the first company in the world to deploy the emerging studio model in Asia, and the first venture studio dedicated exclusively to digital media.

## ANRI
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Series A
- Focus: Health Care, Software, Information Technology

ANRI is a Japanese venture capital firm that mainly invests in seed and early-stage startups.

## Richard Lo
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Series A
- Focus: Content, Marketing, Digital Media

Richard Lau serves as Head of Wealth and Personal Banking Risk at Hang Seng Bank.

## SEPTENI HOLDINGS Japan
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Series A, Corporate Round
- Focus: Content, Internet, Apps

Septeni Holdings started as a recruitment consulting company and become an internet advertising company in the year 2000. The company was established in October 1990 and is based in Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

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