# Top 50 EdTech Startup Investors in Japan in May 2026

## ANOBAKA
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Shibuya, Kanagawa, Japan
- Relevant deals: 7
- Stages: Seed, Series A
- Focus: Software, Content, Food and Beverage

ANOBAKA is a Tokyo-based venture capital firm with rich group resources to add value to seed-stage startups. ANOBAKA actively invests in and supports startups aiming to be a global leader in the innovative Internet business and promising to greatly grow up in the future. ANOBAKA's investment focuses on fledgling seed-stage startups. Inaddition to investment financing, ANOBAKA provides founders with a variety of business support such as development consulting by our engineers, sales support, and international marketing support.

## SMBC Venture Capital
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 5
- Stages: Series A, Series B
- Focus: Health Care, Information Technology, Software

Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) and its group companies offer a broad range of financial services centered on banking. They are also engaged in the leasing, securities, credit card, investment, mortgage securitization, venture capital and other credit related businesses. The following lists the activities of SMBC, its subsidiaries andaffiliates in the various business segments.

## PE&HR
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 5
- Stages: Seed, Series A
- Focus: Software, Education, E-Learning

PE&HR is a private equity and venture capital firm that seeks to invest in incubation, start-up, and early-stage companies. PE&HR primarily invests in the human resources, internet, healthcare, IT, mobile, and social commerce-related industries.

## ANRI
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 5
- 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.

## Incubate Fund
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 5
- 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.

## East Ventures
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 4
- 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.

## Mizuho Capital
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 4
- Stages: Series A, Series B
- Focus: Information Technology, Software, Internet

Mizuho is the venture capital firm affiliated to Mizuho Bank, the second-largest Japanese bank in terms of assets. The firm has headquarters in Tokyo.The firm has ¥49.6 billion JPY under management, focusing on information technology and biotechnology investments. Over 600 Mizuho companies have gone public. According to Nikkei, Mizuho is thefifth-largest venture capital firm in Japan.Mizuho Capital was formed in 2002 by the merger of Fujigin Capital, Tokyo Venture Capital and IBJ Investment. Three firms were subsidiaries of Fuji Bank, Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank and the Industrial Bank of Japan respectively.

## Mobile Internet Capital
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 4
- Stages: Series A, Seed
- Focus: Software, Mobile, Internet

Mobile Internet Capital (MIC) keeps up on the latest developments of Mobile Internet technologies and services at a high level, and continues to be a venture capital with both technical expertise and execution capability.

## Real Tech Japan
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Sumida, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 4
- Stages: Series A, Seed
- Focus: Manufacturing, Biotechnology, Robotics

Real Tech Japan is a venture capital firm that seeks to invest in innovative R&D technology companies. Realtech Fund is a joint venture between the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry and NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization).
The firm was founded in 2014 and based in Tokyo, Japan.

## Nissay Capital
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 3
- 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.

## Genesia Ventures
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 3
- Stages: Seed, Series A
- Focus: Information Technology, Software, Content

Genesia Ventures is a venture capital firm focused on seed/early-stage startups in Japan and Southeast Asia.

## STRIVE
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 3
- Stages: Seed, Series A
- Focus: Software, Internet, SaaS

STRIVE focuses on investing in early-stage (Seed to Series A) internet and mobile companies. It seeks out companies in Japan, Southeast Asia, and India with top-notch management teams and strong market potential. It is not tied to strategic investments for GREE Inc. and leverages its pan-Asia expertise for guiding its portfolio in an engaged,hands-on role.

## ITOCHU Technology Ventures
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 3
- Stages: Series B, Series A
- Focus: E-Commerce, Software, Information Technology

ITOCHU Technology Ventures (ITV), based in Tokyo, is the venture capital arm of ITOCHU Corporation. ITOCHU is one of the world's largest corporations with offices in over 80 countries and operations that cover a broad spectrum of industries. ITV's mission is to invest and help build leading information technology companies by leveraging avast array of resources both domestically and internationally throughout ITOCHU and its group companies. The ITOCHU group has a long history of funding information technology companies with successes including Siebel Systems, NVIDIA, Openwave and Aruba Networks. Current portfolio includes, Box, Fab, Ooyala, WHILL, Tokyo Otaku Mode, etc.

## Kotaro Chiba
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 3
- Stages: Seed, Series A
- Focus: Internet, Content, Software

Kotaro Chiba is the founder of ChibaDojo Fund. Kotaro Chiba attended Keio University.

## BEENEXT
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Singapore, Central Region, Singapore
- Relevant deals: 3
- Stages: Seed, Series A, Series B
- Focus: Software, E-Commerce, FinTech

BEENEXT is a Venture Capital fund managed by serial entrepreneurs that focuses on assisting founders with its operational experience, network, trust, unique perspectives, and the capital. The team invests in early-stage tech start-ups that are focused on building the new digital platforms driven by the data network. BEENEXT aims to establish aplatform of founders, by the founders and for the founders across the globe, primarily in South East Asia, India and Japan. Since its establishment in 2015, the team has
invested in over 180 companies globally.

## MITSUI SUMITOMO INSURANCE Venture Capital (MSIVC)
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 3
- Stages: Seed, Series A
- Focus: Software, Information Technology, Food and Beverage

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.

## Robert Huang
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 3
- Stages: Series A
- Focus: Education, E-Learning, Language Learning

Mr. Huang founded SYNNEX in 1980 and serves as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Prior to this, Mr. Huang was the International Sales Manager at Advanced Micro Devices. Mr. Huang holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Kyushyu University, Japan, an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Rochester and an M.S. inManagement Science from the Sloan School of Management at MIT.

## Kiyoshi Ayabe
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 2
- Focus: Content, Education, E-Learning

Kiyoshi Ayabe is the President and Founder of KIYO Learning.

## SPARX Group
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 2
- Stages: Series B, Series A
- Focus: Software, Artificial Intelligence, Information Technology

SPARX Group Co., Ltd. is an independent Asia-based equity and credit asset management services and Asian fund financial specialist with offices in Tokyo, Hong Kong and Seoul for global institutional and individual investors, including financial advisors and financial planners, with alternative strategies (including activist, short-enabled, private equity and quantitative and fund-of-funds) and mutual funds (through SPARX Asia Funds such as SPARX Asia Pacific Opportunities Fund, SPARX Asia Pacific Equity Income Fund, SPARX Japan Smaller Companies Fund and SPARX Japan Fund) managed or sub-advised by SPARX Asset Management Co. Ltd., SPARX Asia Investment Advisors Limited and Cosmo Asset Management Co., Ltd.

## Venture Labo Investment
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 2
- Stages: Series B, Seed
- Focus: Internet, Software, Media and Entertainment

Venture Labo Investment is venture capital firm that provides financial supports to invested companies at each growth stage.

## Mistletoe
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 2
- Stages: Seed, Series A
- Focus: Information Technology, Software, Education

Mistletoe is a hub for startups and the overall entrepreneurial ecosystem. It specifically provides learning opportunities for entrepreneurs, facilitates startup communities, invests in and supports startup companies and venture capitals.

## DeNA
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 2
- Stages: Seed, Series A
- Focus: E-Commerce, Education, Internet

DeNA provides a social game platform, social games, e-commerce, and other Web services for mobile devices and PCs. Its current flagship business is its mobile social games platform Mobage which offers first, second, and third-party games on multiple localized player networks worldwide.

## VOYAGE VENTURES
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 2
- Stages: Seed, Series A
- Focus: Software, Internet, Content

Voyage Ventures is the venture capital arm of Voyage Group specializing in seed and early-stage investments. The firm seeks to make investments in the internet and mobile internet industry. It invests from JPY1 million ($.01million) to JPY to 10 million ($.12 million) in its portfolio companies. The firm typically invests in Japan, China, and othergrowing Asian markets. Voyage Ventures, Inc., formerly known as EC Navi Ventures Company, was founded on March 25, 2011, and is based in Tokyo, Japan.

## Daiwa Corporate Investment
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 2
- Stages: Series A, Seed
- Focus: Task Management, Software, Internet

Daiwa Corporate Investment is a private investment firm of Daiwa Securities Group that has been engaged in overseas VC investments by taking advantage of an extensive business network in Japan and foreign countries, long experience and professional knowledge, and by supporting the growth of a number of overseas portfolio companies and their stockexchange listings.

## Leave a Nest
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Shinjuku, Yamanashi, Japan
- Relevant deals: 2
- Stages: Seed, Corporate Round
- Focus: Health Care, Artificial Intelligence, Information Technology

Leave a Nest thrives to achieve global happiness by enhancing everyday life through science and education for future generation.

## Primal Capital
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 2
- Stages: Seed, Pre-Seed
- Focus: Software, Internet, Task Management

Primal Capital, an independent venture capital " incubator bait fund at ", served as the Associate than July 2012 Hiroshi was Sasaki is the venture capital fund that serves as the representative partner. Representative of Sasaki, the seed acceleration program "Incubate Camp" operated by Incubate bait fund is carried out a totalof four times of planning and management than in 2012, They have also engaged in support operations of portfolio companies. - See more at: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/primal-capital#sthash.m2z1DCbt.dpuf

## F Ventures
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Fukuoka, Fukuoka, Japan
- Relevant deals: 2
- Stages: Seed, Pre-Seed
- Focus: Internet, Information Technology, Human Resources

F Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Japan.

## 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.

## Mitsubishi UFJ Capital
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 2
- Stages: Series B, Series A
- Focus: Software, Health Care, Information Technology

Mitsubishi UFJ Capital is a venture capital firm focusing on life science, ICT, and high technology investments.

## Shintaro Yamada
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 2
- Stages: Seed, Angel, Pre-Seed
- Focus: Internet, Finance, Information Technology

During his years at Waseda University, Shintaro worked at Japan’s biggest e-commerce mall, Rakuten, Inc. On August 1st 2001, Shintaro established “Unoh Inc.” after graduating university. At Unoh he was responsible for designing and developing several web services, one of which was the online magazine subscription . Services provided by Unohinclude planning, development and management of the film enthusiast community site “Movie Life” (acquired by PIA Corporation) as well as “Sugu.CC” , “NeoAd” (both acquired by GMOAP) and the photo sharing site “Photozou” (acquired by Digital Garage).In 2009 Unoh entered into social gaming, creating multiple successful social games. Among these games, “Machitsuku!” has been its biggest hit with over 5 million users. On August 3rd 2010, Unoh joined Zynga and Shintaro became General Manager of Zynga Japan. He resigned on January 2012. After traveling around the world, He established the new company “Mercari, Inc.” on February 2013 and released the resale shopping app “Mercari” on July 2013 in Japan.He is a true Internet geek, spending a lot of time on the Internet and boasts around 180,000 followers on Twitter.

## Cool Japan Fund
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 2
- Stages: Series C, Seed
- Focus: E-Commerce, Fashion, Education

Cool Japan Fund was founded in November 2013 as a public-private fund with the aim of supporting and promoting the development of demand overseas for excellent Japanese products and services.Cool Japan Fund aims to commercialize the “Cool Japan” and increase overseas demand by providing risk capital for businesses across a variety of areas,including media & content, food & services, and fashion & lifestyle.

## DNX Ventures
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: San Mateo, California, United States
- Relevant deals: 2
- Stages: Seed, Series A, Series B
- Focus: Software, Information Technology, SaaS

DNX Ventues is an early stage VC firm focusing on B2B Startups that are shaping industries and transforming the way we live and work.

## Tatsuo Sakamoto
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 2
- Stages: Seed, Angel
- Focus: Education, Task Management, Recruiting

Tatsuo Sakamoto

## Hidetoshi Takano
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 2
- Stages: Seed, Angel
- Focus: Internet, Information Technology, Media and Entertainment

Joined Intelligence in 1999. Established Key Players Inc. in 2005. Consultation with more than 3,000 managers and career counseling for more than 10,000 individuals. In addition, we have invested in more than 55 outside directors, advisors and angels in Silicon Valley and Bangladesh in Japan. Over 100 lectures on careers, entrepreneurship andstartups.

## Japan Finance
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 2
- Stages: Seed, Debt Financing
- Focus: Software, Internet, Information Technology

Japan Finance provides a diversified portfolio of financial services to the small and medium enterprise sector.

## DOGAN beta
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Fukuoka, Fukuoka, Japan
- Relevant deals: 2
- Stages: Seed, Series A
- Focus: Internet, Task Management, Artificial Intelligence

They believe that the fundamental challenge facing the local economy is the lack of employment diversity. Although it is a simple example, it is easier to understand if you compare the Tokyo metropolitan area with Kyushu and list the companies that can achieve annual income of 10 million yen at the age of 30 (probably with a head office in KyushuMost companies with the highest annual income will be infrastructure company

## en-Japan
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Shinjuku, Yamanashi, Japan
- Relevant deals: 2
- Stages: Series A, Corporate Round
- Focus: Task Management, Recruiting, Marketing

En-Japan provides solutions for the improvement of employees and organizations. The company works within the recruitment field and manages six recruiting websites and a briefing site for management and HR professionals.
En-Japan was founded in January 2000 and is based in Shinjuku, Yamanashi, Japan.

## Mamoru Taniya
- Type: Angel
- Location: Hong Kong, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong
- Relevant deals: 2
- Stages: Seed, Series A
- Focus: Apps, Content, FinTech

After graduating from the Faculty of Law at the University of Tokyo, he joined Solomon Brothers, where he became the youngest managing director in Asia, where he was in charge of Asian investment. After that, he created one of the largest independent Asuka assets. He also launched Japan's first independent online life insurance company,LifeNet Life Insurance, and inspired Japan's first International.

## QB Capital
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Fukuoka, Fukuoka, Japan
- Relevant deals: 2
- Stages: Seed, Series A
- Focus: Manufacturing, Medical, Biotechnology

QB Capital is make equity investments in venture companies.

## Oita Venture Capital
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Oita, Oita, Japan
- Relevant deals: 2
- Stages: Series A, Seed
- Focus: Manufacturing, Task Management, Biotechnology

Oita Venture Capital Co. Ltd. is the investment arm of Oita Bank Ltd. It is a venture capital and private equity firm which specializes in growth capital, buyouts, and turnaround investments. It primarily invests in companies in the Oita region. Oita Venture Capital Co. Ltd. was founded in 1999 and is based in Oita, Japan.

## AgFunder
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: San Francisco, California, United States
- Relevant deals: 2
- Stages: Seed, Series A, Series B
- Focus: Agriculture, AgTech, Biotechnology

AgFunder invests in impactful companies that can positively transform the world's food system. Founded in 2013, AgFunder manages a portfolio of over 50 companies across four funds from offices in Silicon Valley and Singapore. Through its media platform AFN, it has built a global ecosystem of over 90,000 subscribers.

## Monex Ventures
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Minato, Chiba, Japan
- Relevant deals: 2
- 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.

## Narita Shuzo
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 2
- Stages: Seed, Angel, Pre-Seed
- Focus: Task Management, Media and Entertainment, Content

Narita Shuzo is a Executive Vice President/COO, CrowdWorks Inc.

## 500 Startups Japan
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: San Francisco, California, United States
- Relevant deals: 2
- Stages: Seed, Series A
- Focus: Internet, Software, Internet of Things

500 Startups is the most active seed VC in the world. 500 Startups Japan is a $35M regional fund focusing on Japan.

## Colopl Next
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Series A
- Focus: Software, Virtual Reality, E-Commerce

Colopl Next is the corporate venture capital of is Colopl, Inc, which is a leading Japanese gaming company. Colopl, Inc. is founded with the mission of “Entertainment in Real Life”, and constantly put its customer as first priority.Colopl Next is headquartered in Japan, but invests globally in a variety of internet businesses, with the commitmentto support innovative entrepreneurs.

## Toru Shimada
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Angel
- Focus: Task Management, Manufacturing, Content

Toru Shimada is a Senior Executive Officer and Director of Rakuten. Mr. Shimada is a Director of Rakuten Baseball, Inc., and Head of Asia Regional Headquarters Office of the Company.Mr. Shimada joined Rakuten in 2004. Prior to joining Rakuten, Mr. Shimada was founder and Director of INTELLIGENCE, LTD from 1989 to 2004. Prior to INTELLIGENCE, LTD.Mr. Shimada worked at RECRUIT CO., LTD. from 1987 to 1989.

## DCM Ventures
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Menlo Park, California, United States
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Series B, Series A, Series C
- Focus: Software, Internet, E-Commerce

DCM Ventures assists entrepreneurs in building companies that will change how institutions and people use and live with technology.DCM Ventures focuses on the size of its team, the money they raise, and the investments they make all so that it can focus on the business of helping portfolio companies succeed. Collectively, the DCM investingpartners have over a century of investing and operational experience and each DCM partner has experience building hyper-growth startups into billion-dollar businesses.DCM Ventures manages ten funds totaling $4.0 billion and has made investments in more than 400 technology companies across the United States and Asia. With offices in Silicon Valley, Beijing, and Tokyo, DCM provides hands-on operational guidance and a vast network of global business and financial resources to its portfolio companies.

## KDDI
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Series A, Series B
- Focus: Software, Mobile, Internet

KDDI Corporation is a Japanese telecommunications operator. It was created in 2000 through a merger of DDI, KDD and IDO and now employs over 15,000 people.The company provides a broad range of services, including fixed-line phone communication, mobile phone and web services, and Internet services. It also has a ownership stake in two Japanesecable television companies, Jupiter Telecommunications (J:COM) and Japan Cablenet (JCN). KDDI's mobile phone and web arm is branded as "au". The company is the current No. 2 in Japan's mobile communications market, trailing NTT DoCoMo and ahead of SoftBank.

## Hideto Fujino
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Series A
- Focus: Reservations, Travel, Real Estate

Hideto Fujino - President, Cheif Investment Officer @ Rheos

## Svenson Japan
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Minato, Chiba, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Pre-Seed
- Focus: Sports, Education, Information Technology

Svenson is a hair care manufacturer that has been in business for 35 years.

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