# Top 50 Impact Startup Investors in Japan in October 2023 ## Incubate Fund - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 4 - 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. ## 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. ## Energy & Environment Investment - Type: VC Fund - Location: Higashi-shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 4 - Stages: Series A, Series B - Focus: Internet of Things, Software, Energy Energy & Environment Investment, Inc. (EEI) is Japan’s first venture capital specialized in the clean technology sector. With core members who have rich hands on experience in founding and managing venture companies, we aim to provide risk money and various strategic values to promising venture companies and businesses. ## Global Brain Corporation - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 3 - Stages: Series B, Series A - Focus: Information Technology, Software, Artificial Intelligence Global Brain Corporation is a venture capital firm that invests in companies from seed or early to pre-IPO startups. Global Brain has invested in 300+ startups from seed/early to pre-IPO startups and achieved 25 IPOs and 61 M&As as a result of providing hands-on support services and resources to its portfolio startups. Global Brain hasmanaged a pure investment fund as well as multiple corporate venture capital funds partnered together with tier 1 public companies of telecom, real estate development, financial service, beverages, agriculture food, logistics, and electronic devices. ## ANOBAKA - Type: VC Fund - Location: Shibuya, Kanagawa, Japan - Relevant deals: 3 - 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. ## Spiral Capital - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 3 - Stages: Series A, Series B - Focus: Information Technology, Internet, Software Spiral Capital is a venture capital fund. ## Lifetime Ventures - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 3 - Stages: Seed, Pre-Seed - Focus: Software, Health Care, Marketing Lifetime Ventures is a VC firm that specializes in pre-seed and seed investments. ## SBI Investment - Type: VC Fund - Location: Minato, Chiba, Japan - Relevant deals: 3 - Stages: Series B, Series A - Focus: Financial Services, Information Technology, Software SBI Investment supports the business development and growth of private venture companies through fund investment. ## MTG Ventures - Type: VC Fund - Location: Nagoya, Aichi, Japan - Relevant deals: 2 - Stages: Seed, Series A - Focus: Marketing, Media and Entertainment, Food and Beverage MTG Ventures is the corporate venture capital arm of MTG that invests in beauty and wellness tech, food tech, and sports tech sectors. ## Toppan Printing - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 2 - Stages: Corporate Round, Series B - Focus: Financial Services, Information Technology, Software Toppan Printing Co., Ltd. provides commercial printing and related services worldwide. It operates in three segments: Information & Networks, Living Environment, and Electronics. The Information & Networks segment provides commercial printing services for posters, catalogs, pamphlets, flyers, calendars, pop materials, and gifts, as well asoffers design and event services, sales promotion planning, multimedia related activities, and database and network system design and operation services; and publications printing services magazines and books, as well as CDROMs, DVDs, and other electronic publications. It also offers securities, such as stocks, bonds, gift certificates, and product coupons; cards comprising magnetic cards and prepaid cards; and develops and designs IC card systems, IC tag systems, and security management systems. This segment supplies various business form services, including direct mail, integrated slips, data print services, cards, envelopes, catalogs, and sales and maintenance of equipment. The Living Environment segment offers a range of packaging services, such as packaging planning, development, and production; development and production of packaging materials; design and production of packaging related system equipment; filling services; and packaging consulting. It also provides decorative paper/film, wallpaper, flooring materials, interior materials, and exterior materials. The Electronics segment offers display products that include color filters for LCDs, shadowmasks, screens for micro-display rear projection TVs, and functional films; and semiconductor products comprising photomasks, leadframes, printed wiring boards, substrates for semiconductor packages, design of printed wiring boards, LSI circuits, printed wiring, and performance assessment software. The company has a strategic alliance with AU Optronics Corp. Toppan Printing was founded in 1900 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. ## 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. ## Future Venture Capital - Type: VC Fund - Location: Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan - Relevant deals: 2 - 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. ## ANRI - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 2 - 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. ## PE&HR - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 2 - 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. ## OPT Ventures - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 2 - Stages: Series A, Seed - Focus: Software, Content, Task Management OPT Ventures is an investment and incubation firm that offers startups with venture capital, investments, IPO advice, management information services, and more. The company was established on February 27, 2015, and operates as an investment subsidiary of Opt Holding Corporation, an e-marketing company based in Tokyo, Japan. ## Naruhisa Nakagawa - Type: Angel - Relevant deals: 2 - Stages: Seed, Series A - Focus: Manufacturing, Beauty, Environmental Consulting Naruhisa Nakagawa is a Founder & Chief Investment Officer at Caygan Capital. ## DBJ Capital - Type: VC Fund - Location: Otemachi, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 2 - Stages: Series A, Seed - Focus: Software, Internet, Biotechnology DBJ Capital Co., Ltd. was founded in June 2010 through the integration of two venture capital firms of the DBJ Group, New Business Investment Co., Ltd. and Intellectual Properties Development & Investment, Inc. We are a wholly-owned subsidiary of Development Bank of Japan Inc.At DBJ Capital, we focus on venture firms which use newtechnologies and business models to grow and compete on the global market, regardless of their industry or scale. To meet the particular needs of each client, we mobilize the entire DBJ Group to arrange the best investment solutions, ranging from growth-spurring equity investment to financing schemes drawing on DBJ's vast networks.We also assist in venture start-ups. Our value enhancement team provides the kind of comprehensive, hands-on support needed to commercialize outstanding intellectual property and technologies developed by firms, research labs, and universities, and to carve out a place for them in the market.DBJ Capital will continue to play in a part in Japan's economic revival - by helping the firms we invest in to grow, and by encouraging the creation of new industries in Japan. ## Daisaku Harada - Type: Angel - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 2 - Stages: Seed, Pre-Seed - Focus: Finance, Tourism, Automotive Daisaku Harada is the Director of Management Strategy at Mercari. Daisaku attended Chuo University. ## MIRAISE - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 2 - Stages: Seed, Pre-Seed, Series A - Focus: Apps, Health Care, Software We are engineers investing in engineers. With experienced mentors, MIRAISE supports you hands-if basis, for business model, financial planning and presentation. All founders of our potfolio automatically join MIRAISE online community that gives you the peer-learning opportunities with other founders. Join us updating the normal! ## Mizuho Capital - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 2 - 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. ## iSGS Investment Works - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 2 - Stages: Seed, Series A - Focus: E-Commerce, Software, Information Technology iSGS Investment Works is Japan-based venture capital firm. ## Yosemite - Type: VC Fund - Relevant deals: 2 - Stages: Seed - Focus: Legal, Water, AgTech Yosemite is an investment management company. ## MITSUI SUMITOMO INSURANCE Venture Capital (MSIVC) - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 2 - 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. ## NOW Japan - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 2 - Stages: Seed, Series A - Focus: Content, Marketing, Information Technology Next One for the World. ## Quantum Leaps Ventures - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 2 - Stages: Seed Quantum Leaps Ventures establish and invest in internet and technology companies. ## 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. ## SMBC Venture Capital - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 2 - 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. ## East Ventures - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 2 - 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. ## Yuzuru Honda - Type: Angel - Relevant deals: 2 - Stages: Seed, Angel - Focus: SNS, Internet, Software Yuzuru Honda is a Founder & Global CEO of FreakOut. ## FreakOut Holdings - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 2 - Stages: Series B, Series C - Focus: SNS, Content, Finance We are spread out into global with our mission "Give people work that requires a person" through our freak'in technology. ## Shintaro Tabata - Type: Angel - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 2 - Stages: Seed, Angel, Series A - Focus: Sharing Economy, Audio, Content Shintaro Tabata - Senior Vice President and Head of Corporate Sales @ Line ## CCBT Private Equity - Type: VC Fund - Location: Beijing, Beijing, China - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Series A - Focus: Solar, Energy, Renewable Energy CCBT Private Equity is a corporate venture capital firm of CCB Trust. ## Naoki Aoyagi - Type: Angel - Location: San Francisco, California, United States - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Angel, Series A - Focus: Internet, Fashion, Software Naoki Aoyagi is a Senior Vice President at GREE, Inc. and Chief Executive Officer of GREE International, Inc. He joined GREE, Inc. in March 2006 from Deutsche Bank, where he had specialized in tech and media sector IPOs and M&A advisory work. At GREE, Aoyagi oversaw the Company's partnership with KDDI and its IPO before leading thedevelopment of GREE’s global operations, a role he continues today. Aoyagi earned a bachelor's degree in policy management from Keio University in 2002. ## Chushin Venture Capital - Type: VC Fund - Location: Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Series A, Series B - Focus: Retail, Travel, Home Decor Chushin Venture Capital is a venture capital fund established by Kyoto Chuo Shinkin Bank. ## TD Investment - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tarumi, Hyogo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Series A - Focus: Retail, Parking, Automotive TD Investment is a venture capital arm of TORIDOLL Holdings. ## Kemuri Ventures - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Series A - Focus: Food and Beverage, Food Processing, Restaurants Kemuri Ventures is a Japanese venture capital firm. ## Guangdong Technology Financial Group - Type: VC Fund - Location: Guangzhou, Guangdong, China - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Angel, Series A, Series B - Focus: Manufacturing, Information Technology, Software Guangdong Province, Guangdong Branch Financial Group Limited (Guangdong Branch of finance) is a wholly state-owned enterprises in Guangdong Provincial People's Government authorized to operate, formerly established in 2000 in Guangdong Province, Guangdong Technology Venture Capital Group Co., Ltd. September 2011, the provincial governmentauthorized the provincial Science and Technology Department of Guangdong Branch of financial perform the function. In June 2013, the provincial government decided to "Guangdong Province, the Guangdong Branch of Venture Capital Group Co., Ltd." was renamed "Guangdong Province, Guangdong Branch Financial Group Limited."Guangdong Branch of micro finance to address high-tech small and medium enterprise financing difficult for the mission to "create 100 billion Technology Financial Group" as the goal, to play an active policy of Technology Financial Group's strategic platform, fundamental role, build a "3 + 1 "business system (ie equity investment, science and technology financial services, science and technology parks and company financial industry platform listed), and strive to build in Guangdong Province to promote science and technology, finance, industry, the depth of integration of the main channel, the main platform and the main force, around the high-tech small and medium micro enterprises financing needs, to carry out systematic investment, Tam, loan, lease and other business, science and technology to create a versatile type of financial service network to form an overall competitive advantage. ## Zhuhai Huafa Group - Type: VC Fund - Location: Zhuhai, Guangdong, China - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Series A, Series B - Focus: Solar, Energy, Hardware Zhuhai Huafa Group has actively implemented national strategies, connecting the vision of Zhuhai city with its own corporate strategy. ## NTT Data - Type: VC Fund - Location: Koto, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Corporate Round, Series B - Focus: Information Technology, Software, Marketing NTT DATA provides broad range of IT services and solutions, including consulting, systems integration and IT outsourcing, for major financial, public administration and enterprise sectors. NTT DATA Group has established global support network that covers 53 countries worldwide. ## Septeni - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Series A - Focus: SNS, Content, Fashion Septeni is developing various one-stop services to solve customers' marketing issues focusing on the Internet advertising agency business that has a proven track record in Japan. ## Beenos Partners - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Series A, Series B - Focus: E-Commerce, Internet, Mobile Beenos is a platform for startups. Our in-house team of entrepreneurs-in-residence and specialists help you get your ideas off the ground. We’re (the) experts in engineering, design, data science, and business management. We know how to launch a company in this ever changing IT industry, and we’d like to help establish and expand your present andfuture business.The company was founded in 1999 as NetPrice.com, a provider of eCommerce services. NetPrice.com established Beenos as an incubation program before ## elDesign - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed - Focus: Energy, CleanTech, Wholesale elDesign is a consulting company that also operates a regional revitalization business. ## GMO Pepabo - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed - Focus: SNS, E-Commerce, Web Development GMO Pepabo, Inc. established in 2003 as a web hosting service company. Since its foundation the company has focused on consumer-targeted Internet services, and today it comprises four business segments: Hosting which operates consumer domain registration and web hosting services, Ecommerce Support which provides ecommerce platform solutions,Customer to customer (C2C) marketplace for handmade products, and Community that facilitates communication among Internet users through blogging and media portal services. ## Kewpie Corporation - Type: VC Fund - Location: Akasaka, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Series A, Series B - Focus: Retail, Fitness, Wellness Kewpie engaged in manufacturing, wholesaling, transportation, and warehousing of food products. The company's business center is in China but also expanded in Europe and the United States. Also, strengthen the domestic seasonings business and cut vegetables main future, they will focus on the egg market for business and rush to monetize ofoverseas business. Has been "馳名 trademark" for the first time by the Chinese government as a Japanese food manufacturer. ## Development Bank of Japan - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Series A, Series D - Focus: Manufacturing, Robotics, Health Care Development Bank of Japan is an integrated investment and loan service provider to domestic and international clients. It was founded in 1951 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. ## Kotaro Chiba - Type: Angel - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Series A - Focus: Internet, Content, Software Kotaro Chiba is the founder of ChibaDojo Fund. Kotaro Chiba attended Keio University. ## VOYAGE VENTURES - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - 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. ## 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. ## IDG Capital - Type: VC Fund - Location: Beijing, Beijing, China - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Series A, Series B, Series C - Focus: Software, Internet, E-Commerce IDG Capital is an investment firm that funds early- to growth-stage companies in the technology sector. Today they work with private equity and venture capital fund managers, investment advisors, and business entities from around the world. Their limited partners include many internationally reputable investors, including sovereign wealth funds,pension funds, institutional investors, major charities, university endowments, family offices, and business luminaries.IDG Capital brings a powerful combination of global perspective and local experience to investment management. As long-term value investors, they are highly skilled at mobilizing global resources to address local needs, especially for Inbound and outbound opportunities in China and the rest of Asia. Their highly skilled team has an in-depth understanding of the Chinese market and enjoys close relationships with many influential business leaders. ## Universal Materials Incubator - Type: VC Fund - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Series A - Focus: Manufacturing, Biotechnology, Medical Universal Materials Incubator Co., Ltd. is venture capital firm specializing in materials and chemical industry investments. The firm was established on October, 2015 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan # 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