# Top 40 Life Science Startup Investors in Japan in May 2026 ## Osaka University Venture Capital - Type: VC Fund - Location: Osaka, Osaka, Japan - Relevant deals: 4 - Stages: Seed, Series A - Focus: Health Care, Biotechnology, Manufacturing Osaka University Venture Capital is a venture capital firm that focuses on early-stage ventures in the fields of life innovation, green innovation, and platform technology. The firm was founded in 2014 and based in Osaka, Japan. ## SMBC Venture Capital - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 3 - 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. ## Mitsubishi UFJ Capital - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 3 - 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. ## Nippon Venture Capital - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 3 - 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. ## 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. ## Real Tech Japan - Type: VC Fund - Location: Sumida, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 2 - 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. ## Incubate Fund - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 2 - 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. ## Nissay Capital - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 2 - 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. ## Senshu Ikeda Capital - Type: VC Fund - Location: Osaka, Osaka, Japan - Relevant deals: 2 - Stages: Seed, Series A - Focus: Software, Internet, Information Technology Senshu Ikeda Capital offers financial consultancy services. ## SBI Investment - Type: VC Fund - Location: Minato, Chiba, Japan - Relevant deals: 2 - 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. ## Fast Track Initiative, Inc. - Type: VC Fund - Location: Hongo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Series B, Series A - Focus: Health Care, Biotechnology, Medical Fast Track Initiative is a venture capital firm with an exclusive focus on life sciences and healthcare services. ## ITOCHU Technology Ventures - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - 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. ## Hiroaki Kitano - Type: Angel - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Angel, Debt Financing - Focus: Health Care, Information Technology, Fitness Hiroaki Kitano is the SVP at Softbank Mobile. He attended Waseda University. ## MedVenture Partners - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Series A, Series B - Focus: Medical Device, Medical, Health Care MedVenture Partners invests in seed to early stage projects and start-ups in the life science field focusing mainly on medical devices. ## 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. ## Kyogin Lease & Capital - Type: VC Fund - Location: Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Series A, Series B - Focus: Manufacturing, Task Management, Medical Kyogin Lease & Capital is an investment firm that specializes in the leasing, stock and bond investment and public offering consulting. ## PALTEK - Type: VC Fund - Location: Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 PALTEK offers semiconductor products to electronics manufacturers and design consignment services. ## Tokyo Gas - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Series A, Series B - Focus: Audio, Energy, Mobile Tokyo Gas provides energy solutions and engages in the production and supply of city gas. Tokyo Gas is a provider of city gas, serving more than 11 million customers for over 130 years, primarily in the Tokyo metropolitan area and surrounding Kanto region. The company was established in 1885 and based in Tokyo, Japan. ## SPARX Group - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - 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. ## Fuyo General Lease - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Series A, Seed - Focus: Biotechnology, Manufacturing, Sales Fuyo General Lease focuses in the leasing and installment sales trading of equipment and fixtures, and financial transaction. The company provides leasing services of information-related equipment, office equipment, and industrial equipment, installment sales of commercial facilities, production facilities, and hospital facilities. It also providessecurities management services and anonymous association composition.Fuyo General Lease was founded on 1969 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. ## Mitsui Mining & Smelting - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Series A - Focus: Life Science, Renewable Energy Mitsui Mining & Smelting Company, Ltd. mainly produces non-ferrous metal such as lead and copper alloys. ## Hidetoshi Takano - Type: Angel - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - 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. ## Essential Pharma - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Series A - Focus: Medical, Software, Life Science Essential Pharma provided on this site is created for the purpose of providing information on our ethical drugs to medical professionals ## Capital Medica Ventures - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Series A - Focus: Medical, Software, Health Care Capital Medica Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Tokyo, Japan with a focus on startups in the healthcare industry.Capital Medica Ventures is a venture capital that operates a venture fund specializing in the healthcare field. It is the only healthcare-specialized VC in Japan that can provide 30 medical institutions as a business trialfield. ## Innovation Engine - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Series A, Series C - Focus: Robotics, Information Technology, Medical Innovation Engine has been is promoting investment to create and grow promising business areas created from technology. Established in 2001 and it is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. ## Fujifilm - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Series A, Series B - Focus: Biotechnology, Medical Device, Medical Fujifilm develops and sells consumer products and business products related to photography. Fujifilm Holdings Corporation is a Japanese multinational photography and imaging company. The company serves various industries, including medical, graphic arts, optics, enterprise storage, motion picture, and photography.The company’s consumer productsare categorized as digital cameras and accessories, film photography, Instax photography, and binoculars. Its business products are categorized as medical systems, Fujinon endoscopy, microfilm, data storage, graphic arts and printing, professional video, optical devices, specialty chemicals, printing imaging colorants, and more. Color films, digital cameras, photofinishing equipment, color papers, photofinishing chemicals, medical imaging equipment, graphic arts equipment and materials, flat panel displays, and photocopiers and printers are some products developed by Fujifilm USA.Fujifilm USA is based in Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan. ## Energy & Environment Investment - Type: VC Fund - Location: Higashi-shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - 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. ## FueTrek - Type: VC Fund - Location: Osaka-shi, Osaka, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 FueTrek provides a better and faster way to communicate through with speech recognition, speech dialogue, and speech translation. ## Chuo Shinkin Venture Capital - Type: VC Fund - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Series A, Seed - Focus: Health Care, Sales, Food Processing Chuo Shinkin Venture Capital is a venture fund of Kyoto Chuo Shinkin Bank ## Mobile Internet Capital - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - 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. ## Sosei CVC - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Series A, Series B - Focus: Biotechnology, Medical, Pharmaceutical Sosei CVC is support the creation and growth of life science companies. ## Ohara Pharmaceutical - Type: VC Fund - Location: Koka, Shiga, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Series A, Series B - Focus: Medical, Biotechnology, Nursing and Residential Care Ohara Pharmaceuticals is a pharmaceutical business involved in the development, manufacture, and distribution of pharmaceutical products. ## CareNet - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Series A, Series B, Series C - Focus: Life Science, Biotechnology, Health Care CareNet is a marketing company providing various solutions to pharma companies through the management of media specialized in medical/pharmaceutical education for HCPs. For more than 20 years and since its foundation in 1996, CareNet has continually provided places for exchanging therapeutic information, as well as valuable solutions to HCPsand pharmaceutical companies from the position of the No. 1 media in clinical medical education. ## Sompo Holdings - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Series B, Series A - Focus: Health Care, Software, Information Technology Sompo Holdings provides property and casualty insurance, life insurance, and other financial services. In addition to the core businesses of domestic non-life insurance business, overseas insurance business, domestic life insurance business, and long-term care/senior business, they will develop new business strategies in the fields of digitaland healthcare.It was established in 2010 and is based in Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan. ## 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. ## Japan Finance - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - 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. ## Hirofumi Miki - Type: Angel - Location: Shibuya, Kanagawa, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Angel, Pre-Seed - Focus: Content, Marketing, Internet After JTB Co., Ltd. and CYBIRD Co., Ltd. as an initial member of Glee Co., Ltd. is responsible for business development. Currently, he is mainly engaged in venture support in the Internet area, investing in venture and venture capital, and served as management advisor for dozens of companies. Hands-on business development, growth strategydevelopment, financing advice, HR organization design support, partner referral and Recruit Support. He is also engaged in business support for ventures in the healthcare and university venture fields. He served as Digital Health Meetup Advisor, NEDOTCP Mentor and Future 2016 Mentor. ## Media Future - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Series A - Focus: Medical, Software, Life Science Media Future is a group of communication technology professionals that works on connecting feelings and thoughts. The Tokyo, Tokyo-based company was established in 2013. ## Lifetime Ventures - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Pre-Seed - Focus: Software, Health Care, Marketing Lifetime Ventures is a VC firm that specializes in pre-seed and seed investments. ## Kaga Electronics - Type: VC Fund - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Series A, Seed - Focus: Education, Internet, Artificial Intelligence Kaga Electronics is a Japan based company engages in the sales of electronic components, electronic devices and other. It operates through following segments: Electronic Components, Information Equipment, Software and Other. The firm generates majority revenue from the Electronic Components. # 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