# Top 20 Platforms Startup Investors in Japan in October 2023

## 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.

## 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.

## Hirofumi Miki
- Type: Angel
- Location: Shibuya, Kanagawa, Japan
- Relevant deals: 2
- 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.

## 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.

## Taisei
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Corporate Round
- Focus: Robotics, Drones, Android

Comprehensive building maintenance company headquartered in Nagoya city, with offices in Tokyo, Fukuoka, Sendai, Hamamatsu and Osaka. They are developing comfort proposal type business activities in various scenes including cleaning, security, facility management and renewal of office buildings, maintenance and parking of hotels, management ofunderground malls, preservation of park plants.

## SBI Investment
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Minato, Chiba, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- 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.

## 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.

## Shinsei Capital Partners
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Series B, Seed
- Focus: Health Care, Pharmaceutical, Android

Shinsei Capital Partners invested startup companies engaged in life science such as biotech or digital health technology.

## Kotaro Chiba
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Series A
- Focus: Internet, Drones, Software

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

## Archetype Ventures
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Series A
- Focus: Software, Information Technology, Machine Learning

Archetype Ventures is a venture capital firm specializing in B2B Tech seed and early stage venture investments.

## 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 

## TBS Innovation Partners
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Series B, Series A
- Focus: Internet, Content, Advertising

TBS Innovation Partners is a venture capital firm that invests in the media, content, entertainment, and IT sectors. It finances companies engaged in tech companies in sectors like Digital Media, E-commerce, AdTech, and Big Data Analytics. Top investments include iRidge, Fringe 81, Open Eight, Data Section, Piece of Cake. The company has 20 millionyen of assets under management.

## Yakumi
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Series A
- Focus: Food and Beverage, Biotechnology, iOS

A platform connecting global angel investors with startups based in, or relating to, Japan

## istyle
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Series B
- Focus: Media and Entertainment, Information Technology, Video

istyle, Inc. engages in the management of beauty-related online platforms as well as the provision of advertising, marketing, and research services. It operates through the following segments: On Platform, Beauty Service, Global, and Others. The On Platform segment deals with domestic and overseas marketing, as well as premium membershipservices. The Beauty Service segment manages domestic cosmetics electronic commerce sites in addition to its specialty shop @cosme store. The Global segment includes services developed overseas. The Others segment covers beauty staff dispatching and investment training services. It has overseas subsidiaries including in Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and The United States.

## Venture United
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Series A
- Focus: Internet, Software, Information Technology

Venture United is a provider of venture capital for entrepreneurs, especially for internet-related businesses.

## Monozukuri Ventures
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Series A
- Focus: Software, Hardware, Internet of Things

Startup First. A global VC focused on IoT small lot manufacturing and startup investment. Support to hardware growth from business model to supply chain

## 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.

## 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.

## SoftBank Corp.
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Minato, Chiba, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Series A, Series B, Secondary Market
- Focus: Software, iOS, Mobile

SoftBank is a provider of mobile and fixed-line communication and internet connection services.

## Excite Japan
- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Minato, Chiba, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1

Excite Japan is a Japan-based company focused on the development of internet businesses in Japan. Starting with operations of a portal site, its business model has grown through being focused on services targeted at women.Excite Japan’s revenue is derived from placed-advertising by companies as a media content portal, internet-connection servicefees, and the provision of paid content to users. It was launched in 1997 and is headquartered in Minato, Tokyo.

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