# Top 30 Web3 Angel Investors in Japan in October 2023 ## Shintaro Yamada - Type: Angel - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 3 - 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. ## Oki Matsumoto - Type: Angel - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 2 - Stages: Angel, Seed, Series A - Focus: Information Technology, Cryptocurrency, FinTech Oki Matsumoto began his career at Salomon Brothers Asia Limited in April 1987. He then joined Goldman Sachs Japan Co., Ltd. in April 1990 and was appointed General Partner of The Goldman Sachs Group, L.P. in November 1994. As a General Partner, he was Co-Head of its Tokyo Branch’s FX & Fixed Income Business and was in charge of FX and fixedincome products and the related risk management. It was in April 1999 that Matsumoto jointly established (the former) Monex, Inc. with Sony Corporation. In August 2004, Matsumoto become the Representative Director and CEO of the Company (former name: Monex Beans Holdings, Inc.) upon its formation through management integration of Monex, Inc. and Nikko Beans Inc. He was named the Representative Director, Chairman and CEO of the Company in February 2011 and then assumed his current position in June 2013. ## Kotaro Chiba - Type: Angel - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 2 - Stages: Seed, Series A - Focus: Internet, Drones, Software Kotaro Chiba is the founder of ChibaDojo Fund. Kotaro Chiba attended Keio University. ## Sotaro Karasawa - Type: Angel - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 2 - Stages: Seed, Pre-Seed, Series B - Focus: Blockchain, Art, Travel Sotaro Karasawa - Chief Technology Officer @ STAR FESTIVAL ## Yuzuru Honda - Type: Angel - Relevant deals: 2 - Stages: Seed, Angel - Focus: SNS, Internet, Software Yuzuru Honda is a Founder & Global CEO of FreakOut. ## Komura Fujio - Type: Angel - Relevant deals: 2 - Stages: Seed, Angel - Focus: Content, Ethereum, Marketing Komura Fujio ## Taiga Matsuyama - Type: Angel - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Angel, Series A - Focus: Software, E-Commerce, Internet Taiga Matsuyama graduated form Waseda University, Matsuyama has been engaged in venture company support for more than ten years in Tokyo, after experience as a consultant at Accenture.Matsuyama became one of the board member of NetAge, Inc (IPO 2006), start-up incubator known by having invested in MIXI – Japanese top SNS and support severalstart-up companies.He also has contributed to the activity for create the start-up eco-system in Tokyo through the NPO Organization BVA (Bit Valley Association). Currently he has established Kronos Fund with angel investors, venture capital fund for investment in emerging early-stage companies.Kronos Fund has invested in more than 20 companies. ## Ryutaro Katayama - Type: Angel - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Series A - Focus: Art, Blockchain, Information Technology He holds a BA in Economics and a Master of Sociology from Keio University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. After regenerating many companies as president, he served as a representative of Giuliani Partners Japan and the president of Japan's oldest and largest art auction company Christie's Japan. He has also served as a number ofprominent corporate outside directors and director of art groups. Participated in the creation of Whiz Partners, a leading venture capital firm, and is still a managing partner of international venture capital. ## Yamazaki Reijiro - Type: Angel - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Angel - Focus: CRM, Finance, Security Yamazaki Reijiro - Chairman @ Anymarry ## Yuki Naito - Type: Angel - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Pre-Seed, Series B - Focus: Manufacturing, Internet, SNS Yuki Naito - CEO,President @ Drecom ## Uchino Hiroyuki - Type: Angel - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed - Focus: Blockchain, Information Technology Uchino Hiroyuki - Founder And Chairman @ WingArc1st ## Mai Fujimoto - Type: Angel - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Series A - Focus: Blockchain, Marketplace, Art Mai Fujimoto is known domestically and internationally as Miss Bitcoin. She has been promoting the spread of Bitcoin around the world since 2011. ## Kazuhiro Ishikura - Type: Angel - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Angel - Focus: Beauty, Content, Fashion Kazuhiro Ishikura served as the head of the Akatsuki Business Management Department in 2013 and as a corporate auditor of Akatsuki in 2014, contributing to the company's listing on the TSE Mothers and TSE 1st sections. Appointed 3minute CFO in 2015, engaged in business start-up and organizational design, and succeeded in large-scale M & Adeal with Glee. After leaving the company, he became a WARC director in November 2018. Certified public accountant. ## Mamoru Taniya - Type: Angel - Location: Hong Kong, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong - Relevant deals: 1 - 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. ## Kazuma Yamauchi - Type: Angel - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Angel - Focus: Content, Art, Social Media Kazuma Yamauchi ## James Gong - Type: Angel - Location: Shanghai, Shanghai, China - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed - Focus: FinTech, InsurTech, Blockchain Ming Gong the Co-Founder of ChainB, is widely recognized on the internet under the pseudonym ""rage prince Gong."" Ming graduated with a degree in math and specializes in IT and financial securities analysis. He has many years of experience in IT and finance, and focused mainly on industry study and investment analysis whileserving at the Delong Group. In 2012, he began devoting his time to the development of digital currency and the blockchain industry. Additionally, he translated a large amount of relative materials and wrote the blockchain white paper. His publications includes ""Blockchain Society,"" ""Blockchain - A New Economic Blueprint,"" and ""Digital Currency"" etc. Ming participated in the development and investment of many blockchain and digital asset programs, and created the new media company ChainB, which has become influential in the blockchain industry.Currently Ming serves as Vice President of the Beijing Blockchain Technology Application Association. He is also a member of the Internet Finance Association - Blockchain Group, as well as Senior Researcher at China Blockchain Study Alliance. He is a member of the IT professional committee at the Chinese Securities Investment Fund Association, and member at the Policy Committee of the Quantchain Foundation, with several other positions. ## Koki Yabu - Type: Angel - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Angel, Pre-Seed - Focus: Content, Finance, Data Mining Koki Yabu is Founder, President & CEO at Mobcast inc. ## Kazutaka Muraguchi - Type: Angel - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Angel - Focus: Blockchain, Financial Services Kazutaka Muraguchi ## Yuichi Kawasaki - Type: Angel - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Angel, Seed - Focus: CRM, Finance, Security Yuichi Kawasaki Prior joining SmartNews, I was COO at mixi, Founder & CEO at kamado, Executive Vice President at Hatena. I started my career at Cisco Systems G.K. ## Shigeru Urushibara - Type: Angel - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Series A, Seed, Angel - Focus: Task Management, Artificial Intelligence, Social Media Shigeru Urushibara - President & CEO @ UL Systems ## Hironao Kunimitsu - Type: Angel - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Angel - Focus: Content, Media and Entertainment, Virtual Reality Hironao Kunimitsu was born in Hyogo, Japan. After graduating from Okayama High School, he spent several years traveling around the world. He visited over 30 countries including the US, China, India, Canada, and others in Central and South America.In 1996 he entered Fudan University in China, and then later went on to study at Santa MonicaCollege in the US. In 2004 he entered Atmovie Inc. where he produced movies and televised dramas, and was appointed company director in the same year. In 2007 he founded gumi Inc., and it started listing on first section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange in December, 2014. ## Kazuma Ieiri - Type: Angel - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Angel - Focus: Content, Fashion, Recruiting Born in 1978 and raised in Fukuoka prefecture, Kazuma founded paperboy&co. inc. (currently GMO Pepabo) and went on to become the youngest CEO ever (at the time) to take a company public in Japan by taking paperboy&co. public on the JASDAQ Japanese stock exchange. After leaving paperboy&co, he continued his startup trail by foundingBASE, CAMPFIRE, and XIMERA. Kazuma also dabbled in the food services industry via the founding of On The Corner (a cafe) and is active in the startup investment scene. He also started the Liverty-house project which attempts to create shared housing for young people in need. ## Kenji Kasahara - Type: Angel - Location: Shibuya, Kanagawa, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Series B, Seed, Angel - Focus: Aerospace, Travel, Robotics Born in 1975, Kenji Kasahara grew up in Osaka Prefecture. He graduated from the Department of Economics at the University of Tokyo. Inspired by the case studies of IT business he studied in a university seminar on management strategy and by the rapid rise of Internet business in Silicon Valley in the USA, he started up “Find Job !”, an online jobinformation site, in 1997. In 1999 Kasahara established eMercury, Inc. (mixi, Inc.) and assumed the post of representative director. ## Kensuke Furukawa - Type: Angel - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Angel - Focus: Content, Media and Entertainment, Software Kensuke Furukawa was born in June 2, 1981. He graduated Waseda University majoring Political Science and Economics, and in 2000, he launched "Milkcafe", a student community, which has grown to a site with 10 million PV per month. In 2004, he became the CEO of Media Clip, which operates a rental bulletin board service "ShitarabaBBS". After that year, he had transfer "Shitaraba BBS" to Livedoor, and took charge of starting up the Consumer Generated Media sector. In 2006, he joined Recruit, and took charge of starting up a new business at Business development sector. In June of 2009, he left Recruit, and became the CEO of nanapi （formerly Rocket Start), which operates the How-to Site "nanapi". ## Batara Eto - Type: Angel - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Series A - Focus: E-Commerce, Financial Services, FinTech Batara Eto was the Co-founder and Managing Partner at East Ventures. Batara Eto attended Takushoku University. ## 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. ## Mizuki Inoue - Type: Angel - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Angel - Focus: CRM, Finance, Security Mizuki Inoue - Director @ Kudan ## Jay Zaveri - Type: Angel - Location: San Francisco Bay Area, California, United States - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Series A - Focus: Health Care, Biotechnology, Information Technology Jay Zaveri has been serving Social Capital as a partner since November 2015. He also founded CloudOn and Future Thought Productions. ## Bo Shen - Type: Angel - Location: Jingan, Shanghai, China - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed, Series A - Focus: Blockchain, Cryptocurrency, Financial Services Bo Shen - Founding/Managing Partner @ Fenbushi Capital ## Amin Azumude - Type: Angel - Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan - Relevant deals: 1 - Stages: Seed - Focus: Finance, Cryptocurrency, Asset Management Amin Azumude is the Representative Director and Founder of Cryptact. # 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