Globis leads $14m round for Japan app developer

Link and Motivation, a management consulting firm, also took part in the round.

Set up in Tokyo in 2010, Akatsuki has developed a series of mobile game titles including Denno Pandemic, a cyber-battle role-playing game (RPG), and Cinderella Eleven, a soccer-themed virtual dating game.

According to a release, the company intends to use the new capital to accelerate its business overseas. This includes establishing a Taiwan subsidiary - Akatsuki Taiwan - in June. The new subsidiary will start developing games targeting Chinese-speaking markets.

To coincide with the fundraise, Akatsuki has added Hisashi Katsuya, a former partner at IBM Venture Capital Group, and former Mixi CFO Fumiaki Koizumi to its management board. Koizumi is already involved with a number of Japanese start-ups, including Japanese mobile flea market Mercari and travel business Trippiece.

This is Globis' fourth investment in the mobile app space this year. In March it took part in a JPY1.45 billion round for Mercari and led a GBP3.4 million ($5.6 million) round for UK-based mobile learning app developer Quipper. In January, it led a $3.4 million round for Japanese mobile game developer One of Them.

 

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• Topics
• North Asia
• Technology
• Early-stage
• Venture
• Japan
• Globis Capital Partners
• TMT