SMBC Venture Capital
Global Brain, Globis lead $93m round for Japan's Josys
Global Brain and Globis Capital Partners have led a USD 93m Series B round for Josys, a Japan-based IT services provider specializing in helping companies manage devices.
Japan VCs back $100m round for local impact investor Gojo
Japanese impact investor and microfinance institution Gojo & Company has secured a USD 100m Series E from a group of local VC investors including Global Brain and Globis Capital Partners.
Japan's Angel Bridge closes third fund on $72m
Japanese early-stage investor Angel Bridge has closed its third fund with JPY 10bn (USD 72m) in commitments from local investors.
Japan's Heartseed raises $14m Series D
Heartseed, a Tokyo-based biotech start-up specializing in treatments that use cardiac muscle cells to initiate the remuscularization of patients who have suffered heart failure, has raised JPY 2bn (USD 14.3m) in Series D funding.
Japan's SMBC, Incubate set up USD 200m Asia VC fund
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) has established a USD 200m growth and late-stage pan-Asian VC fund in partnership with Japan’s Incubate Fund, which will co-manage the vehicle.
Japan e-scooter maker raises $33.7m
Japanese e-scooter maker and urban shared micro-mobility developer Luup has raised a JPY 4.5bn round led by local VC firm Spiral Capital.
Japan construction software supplier gets $8.5m
Japan’s Ballas, a software provider focused on metals procurement for the construction industry, has raised an approximately JPY 1.2bn (USD 8.5m) round led by Global Brain.
Japan digital bank Nudge raises $16m Series A
Japanese digital bank Nudge has completed a USD 16m Series A round led by One Capital, a VC firm led by the former head of Salesforce Ventures Japan.
Deal focus: VCs back steppingstones to immortality
Japan’s Alt is quicky commercialising a suite of learning voice recognition products as part of a plan to capture individuals’ personalities and values in a process it calls digital cloning
Japan personal 'clone' AI start-up gets $26m
Japan’s Alt, an artificial intelligence (AI) developer that personalises deep learning systems to make what it calls digital clones of people, has raised a JPY 3.5b (USD 26m) round featuring Vertex Ventures.
Japan's Luca Science secures $30m Series B
Luca Science, a Japanese biotech start-up focused on dysfunctional and damaged tissues and organs, has raised a USD 30.3m Series B round led by life sciences specialists 4BIO Capital and DCI Partners.
VCs invest in Japan sports analytics start-up
Global Brain has joined a JPY 770m (USD 7m) pre-Series B round for Japan’s Run.Edge, a sports video search and analytics platform.
Japan's SmartNews secures $230m Series F
Japan-based news app SmartNews has achieved a valuation of $2 billion on closing a $230 million Series F round featuring US-based Princeville Capital and Woodline Partners as well as several local investors.
PE-backed WealthNavi soars on Tokyo debut
Japanese financial technology start-up WealthNavi gained 100% on its trading debut following a JPY17.9 billion ($172.9 million) IPO that facilitated partial exits for Gree Ventures, Infinity Venture Partners, and Global Brain.
SCB 10X, Sparx lead $80m round for Thai fintech player
Thailand-based financial technology provider Synqa, formerly known as Omise, has raised an $80 million Series C round led by local VC firm SCB 10X and Japan’s Sparx Group.
Japan biotech player raises $25m Series B
Japanese biotech developer Modulus Discovery has raised $25.5 million in Series B funding from a group of local VCs including SBI Investment.
Globis backs two Japan marketing services companies
Japan’s Globis Capital Partners has invested in two marketing services providers in separate transactions, including web conferencing player BellFace and data-focused Flywheel.
Japan's WealthNavi secures $37m funding round
A fund launched by Sony Financial Ventures and Global Brain is among the participants in a JPY4.1 billion ($37.5 million) funding round for Japanese financial technology start-up WealthNavi.
VC-backed Japanese e-commerce player files for IPO
Base, a Japanese e-commerce services platform that helps small-scale vendors establish online shops, has filed for an IPO in Tokyo. It will facilitate partial exits for multiple venture capital investors.
Japan's JPIC backs $33m round for Atonarp
Japan Post Investment Corporation (JPIC) has backed a $33 million Series C round for Atonarp, a Tokyo-based molecular diagnostics systems developer that uses artificial intelligence (AI).
Japan's VC-backed Chatwork files for IPO
Chatwork, a Japan-based business chat platform developer, has filed for an IPO in Tokyo that will provide an exit to several of its venture capital backers.
Goodwater, Mitsubishi lead Series B for Japan fintech player
US venture firm Goodwater Capital and Mitsubishi UFJ Capital have co-led a JPY1.5 billion ($14 million) Series B round for Japanese financial technology provider Kyash.
Panasonic, VCs back Series B for Japan robotics player
Panasonic Corporation has joined a group of Japanese venture capital firms in a JPY900 million ($8.3 million) Series B round for local industrial robotics systems developer Linkwiz.
SBI joins $35m Series B for Japan's Pixie Dust
SBI Investment, the VC arm of Japan’s SBI Holdings, has joined a JPY3.8 billion $35 million Series B round for Pixie Dust Technologies, a local company developing novel uses for ultrasonic waves.