When the new upscale Azabudai Hills opened last month in central Tokyo, the spotlight focused more on how the complex boasts Japan’s tallest skyscraper, diverse greenery and fancy commercial shops. But it also houses something that could be a game-changer for Japanese startups: the Tokyo Venture Capital Hub.
As Japan has been looking to bolster its startup ecosystem under Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, attention has typically centered around increasing the number of entrepreneurs and new businesses. What’s equally critical, though, is the venture capital firms who fund the startups to keep nascent firms going.
That’s just what Mori Building had in mind by creating what it says is Japan’s first large-scale hub for venture capital firms — in hopes that it will ratchet up investment for startups and strengthen cooperation among investors.