“Japan is now alerted that the startup scene in Australia is booming,” said Jun Hosoya, general partner of InterValley Ventures Pty Ltd. “There are technology exclusives as good as the Valley, but at a much better value.”
Hosoya and his Australian general partners, David Bolliger and Richard Lawson, established the AI Human fund, an early stage venture capital fund investing in breakthrough technologies tied to artificial intelligence. The fund specializes in companies that generate, control and learn from unique data sources, especially in health care, agricultural technology, food technology infrastructure and educational technology.
“Japan and Australia are the most developed countries in the Asian region and our team is founded on Japan-Australia collaborations,” said Bolliger. “We have seen a real appetite from investors in both countries regarding our pipeline of disruptive innovation companies. Some of these companies are from Queensland, which already has strong ties to Japan.”
“Australia is rated highly in medical technology and agricultural technology and is also strong in infrastructure. We are looking across all sectors at any new, AI-enabled businesses that will transform traditional industries,” Lawson said.
With a combined initial anchor of approximately $20 million, the fund is aiming for a total size capped at around $150 million. The first close is expected in this year’s fourth quarter.
“Our investors value our rapid growth strategy,” said Bolliger. “We invest in excellent companies at low valuations, and will increase their value through our collaboration with Japanese and other regional partners.”
Hosoya concluded that, “Our fund is appreciated by our Japanese audience and proves that Australia is now an ideal destination for investing in early stage tech companies.”