Tokyo looks to challenge Japan's conformism by becoming innovation hub
Tokyo is vying to become an innovation hub for entrepreneurs and investors, challenging Japan's reputation as an environment that fails to nurture entrepreneurship, and a new nonprofit organization is hoping to play a leading role. The recently launched Venture Cafe Tokyo aims to help innovators ...
The venture capital community has been fretting about the impact SoftBank Group Corp.'s giant tech fund has on deal prices. The Japanese company says to be grateful. "It's good for investors if valuations go up as they can exit at those prices," said Rajeev Misra, ...
Hon Hai, Taizo Son invest in ¥3.1 billion Hardware Club venture fund
Taiwan's Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. and Taizo Son's Mistletoe Inc. are among the investors in a €25 million (about ¥3.1 billion) venture fund that will back startups developing new hardware products. Hardware Club Fund I has closed its first round of financing, and additional ...
Cool Japan bets $10 million on U.S. fund to attract more foreign venture capital
Japan, eclipsed by China in startup activity, is boosting efforts to get foreign venture capital firms more involved with its entrepreneurs. The government-backed Cool Japan Fund said Thursday it will contribute $10 million to become the largest limited partner in the Japan-focused fund of 500 ...
U.S. venture firm aims to break corporate hold on Japanese startups
When he worked in Silicon Valley, venture investor James Riney was used to aggressive entrepreneurs who pitched him for financing any time they got a two-minute opening. Now that he's in Tokyo, the culture is so different he's changed his ways. Startup founders are ...
Nomura-Keio fund boosts investment target for domestic startups
Keio University and Nomura Holdings Inc. increased the fundraising goal for their venture-capital partnership by 50 percent to ¥15 billion after demand from Japanese financial firms during the first phase of financing exceeded expectations. Keio Innovation Initiative Inc., founded by Japan's oldest university and biggest ...
Japan pushes new policies to reboot startup sector
When asked to name globally recognized Japanese firms founded within the last decade, many people would be hard-pressed to list any. Toyota Motor Corp., Sony Corp. and Nintendo Co. are all more than half a century old, with a lack of new firms reflecting the ...
Startups untapped resource for Japan Inc., says venture capitalist
Venture capitalist Anis Uzzaman has a special affinity for Japan, where he spent five years studying at a university on government scholarships. It's for that reason he is frustrated to see many Japanese firms struggling in global competition. "When I became a VC, I really ...
Incubators set the stage for big things
With a bit of seed money and the right guidance, bright ideas find a future via Japan's incubators.
