SBI Holdings Makes Strategic Investment in New Fund Established by AI2 Incubator
SBI Holdings, through its U.S. subsidiary SBI Holdings USA, has made an investment in the AI2 Incubator Fund III newly established by AI2 Incubator Partners, an AI incubator. This investment aims to capture global investment opportunities in the AI field and strengthen collaboration with startups possessing cutting-edge technology.
AI2 Incubator Partners is a prominent U.S. AI incubator that spun out from The Allen Institute for AI, which was established by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. It specializes in transforming groundbreaking AI research into commercial venture companies. Since its establishment, it boasts an outstanding track record with 90% of incubated startups successfully raising funds, and 24% being acquired by major technology companies such as Apple, DocuSign, and Thomson Reuters.
By participating in the Fund as the sole strategic partner from Japan, SBI Holdings will secure co-investment opportunities in highly promising AI startups at extremely early stages, carefully selected by AI2 Incubator Partners, which ranks among the top performers nationwide. Additionally, through access to "AI House," the company's facility, SBI Holdings will build networks with local entrepreneurs and venture capitalists and promptly obtain the latest technology trends and information. Through these collaborations, SBI Holdings aims to enhance the value of the group's investment portfolio, serve as a bridge for the AI ecosystem between Japan and the U.S., and accelerate technological innovation and business growth on both sides.
Regarding this investment, Yoshitaka Kitao, Representative Director, Chairman and President of the Company, stated: "We are pleased to participate as a strategic partner in the new fund of AI2 Incubator Partners, which has a track record of commercializing research results in the AI field. Their efforts to connect AI research with commercialization align with our investment policy of supporting companies that create foundational technologies for the future. We are confident that this initiative will be an important step in accelerating our group's AI strategy and contributing to strengthening the AI ecosystem between Japan and the U.S."
Taking this investment as an opportunity, SBI Holdings will deepen its collaboration with AI2 Incubator Partners and utilize reports on the latest AI trends and technical insights obtained from them for SBI Holdings' business strategy and growth support for domestic portfolio companies. Going forward, SBI Holdings will continue to actively invest in promising technology companies both domestically and internationally, contributing to the development of Japan's AI industry and the creation of new business opportunities.
Fund Overview
- Fund Name: AI2 Incubator Fund III
- Establishment Date: August 1, 2025
- Fund Size: USD 80 million
- Operating Period: 10 years
- Investment Targets: AI technology-based startups (natural language processing, synthetic voice, AI agents, etc.)
- Management Company: AI2 Incubator
Norbert Gehrke
