corporate venture capital
Japanese technology conglomerate GMO Internet Group has established its eighth venture capital fund, aiming to raise up to 10 billion yen to invest in startups operating at the intersection of artificial intelligence and financial technology. The new vehicle, officially named GMO Fintech Fund 8, will be managed by the group’
corporate venture capital
Japan Airlines (JAL) is restructuring its approach to corporate venture capital, announcing the launch of Japan Airlines Ventures (JALV), a wholly-owned subsidiary based in the United States. The move signals a strategic pivot for the carrier, making it the first airline in Asia to transition from a joint-venture investment model
venture capital
HiJoJo Partners, an independent asset management firm specializing in democratizing access to global unicorn investments for Japanese investors, has completed its Series B1 funding round. The firm raised approximately 1 billion yen via a third-party allotment, bringing its cumulative equity financing since inception to roughly 2.8 billion yen. This
venture capital
NTT DOCOMO Ventures (NDV), the investment arm of Japan’s leading mobile operator, has made a strategic investment in Bastion Platforms, a New York-based provider of regulated stablecoin infrastructure. The deal signals the telecommunications giant's deepening interest in integrating digital asset technologies into enterprise finance and consumer payments.
artificial intelligence
SIGQ, a developer of autonomous AI solutions for IT operations, has raised a total of 123 million yen (approx. USD $820,000) in the first close of its Pre-Series A funding round. The financing will accelerate the Go-to-Market (GTM) strategy for its flagship product, "Incident Lake," specifically targeting
venture capital
Yuimedi, a health-tech startup specializing in the standardization and utilization of medical data, has raised 400 million yen (approx. $2.6 million) in a fresh funding round. The capital injection is aimed at accelerating the deployment of its AI-driven data infrastructure and expanding its footprint in both the Japanese and
SME finance
Zippi, the Brazilian FinTech specializing in working capital for micro-entrepreneurs, has successfully closed the third issuance of its Credit Rights Investment Fund (FIDC), raising BRL 220m (approximately USD 42.3m). The transaction marks a watershed moment for the São Paulo-based firm, not only as its largest single capital injection to
venture capital
Olyv, the tech-driven FinTech platform formerly known as SmartCoin, has successfully closed a USD 23 million Series B funding round. The investment was led by The Fundamentum Partnership, with significant participation from the Singapore-based SMBC Asia Rising Fund, the corporate venture capital arm of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation. The capital
venture capital
Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMBC Group) is deepening its engagement with the global venture capital ecosystem, launching a new video pitch platform designed to connect Japanese seed-stage startups with institutional capital. The initiative, launched in collaboration with Silicon Valley-based GoAhead Ventures, aims to democratize access to funding by removing traditional
venture capital
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) and its banking subsidiaries have commenced operations of Artemis Ventures, a new general partner entity designed to manage a targeted 50 billion yen ($330 million) equity fund focused on Japan’s mid-to-late-stage startups. The banking giant has appointed Archibald Ciganer—a veteran investor formerly with
corporate venture capital
SMBC Edge, a strategic subsidiary of the Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) Group, has executed approximately ¥3 billion in capital investments across five domestic startups. This marks the first major deployment of capital from the “SMBC Edge Fund I, L.P.,” which was established in October 2025 to accelerate the
corporate venture capital
Startale Group has announced the successful first close of its Series A funding round, securing approximately JPY 2bn in additional capital from the Sony Innovation Fund. This latest injection underscores a deepening strategic alliance between the web3 infrastructure firm and the Japanese conglomerate, aimed at establishing a robust global infrastructure