Participated · Series A · Jul 2024

Sally builds and operates Uzu, a platform-focused murder‑mystery (マーダーミステリー/"madamis") app and ecosystem including the Uzu app, Uzu Studio editor, and Madamis.jp booking/review service. The company also offers event planning and production services for corporates and municipalities. Uzu has surpassed 1 million cumulative plays and averages 6.8 hours of voice call time per user per week. Creators can produce and publish content via the dedicated Uzu Studio editor, and the firm is developing both online and offline offerings. Strategic priorities include strengthening the Uzu platform, expanding creator support, investing in high‑quality content, improving product features, accelerating overseas expansion (notably China and Korea), expanding offline presence and specialty stores, and developing IP from original mysteries. Sally is headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo.

Participated · Series A · Dec 2021

PETOKOTO operates a pet‑life concierge platform that includes a shelter dog and cat matching site (OMUSUBI by PETOKOTO), a pet‑life media service, and a direct‑to‑consumer fresh pet‑food brand (PETOKOTO FOODS). PETOKOTO FOODS uses mainly domestic, human‑grade ingredients and a steam‑heating plus rapid‑freezing process to preserve flavor and nutrients; recipes are supervised by a veterinary nutritionist who was a founding member of WSAVA. The company reports a subscription renewal rate of 93%, a cumulative membership base exceeding 100,000, and retail distribution in about 240 stores nationwide following a retail rollout that began in October 2022. A portion of sales is donated to shelter organizations registered on OMUSUBI to support a circular life platform. PETOKOTO says it will continue investing in product development, expand frozen and fresh SKUs, improve online UX, and strengthen both online and offline distribution and partnerships with shelter groups to grow engagement and monetization. PETOKOTO is a pet wellness company whose mission is “to make pets loved as family,” operating three core businesses: OMUSUBI (a screened matching site for rescue dogs and cats), PETOKOTO MEDIA (an information media), and PETOKOTO FOODS (fresh pet food). The company says it reaches more than 1 million users monthly, has over 200,000 social followers, and a nationwide network of 280 rescue organizations. PETOKOTO was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in Shinjuku, Tokyo, with 24 employees. Using digital services, the company aims to solve social issues in pet ownership and improve pets’ quality of life across their lifespan. Management plans to deepen business collaboration with new strategic investors and pursue additional fundraising in a planned 2nd close. PETOKOTO provides a pet-wellness platform composed of a pet-life media (PETOKOTO), a rescue dog/cat matching service (OMUSUBI), and a D2C fresh pet-food line (PETOKOTO FOODS). The company positions itself as a pet-life concierge platform that personalizes products and services using D2C behavioral data and aims to strengthen online and offline touchpoints. PETOKOTO FOODS has shown rapid growth, with year-over-year sales up 700%, cumulative sales exceeding 5 million meals, and more than 10,000 members. The firm emphasizes improving pet QOL and tackling issues such as euthanasia through its services and OMUSUBI matching. PETOKOTO plans to use new funding to invest in product development, marketing, and hiring to expand its customer and user base. The company was founded in 2015 and is based in Shinjuku, Tokyo, with 18 employees reported.

Led · Equity · Mar 2016

Videogram (renamed from Cinemacraft) offers video engagement and display tools for publishers and creators, including dynamic embeds, auto-generated GIFs, a whitelabel customizable player, auto-embeds and channel embeds for YouTube. The company also relaunched an iOS app with frame-based editing and GIF creation tools and operates a content platform featuring hundreds of channels including Tyra Banks and others. As part of the recent funding, Asahi Broadcasting’s VC arm will deploy Videogram’s technology across its consumer-facing media properties in Japan. Videogram plans to use the new capital to pursue multi-channel network partners in Asia (principally Japan, India and Vietnam) and the U.S. ahead of a planned Series B later this year. The company last raised a $3.9M Series A in February 2015 and is described in the article as a three-year-old startup. Product features and partner deals (e.g., Bitstar) underpin its go-to-market rather than disclosed revenue or user metrics.