Participated · Seed · Jul 2026

Spike Studio builds AI agents designed to function as digital workforce assistants that automate business operations and integrate into core operational workflows. The company provides AI agent development, generative AI consulting, and implementation services for organizations across industries including manufacturing, finance, retail, advertising, and fitness. It emphasizes multi-agent functionality and deeper integration capabilities with existing enterprise systems. Spike Studio was founded in 2023 and is headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo. Following its seed raise of ¥370M, the company plans to expand its engineering team to accelerate product development and deployments. The articles do not disclose revenue, user counts, or other operating metrics.

Participated · Series F · Jan 2026

Interstellar Technologies is a Japanese launch-vehicle company focused on building Zero, a two-stage, methane/liquid oxygen rocket designed to place up to 1,000 kg into low Earth orbit. The firm targets Zero’s maiden flight in 2027 and has already signed eight payload customers from Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and the United States for that launch. Prior to Zero, Interstellar flew the Momo suborbital rocket seven times between 2017 and 2021, achieving three successful flights. Beyond launch, the company is advancing a formation-flying satellite system meant to create a phased-array antenna for direct-to-device communications. Financially, Interstellar has now raised a total of ¥44.6 billion after closing a ¥20.1 billion Series F round in January. The new capital will fund continued Zero development, scale up manufacturing, and support the communications satellite initiative.

Participated · Series C · Jan 2026

Founded in April 2021, Tokyo-based Manpuku Holdings specializes in inheriting and scaling small and mid-sized food businesses facing succession issues, pledging not to resell the acquired companies but to grow them within its group. In roughly four and a half years the company has rolled up 14 firms (13 domestic, 1 U.S.) across the meat, fish, bento and restaurant value chain, organizing them into four regional "Area Republics" to share procurement, logistics and know-how. This model has lifted consolidated annual sales to about ¥11 billion (≈US$110 million) and expanded headcount to roughly 1,800 employees, while improving inherited companies’ operating cash flow and productivity. Future plans include deeper reinvestment in the 14 existing subsidiaries, accelerated domestic roll-ups (including “small roll-ups” led by portfolio firms), and overseas expansion through newly formed Manpuku USA. The firm will also bolster back-office, data, and HR systems to support long-term growth. Manpuku’s mission is to preserve Japan’s food culture and regional employment under the banner “『うまい』でこの星をしあわせ一杯に.”

Participated · Seed · Aug 2025

Qlay Technologies develops "Qlay," an AI-driven HR solution that automates resume parsing, runs AI interviewers and examiners, and provides real-time AI proctoring to detect dishonest use of AI tools. The product also includes a marketplace for pre-screened overseas engineers to simplify international hiring. Deployments are progressing with startups and tech companies across Japan and the United States. The company plans to use new funding to expand product functionality, accelerate development, strengthen marketing, and grow partnerships focusing on Japan and US markets. Qlay emphasizes improving hiring quality, reducing screening labor, and increasing transparency and fairness in technical interviews. The company is led by CEO Tomofumi Nakata and COO/CTO Norimasa Yamashita and maintains offices in San Francisco and Tokyo.

Participated · Seed · Feb 2024

newmo is a startup founded on January 4, 2024 and headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, that operates taxi and rideshare services. The company aims to realize "user-focused sustainable regional mobility" and to address Japan's regional transport shortages caused by labor shortages and population aging. newmo has acquired management rights of two Osaka taxi operators (Kabushiki Kaisha Kishiko and Kabushiki Kaisha Miraito) and its group currently owns 646 taxi vehicles, ranking fifth in Osaka. It plans to expand to major regions nationwide and target 3,000 taxi vehicles and 10,000 drivers by fiscal 2025. The company will use proceeds to take equity stakes in taxi operators, launch a rideshare business, and accelerate product development (operation/dispatch management system and driver/user apps). Financially, newmo completed a Series A first-close raising over ¥10 billion, bringing cumulative funding to over ¥12 billion. newmo operates taxi and ride‑share services and was founded in January 2024. The company plans to launch a ride‑share service in Osaka in autumn 2024 and has taken an equity stake in Osaka taxi operator Kishiko to run taxi operations. Using seed funding, newmo is developing customer and driver mobile apps and an operations/dispatch management system. It intends to continue capital participation in domestic taxi operators to address regional transportation challenges. The company is headquartered in Toranomon, Minato‑ku, Tokyo. Management includes co‑founders in CTO, COO and CFO roles with prior experience at LINE/Merpay, Uber/Wolt Japan and Plaid. newmo, founded in January 2024 and headquartered in Tokyo, is building a ride-share service with a focus on user experience and sustainable regional transportation. The company aims to provide safe, comfortable, and convenient mobility for users while enabling drivers to work flexibly by using spare time. newmo plans to develop customer-facing and driver-facing mobile apps as well as an operations management system to support service rollout. It also intends to take equity stakes in domestic taxi operators as part of a broader strategy to solve regional transit issues in multiple ways. The company raised capital in a seed financing to fund product development and initial business activities. newmo positions its offering to boost local and national economic activity by diversifying and improving transportation options.