Participated · Series B · Jun 2026

ElevationSpace is developing the ELS-R series re-entry satellites and the ELS-RS high-frequency cargo recovery service to return payloads from orbit to Earth. The company is close to completing assembly of AOBA, its first private re-entry satellite and the inaugural ELS-R model. ElevationSpace leverages Japan’s small-satellite lift-guided re-entry expertise for returning payloads and crew from space. It has pursued global partnerships, including an agreement with Axiom Space and plans to integrate Redwire’s biopharma technology into its platform. Financially, the company has raised $63.5 million in total after securing $40 million in its Series B. Management framed the funding as supporting expansion of domestic and international business and service development under its vision of building an in-orbit transportation network.

Led · Seed · May 2026

ATOM develops Japan-made bipedal, dual-armed humanoid robots powered by what it calls Physical AI, enabling perception, decision-making, and real-world action. The company builds both the robot hardware and AI foundation models in-house, using data from operations to iterate on design and software. It targets factory and warehouse tasks such as transport, replenishment, and kitting, aiming to address labour shortages in Japan. ATOM was founded by CEO Shunsuke Aoki and is based in Tokyo. Following the ¥3B seed round, the company plans to hire AI engineers and expand its robotics and business infrastructure to move toward deployment. The article notes the sector is capital-intensive and competitive, with commercialization challenges typical of humanoid robotics.

Participated · Seed · Mar 2026

Aqua Theon develops seaweed-based consumer products using proprietary agar-agar methodology to enable scaled food manufacturing of delicate red algae. Its flagship drink brand, OoMee, launched in cans in the U.S. in May 2025 with flavors such as blueberry-elderflower, strawberry-hibiscus, and peach-lemon, and later added fruit-flavored matcha variants. The company reported selling over 100,000 units in its first six months and securing listings in more than 700 stores, including Sprouts Farmers Market, Raley’s, and Bristol Farms. Misaky Tokyo, a seaweed-based crystal candy invented in September 2019, is Aqua Theon’s other consumer product line. Founder and CEO Alissa Miky launched OoMee in 2025 and has guided the company through product-market launch and fundraising. The firm emphasizes precision-based production to manage red algae’s sensitivity to temperature and marine chemistry as it scales.

Participated · Series D · Dec 2025

FullDepth is a Japanese industrial underwater drone manufacturer founded in 2014 that builds and sells domestically produced remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). In addition to hardware, the company offers underwater measurement and data analytics services to support infrastructure maintenance, offshore wind power, and other marine industries. Its platform aims to digitalize submerged assets by capturing and analyzing high-precision data, tackling Japan’s pressing need for efficient and safe underwater inspections. The firm seeks to alleviate labor shortages and safety risks associated with manual diving operations. Current priorities include boosting its data collection and analytics capabilities and widening the scope of its service offerings. With fresh capital, FullDepth will accelerate R&D on AI-driven autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) to enable automated, wide-area surveys. No revenue, customer, or other operating metrics were disclosed in the announcement.

Led · Series B · Nov 2025

Founded in 2020, Osaka-based GramEye builds AI-driven robotic devices that automate the Gram-staining process used in infectious-disease diagnostics. Its flagship product, launched in January 2025 and already deployed in clinical laboratories, speeds and standardizes bacterial classification to guide timely antibiotic therapy. Leveraging user feedback, the company continues to enhance both the hardware and its image-recognition AI. GramEye’s roadmap includes pursuing FDA clearance for U.S. entry and creating a next-generation Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS) that delivers evidence-based antibiotic recommendations. By improving diagnostic speed and accuracy, the team aims to reduce inappropriate antibiotic use and mitigate the global AMR crisis. Financially, the company has secured 570 million yen in new Series B equity and, together with multiple public grants (including 4.2 billion yen from the NEDO PCA program), reports cumulative funding of 1.65 billion yen. The fresh capital will also support aggressive hiring across executive, engineering, and sales roles to scale globally.