• BALLAS

  Participated · Series B · Apr 2026

  BALLAS operates an industry-leading online platform for sourcing construction materials, aiming to optimize procurement as the starting point for mass-customizing the construction sector. The company positions its platform as the largest in the industry and is advancing AI-related product efforts. BALLAS is led by CEO Masayuki Kimura and is headquartered in Chuo-ku, Tokyo. With the newly raised Series B capital, the company plans to accelerate platform growth and further develop its AI products. The article does not provide revenue, user, or prior funding metrics.

• Miresso

  Participated · Series A · Feb 2026

  Founded in May 2023 and headquartered in Misawa, Aomori Prefecture, MiRESSO is building a beryllium manufacturing and sales business based on an innovative low-temperature purification process originally spun out of QST research. The company targets the critical need for a stable domestic supply of beryllium, an essential neutron-multiplying material for commercial fusion reactors, while also offering its purification method as a technology platform for recycling and refining a wider range of mineral resources. MiRESSO is constructing the BETA (Beryllium Testing plant in Aomori) pilot plant on Pacific Metals’ site in Hachinohe, aiming to begin production during fiscal 2027. Over roughly three years since inception, the startup has raised about ¥4.48 billion in equity and approximately ¥6.68 billion when government grants are included. Funds from the latest round will accelerate pilot-plant build-out, secure raw-material supply, and enhance product quality to establish a new beryllium supply chain in Japan.

• CI Partners

  Participated · Series B · Dec 2025

  CI Partners provides developmental and after-school day services for children with disabilities as well as employment support services for people with disabilities, aiming to deliver seamless assistance from childhood through adulthood. The company has crafted a unique operational model that centralizes headquarters functions while optimizing on-site operations to maintain service quality at scale. Founded in November 2015 by CEO Takashi Iezumi—who drew on personal experience as a parent of a child with disabilities and from roles in corporate HR and welfare-facility management—CI Partners seeks to bridge gaps in Japan’s disability support ecosystem. To accelerate growth, the firm is pursuing a nationwide roll-up strategy, acquiring existing facilities to expand into regional cities. Management plans to allocate newly raised capital to business-succession funds that will finance these acquisitions and rapidly establish a high-quality service network nationwide. While the company has not disclosed revenue or user figures, it positions itself as a consolidator in the fragmented disability support sector. Future plans center on building a "total support" platform that accompanies clients from early childhood development through workplace integration.

• LEP

  Participated · Seed · Dec 2025

  LEP is an Osaka-based biotechnology startup developing self-illuminating plants that can serve as a new, energy-free light source. The company combines proprietary gene technology, light-intensity control, and color-conversion techniques originating from Osaka University and NAIST patents to produce what it calls “living light.” In April, the team showcased a glowing plant tea-room installation at the Osaka-Kansai Expo, drawing significant domestic and international attention. LEP’s vision is to replace part of the 15% of global energy now consumed by conventional lighting with sustainable, soothing plant-based illumination. The firm targets indoor and outdoor applications that deliver both aesthetic appeal and CO₂ reduction. Fresh capital will be used to launch an exhibition service employing luminous plant cells, create new glowing plant varieties, and hire talent for business expansion. The recent ¥160 million seed infusion strengthens its R&D and commercialization efforts, though the company has not yet disclosed revenue or user numbers.

• SecureNavi

  Participated · Series B · Nov 2025

  SecureNavi digitizes the traditionally manual “humanities security” tasks such as ISMS certification, P-Mark acquisition, regulation compliance, policy development, audits, and inspections. Its core offerings include a service suite that simplifies obtaining and operating information-security certifications for more than 1,200 corporate customers, as well as the Fit&Gap platform that automates security regulation compliance. The company recently unveiled “Takumi Cloud for the Second Line,” a platform designed around the international Three Lines Model to help second-line governance teams standardize and automate risk assessments across contractors, systems, and group companies. Preliminary trials of Takumi Cloud span industries like pharmaceuticals, telecom, finance, manufacturing, IT, distribution, food service, and HR. SecureNavi reports that revenue has climbed roughly 3.5× since its previous funding round, indicating rapid commercial traction. The firm plans to invest heavily in product development, expand its engineering team, step up recruiting, and increase marketing spend to accelerate digital transformation in security compliance.

No current team members are available.