Participated · Grant · Aug 2025

3DC develops and manufactures Graphene MesoSponge® (GMS), a three-dimensional graphene material with porosity, conductivity, flexibility, and corrosion resistance intended to address trade-offs in battery performance. The company was founded in February 2022 and is headquartered at Tohoku University in Sendai, with a Kawasaki office and a pilot factory in Toki, Gifu where construction of the world’s first GMS mass-production facility has begun. Following a Series A 1st-close in August 2025 and ongoing validation work, 3DC is supplying functional conductive additive GMS to numerous domestic and international battery makers for evaluation. 3DC plans to use recent and prior funding to expand its pilot factory into a mass-production plant, establish ton-scale production processes, strengthen global supply for customer evaluations and commercialization, and expand R&D talent and overseas partnerships. The company positions partnerships with established industry players and strategic investors as key to accelerating production, supply-chain stabilization, and market adoption of GMS.

Led · Grant · Nov 2024

EdgeCortix develops silicon and software platforms using a patented hardware–software co-design approach to enable energy-efficient, runtime-reconfigurable AI acceleration at the edge. Its technology includes the Dynamic Neural Accelerator® architecture and the MERA software stack, which the company positions for applications across defense, aerospace, smart infrastructure, Industry 4.0, robotics, and telecommunications. EdgeCortix is commercializing next-generation, low-power platforms such as SAKURA-II and the chiplet-based SAKURA-X targeted at Generative and Agentic AI workloads. The company is headquartered in Tokyo and maintains operations in the United States and India. Recent fundraising activity includes an oversubscribed prior round and a subsequent new investment from Axiro Semiconductor and MPower Partners to support further development and commercialization.

Participated · Grant · May 2024

Celaid Therapeutics is a university-spin-out leveraging proprietary technology to selectively expand human hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) for therapeutic use. Its lead candidate, CLD-001, targets severe pediatric non-malignant blood disorders by using cord-blood–derived HSCs that are expanded to overcome donor-shortage and HLA-mismatch limitations. Recent pre-clinical studies have shown positive efficacy and safety data, while chemistry, manufacturing and controls (CMC) work and FDA pre-IND preparation are underway. Beyond its own pipeline, Celaid licenses its HSC expansion platform to pharmaceutical and biotech partners and is collaborating with AGC Inc. on iPSC-derived HSPCs. The company plans to use fresh capital to fund GMP manufacturing, U.S. IND-enabling studies, and platform expansion into broader cell and gene therapy programs. Including grants and subsidies, Celaid has raised a cumulative JPY 2.52 billion (USD 17.14 million) to date.