Participated · Equity · Feb 2026

Rapidus was founded in August 2022 and is led by CEO Atsuyoshi Koike. The company is developing advanced logic chip manufacturing at its IIM-1 facility in Chitose, Hokkaido, with plans to begin 2nm mass production by fiscal 2027. Rapidus works with IBM on process development and with IMEC in Belgium on broader R&D, and NEDO is involved in design projects alongside Fujitsu and IBM Japan. It was initially backed by eight major Japanese companies — Toyota, Sony, NTT, NEC, SoftBank, Denso, Kioxia, and MUFG — and early confirmed customers include Fujitsu and Tenstorrent. The government has become a major backer through sizeable R&D support and a February 2026 investment that left it with 11.5% of voting rights and a golden share veto. Rapidus is positioning itself as an alternative foundry offering small-volume, quick-turnaround services, but faces challenges securing steady customer orders and improving yields given competitors like TSMC and Samsung began 2nm volume production in 2025.

Led · Series B · Feb 2024

Oishii operates large-scale indoor vertical Smart Farms that combine robotics, automation and Japanese farming techniques to grow pesticide-free, Non-GMO strawberries year-round. Founded in 2016, the company has expanded distribution across 18 U.S. states and launched retail in Toronto as its first international market. Oishii has broadened its product portfolio from ultra-premium Omakase Berries to the Koyo and Nikko Berry lines and introduced new pack sizes and formats with retail prices spanning roughly $4.99 to $15 and premium offerings at higher price points. The company has invested in automation and engineering capability, including the 2025 acquisition of Tortuga AgTech and a strategic partnership with MISUMI Group, and is developing an Open Innovation Center in Tokyo to advance R&D. Financially, Oishii has raised $370 million to date and is using new Series C proceeds to scale production, expand farm infrastructure, integrate more robotics, and develop new product formats.

Participated · Seed · Jan 2024

Sakana AI is a Tokyo-based AI research lab focused on creating foundation models inspired by natural systems. The company builds AI foundation models and positions its expertise around using AI to optimize business operations. It intends to use the new investment to expand operations and advance its development efforts. Sakana AI entered a collaboration with Mitsubishi Electric, which plans to leverage the startup’s capabilities to expand solutions and businesses tied to its Serendie digital platform. The company is led by co-founders David Ha (CEO), Llion Jones (CTO) and Ren Ito (COO).

Led · Series D · Nov 2023

May Mobility develops and sells autonomous vehicle systems—specifically retrofitted Toyota Sienna minivans—on geofenced routes under multi-year, multi-million-dollar contracts with cities. The company focuses on B2B deployments in mid-size municipalities rather than large-scale robotaxi rollouts, which it says enables earlier path to profitability and lower burn. May Mobility has announced deployments or deals in Ann Arbor (its HQ), Arlington, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Sun City and plans to enter Contra Costa County by early 2024, with Southeast expansion expected. Management says as AV tech advances and costs fall, the company intends to expand into other segments such as trucking, logistics and robotaxis. Financially, May Mobility has raised roughly $300 million to date, including a $105 million financing announced this week, and counts Toyota and BMW among strategic backers. May Mobility develops low-speed autonomous shuttles and vehicle platforms (including modified Toyota Sienna S-AM vehicles) for public-transportation augmentation and ride-hail use. The company currently operates vehicles in five cities — Arlington, Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, Fishers and Hiroshima — and has about 20 S-AMs in its fleet, most in Ann Arbor. May is working with partners including Toyota, SoftBank and MONET Technologies and has begun development work to integrate its kit onto Toyota’s e-Palette platform. The startup recently completed AV pilots (for example at Hiroshima University) and plans further trials in Tokyo’s Takeshiba district. May says it will use new funding to triple corporate headcount (particularly engineering), expand U.S. and Japan deployments, and pursue driver-out operations in 2023. Its total disclosed funding to date is $194 million. May Mobility develops and operates autonomous low-speed shuttle services, with deployments in Detroit and Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Providence, Rhode Island. The company currently runs 25 autonomous shuttles across those three cities and plans to expand to roughly 25 vehicles per city to improve economics and impact. Founded in 2017, May Mobility positions itself in the transportation-as-a-service space with local shuttle fleets. The startup raised $50 million in a Series B led by Toyota, following a $22 million raise less than a year earlier. The new capital will be used to expand its AV shuttle fleet and to grow engineering and operations staff. May is working with Toyota as one of its autonomous driving providers for future open platforms and will explore pairing its technology with Toyota's e-Palette platform. May Mobility operates full-stack, low-speed autonomous vehicle fleets and provides daily public transit services for public and private customers. Its solution combines vehicle hardware and software, expert fleet operations, and a cloud-based business insights platform that monitors fleet health and ridership analytics. The company targets the $28B U.S. last-mile transportation market and currently operates commercial services in downtown Detroit, MI and Columbus, OH, with planned launches in Grand Rapids, MI and Providence, RI and additional U.S. deployments in 2019. May’s fleet has provided more than 35,000 rides in Columbus and Detroit, and the company reports it is generating revenue while collecting technical and market data. The business emphasizes scalable operations and real-world data collection to improve its technology with each mile driven. The company works with transit agencies, developers, and other partners to design and operate dependable shared mobility services. May Mobility develops and operates self-driving small shuttle fleets intended to replace existing transportation options for corporate and other clients. The company focuses on practical, route-defined autonomous solutions using currently available technology and manages fleets end-to-end, including vehicle maintenance and daily operation. Its team includes DARPA Urban Challenge participants and veterans from Ford, GM, Toyota and the University of Michigan’s automotive programs. May ran a pilot with Detroit-based Bedrock in October that the company says demonstrated its technology and service readiness. The company raised $11.5 million in seed funding and plans to use the proceeds to hire additional employees and expand coverage to more U.S. cities by the end of 2018. It intends to launch its first commercial operations later in 2018.

Participated · Series D · Mar 2021

Volocopter develops electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Six weeks after warning it could be forced to consider insolvency, the company announced it had been successfully financed by several existing investors. The company described the transaction as a financial lifeline. Due to ongoing contractual obligations, Volocopter said it could not disclose the investor names or the amount raised. The article did not provide details on the financing instrument, past rounds, future plans, valuation, or operating metrics. Volocopter develops the VoloCity eVTOL passenger air taxi and positions itself as a pioneer in urban air mobility. The company has conducted international tests, including a South Korean test flight in November 2021, and first committed to a Japanese market entry in 2018. Volocopter expects regulatory approval from the European Union Aviation Safety Authority in 2024, and its concurrent type‑certification application to Japan's Civil Aviation Bureau has been accepted. Japanese, Singaporean and U.S. (FAA) regulators are validating its urban air mobility system. The company plans to showcase a full‑size VoloCity replica at an Osaka shopping mall to build public awareness ahead of regional launches. Strategic partners and investors are being used to support certification and commercial rollout plans, including a targeted Japan service date of 2025. Volocopter is a German startup that builds electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles, principally the two-seater VoloCity air taxi. It also develops the VoloDrone heavy-lift electric drone and the VoloIQ digital platform for bookings and flight operations. The company is in active flight testing to meet European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) requirements and has received Design Organisation Approval in 2019 and Production Organisation Approval in 2021. Volocopter aims to obtain Special Condition certification for small-category VTOL aircraft by the second half of 2023 and begin initial revenue-generating rides in 2024. Recent fundraising — including a $182M second signing of its Series E on top of a $170M tranche from March — will fund testing, certification, infrastructure development, ecosystem integration and public awareness ahead of commercialization. The company has formed joint ventures with Neom and Geely Holding to integrate its aircraft into smart-city and China markets, with Neom ordering 15 aircraft and the Geely JV agreeing to purchase 150. Volocopter develops eVTOL aircraft and an urban air-taxi operating model from its base in Bruchsal, southern Germany. The company highlights three aircraft families—VoloCity, VoloConnect and VoloDrone—and has completed roughly 1,000 public and private test flights. It is the first eVTOL company to receive Design Organisation Approval from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, positioning it for certification and early market entry. Volocopter plans to use new funding to kick off commercial air taxi services in cities such as Singapore, Rome, Paris (and South Korea has been mentioned for launch), aiming for initial commercial operations around 2024 contingent on certification. At commercial launch flights will be piloted, though the VoloCity is technically capable of crewed, remotely piloted, and autonomous operation and the company says it will transition toward non-crewed flights as regulations and public acceptance evolve. Management has said the business will pursue a path to a public listing eventually. Volocopter develops fully electric eVTOL aircraft and associated physical and digital infrastructure, including the VoloCity and VoloDrone aircraft, VoloPort terminals, and the VoloIQ digital platform. The company partners with firms across infrastructure, operations, and air traffic management to build the ecosystem required for urban air mobility. Its product roadmap and services range from autonomous electric air taxis for passengers to cargo delivery via VoloDrone. Volocopter intends to use recent funding to bring the VoloCity to certification and to accelerate the launch of its first commercial routes. The company is the first eVTOL firm to receive Design Organisation Approval (DOA) from EASA and expects first commercial air taxi routes within the next two years. To date it has conducted milestone flights in Helsinki, Stuttgart, Dubai, and over Singapore’s Marina Bay and has cumulatively raised €322m.