Led · Series A · May 2026

Illumi Medical develops the ET-BLIT intravascular light irradiation system, which uses a thin catheter inserted via a transvascular approach to emit light through vessel walls to reach deep-seated tissues. The technology is intended to enable applications of light-based therapies such as photodynamic therapy (PDT) and near-infrared photoimmunotherapy (NIR-PIT) for cancers and neurological diseases previously inaccessible to external light. The company says the procedure can be performed in existing cardiac catheterization rooms. Illumi Medical was established in February 2023. With the completion of its ¥550 million Series A, the company plans to advance product development, transition manufacturing to mass production, secure supply and quality for clinical trials, and execute global regulatory and insurance strategies. It also intends to expand treatment and diagnostic pipelines through alliances with pharmaceutical companies and pursue international joint clinical trials and overseas approvals.

Led · Seed · Apr 2026

FORMAS.AI develops an AI-native design platform aimed at the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry. The company positions itself to reimagine what a modern design platform looks like by embedding AI natively rather than adding it onto legacy tools. FORMAS.AI emphasizes design automation across the project lifecycle as a core focus. Leadership highlighted the sizable opportunity in AEC software, citing market projections of US$13B–US$15B by 2030. Financially, the startup recently completed an oversubscribed US$3.98M pre-seed round. The reported coverage did not disclose revenues, user metrics, or prior funding history.

Led · Series A · Mar 2026

CULTA applies a proprietary, non-GMO, AI-powered breeding process that shortens new variety development from the traditional ten years to roughly two, enabling rapid creation of climate-resilient fruit crops. To date the company has produced four strawberry varieties, including its flagship “SAKURA DROPS,” which delivers about 30% higher yield, roughly 40% higher sugar content, and maintains quality for more than ten days even when harvested fully ripe. CULTA contracts growers, buys their entire output, and manages sales and marketing itself, giving it end-to-end control of supply and brand. Production is already scaling in Japan and Malaysia, with berries sold in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Thailand, and over 100 Japanese farms cultivating the varieties. The firm plans to greatly expand Southeast Asian production, enter Australia, and begin sales in Japan while pushing variety registration overseas. Future R&D targets include additional strawberry lines suited to large farms in Australia, North America, and Europe, as well as new grape and apple varieties and eventual work on coffee and banana. Including the current round, CULTA has raised roughly ¥1 billion (~US$7 million) in total funding.

Led · Seed · Dec 2025

TOMOCLOUD is a Chiba University–origin startup building non-invasive biological imaging hardware based on electrical impedance tomography (EIT). Its first application targets the early detection and monitoring of lymphedema, with a vision to expand into a multi-disease, multi-site imaging platform for medical, healthcare, and elder-care use cases. The company plans to integrate hardware, algorithms, and application software into a single solution. Funds will be directed toward accelerating prototype development, recruiting core talent in product and business development, and establishing a quality-management system covering design and manufacturing processes. TOMOCLOUD was founded on 18 August 2025 and is headquartered in Chiba City, Japan. In addition to private capital, the startup intends to leverage public support programs such as NEDO’s NEP 3000 initiative to advance its roadmap.

Participated · Seed · Oct 2025

Founded in January 2025 in Tokyo, UMIAILE is a Honda-spinout marine-robotics startup building small unmanned boats, branded "UMIAILE ASV," that act as an "artificial satellite at altitude 0 m." The craft leverage unique hydrofoil technology and swarm control to operate autonomously, withstand harsh offshore conditions, and collect high-resolution, real-time ocean data at scale. The company aims to mass-produce several thousand vessels annually and provide a data platform that can serve fisheries, energy, environmental monitoring, and national security applications. To reach full commercial deployment, it is prioritizing durability improvements, expanded field trials, and multi-vessel mission coordination. The newly raised capital strengthens its balance sheet for advanced R&D, prototype iterations geared toward mass production, expansion of demonstration sites, industry-academia-government collaboration projects, and aggressive hiring. While still pre-revenue, the company positions itself as a critical enabler of sustainable and secure use of ocean resources.