Fast Track Initiative

NB Health Laboratory develops antibody therapeutics for drug discovery and development to address unmet medical needs in healthcare.

BiotechDeep TechHealthtechMedical DevicesTokyo, JP

Kiyoshi Takayama(Founder and President)Jun Takasaki(VP/Chief Scientific Officer)髙山喜好(代表取締役)

PENTAS is a Japanese medical device company holding first-class medical device manufacturing and sales licenses as well as licenses to sell highly controlled medical devices.

HardwareHealthtechMedical DevicesKawasaki, JP

Tomohiko Kanai(代表取締役 (Representative Director))

BoardTeppei Banno(取締役 (Director))Taro Sato(取締役 (Director))Masaaki Sato(取締役 (Director))

Co-investorsXTech VenturesSpiral CapitalSpiral Innovation Partners

Qoly Corporation develops, manufactures, and sells microsurgery-assist robots and related products, using robotics to help surgeons perform precise and safe microsurgery for functional disorders.

HealthtechMedical DevicesRoboticsTokyo, JP

Yohei Kuroda(Representative Director & President (Co-founder))Kazuhito Wakana(Director & CTO (Co-founder))Atsushi Miyamoto(Chief People Officer (Co-founder))Naoki Kobayashi(CFO)

Co-investorsDevelopment Bank of JapanMedVenture Partners, Inc.

A10 Lab Inc. develops みんチャレ (Minna Challenge), a behavioral change platform that leverages community support and technology to help users achieve health and wellness goals, particularly targeting lifestyle disease prevention and frailty prevention through mobile and business solutions.

ConsumerDigital HealthHealthtechWellness & FitnessTokyo, JP

長坂 剛(代表取締役 CEO兼COO)山口 信行(取締役 CTO)木下 謙一(取締役 CDO)

Co-investorsSUMITOMO LIFE INSURANCEMIRAI SOUZOU

Virtual pharma using advanced computational technology to rapidly discover small-molecule drugs against proprietary targets.

Innovative technology for efficient drug delivery to the brain, applicable to nucleic acids and other drug candidates.

Co-investorsUTokyo Innovation Platform Co. Ltd.

Cellfiber is a biotechnology company founded in 2015 that develops cell encapsulation technology and manufacturing techniques to increase production capacity for cell and gene therapies, aiming to make these treatments accessible to more patients.

BiotechHardwareMedical DevicesKumamoto, JP

Co-investorsUntroD CapitalUniversal Materials Incubator

Combines single-cell RNA analysis technology from the Broad Institute with AI/ML models and large-scale clinical sample collection for novel drug discovery and precision medicine.

HealthtechCambridge, US

Tariq Kassum(Executive Officer, Director)Michael Boretti(Executive Officer)Christoph Lengauer(Executive Officer, Director)

Co-investorsCatalio Capital Management, LPAlexandriaCasdin CapitalGV (Google Ventures)Third Rock Ventures

FastDoctor operates a Japanese telemedicine and house-call service that connects patients with physicians through video consultations and in-home emergency visits, available nights, weekends, and year-round.

Digital HealthHealthtechMedical Devices

Co-investorsGlobis Capital PartnersKDDI Open Innovation Fund

Hatena is a Japanese social bookmarking and blogging platform that aggregates user-curated content and discussions.

Media & EntertainmentSocialTokyo, JP

Co-investorsInclusion Japan

Care × technology platform matching 24/7 home-care helpers with users outside nursing insurance; B Corp certified.

LUCA Science develops mitochondrial therapies that supply functional, storable mitochondria to damaged or dysfunctional cells and tissues to restore cellular energy production, targeting conditions such as ischemia-reperfusion injuries including cerebral and myocardial infarction.

BiotechDeep TechHealthtechLongevity

Co-investorsRemiges Ventures, Inc.4BIO CapitalDCI Partners Co. Ltd.

Runs 'E-consult', an online specialist consultation service connecting primary physicians with expert specialists to help find undiagnosed rare-disease patients.

Co-investorsGlobis Capital Partners

mediPhone (メディフォン) is a medical interpretation and translation service for healthcare providers in Japan, combining AI machine translation (up to 107 languages) with remote phone/video interpretation by specialized medical interpreters (32 languages) and document translation.

AI & Machine LearningDigital HealthHealthtech

Co-investorsSony Ventures CorporationUTokyo Innovation Platform Co. Ltd.

Spun off from microbiome startup Metagen; develops fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) formulations and microbiome-based drug discovery.

Develops drugs against previously undruggable targets using its proprietary CRISPR-GNDM (Guide Nucleotide Directed Modulation) platform based on modified CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing.

Co-investorsMedical Incubator Japan K.K.

Neusignal Therapeutics develops novel drugs for central nervous system disorders, including dementia and psychiatric conditions, with research focused on calcium signaling in neurons and target discovery for brain diseases.

BiotechDeep TechDigital HealthMedical DevicesTokyo, JP

有本 達(代表取締役 (Representative Director/CEO))

Co-investorsAngel Bridge Co.,Ltd.Red CapitalKeio Innovation InitiativeNippon Venture CapitalThe Gogin Capital

NIL Co., Ltd. develops botanical-derived hair and scalp care products, including color treatments and scalp essences.

ConsumerDirect to ConsumerHealthtechNew MaterialsWellness & FitnessEbina, JP

Satokura Sato(Honorary Advisor (founder in 2015))佐藤正晃(Representative Director / CEO)Masaaki Sato(Representative Director, President & CEO)Hisashi Okada(Director & CTO)

Developing and commercializing microsurgery support robots, building on Sony Group's medical robotics research.

RegCell Biosciences is a biotechnology company developing regenerative cell therapies, leveraging expertise in cell and gene therapy, manufacturing, and immunology to advance therapeutic treatments.

BiotechDeep TechMedical Devices

Michael McCullar, PhD(Chief Executive Officer)James Ahlers(Chief Financial Officer)Marty Giedlin, PhD(Chief Technology Officer)Tony Hurley(Chief Technical Operations Officer)Steve Kanner, PhD(Chief Scientific Officer)

Co-investorsGlobal BrainKyoto University Innovation CapitalUTECMitsubishi UFJ Capital

Shinobi develops next-generation cell therapies using iPSC (induced pluripotent stem cell) research, genetic engineering, and clinical infrastructure.

AI & Machine LearningBiotechHealthtechMedical Devices

Co-investorsAstellas Venture Management LLCF-Prime CapitalJIC Venture Growth InvestmentsKyoto University Innovation Capital

HealthtechPalo Alto, US

Tohru Satoh(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)

BoardDennis McWilliams(Director)Koji Yasuda(Director)inJun Okamoto(Director)Auriel August(Director)

STORM Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing small molecule drugs that target RNA modifying enzymes to reprogram cells through RNA biology.

BiotechHealthtechMedical Devices

Co-investorsM VenturesPfizer Venture InvestmentsSeroba Life SciencesTaiho Ventures, LLCUTokyo Innovation Platform Co. Ltd.Cambridge Innovation Capital

Varinos develops and provides genetic testing services applying genome technology, including a uterine microbiome (endometrial flora) test used in fertility and reproductive medicine.

BiotechDigital HealthFemTechMedical DevicesTokyo, JP

桜庭 喜行(Founder & Chairman (former CEO))長井 陽子(Co-founder)Sakuraba(CEO)Yoshiyuki Sakuraba(Founder)inYoko Nagai(Founder)in齊藤 洋一(代表取締役CEO)

Co-investorsAngel Bridge Co.,Ltd.MIRAI SOUZOUMiyako CapitalSony Ventures Corporation

Offers clinical testing services such as uterine flora testing and preimplantation diagnosis using next-generation sequencing genome analysis.

Develops IoT/wearable products and services such as smartwatches under a 'Life:Tech Rebalance' concept.

AccuRna develops drug delivery systems for nucleic acid therapeutics, including antisense oligonucleotides, siRNA, miRNA, and mRNA-based treatments.

AI & Machine LearningBiotechDeep TechMedical Devices

Shiro Akinaga(Chairman of the board, CEO)Keiko Hattori(Director, CEO)

BoardKazunori Kataoka(Project Professor of Policy Alternatives Research Institute at the University of Tokyo, Director General at Innovation Center of NanoMedicine)Keiji Itaka(Professor of Institute of Biomaterials and Bioengineering at Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Principal Research Scientist and Laboratory Head at Innovation Center of NanoMedicine)Nobuhiro Nishiyama(Professor of Laboratory for Chemistry and Life Science at Tokyo Institute of Technology, Principal Research Scientist and Laboratory Head at Innovation Center of NanoMedicine)Kanjiro Miyata(Associate Professor of Department of Materials Engineering at the University of Tokyo)

Co-investorsUTokyo Innovation Platform Co. Ltd.

Alivexis is a drug discovery company that develops small molecule therapeutics targeting cancer, immune-inflammatory conditions, and rare diseases, leveraging computational platforms and disease biology expertise across operations in Japan and the US.

AI & Machine LearningBiotechDeep TechTokyo, JP

S. Roy Kimura(Cofounder & CEO)Kazuki Ohno(Cofounder & COO)

Co-investorsSMBC Venture CapitalDBJ CapitalMobile Internet Capital, Inc.UTokyo Innovation Platform Co. Ltd.

Ichirou operates a caregiving workforce sharing platform and provides home care support and facility referral services for the elderly care market in Japan.

B2B MarketplacesDigital HealthHealthtechHR TechTokyo, JP

Co-investorsDG IncubationGlobal BrainMPowerOpen Network Lab

Co-investorsNippon Venture Capital

Metagen Therapeutics (メタジェンセラピューティクス) is a biotech venture developing fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) therapies and medical services based on gut microbiome research, including an FMT drug candidate (MGT-006) for ulcerative colitis.

BiotechDeep TechDigital HealthTsuruoka, JP

Taku Nakahara(代表取締役社長CEO (President & CEO))Jun Terauchi(CSO)

Co-investorsDentsu VenturesGlobal BrainMIRAI SOUZOUNippon Venture Capital

Provides a medical IT database business for medical institutions and related businesses, plus matching services connecting doctors with doctors and patients with doctors.

AIRNA develops genetic medicines that use ADAR, a naturally occurring human protein, to precisely edit RNA and treat genetic diseases without permanently modifying DNA.

AI & Machine LearningBiotechDeep TechHealthtech

Kris ElveruminTodd Bazemore(Chief Executive Officer)

BoardRodger Novak(Chair)

Co-investors+ND CapitalARCH Venture PartnersForbionVenrockNextech InvestNovalis LifeSciences+2 more

Shimane University biotech using high-purity mesenchymal stem cells (REC) for safe, effective stem cell therapy, with AI-based cell quality management.

Developing innovative drugs for aging-related diseases by targeting inflammatory senescent cells.

Co-investorsUTokyo Innovation Platform Co. Ltd.

Co-investorsUTEC

Allm uses information and communication technology to address healthcare disparities and mismatches, aiming to provide equitable medical and welfare services to all people.

AI & Machine LearningDigital HealthHealthtechMedical DevicesSaaS

Co-investorsAsia Africa Investment & Consulting (AAIC)Eisai Innovation, Inc.

Transferred to Carna Biosciences, Inc. in October 2013.

VELDT Inc. develops xCausal®, a causal AI (white-box) platform and Causal AI Assistant that estimate cause-and-effect relationships in data so businesses can understand the reasons behind AI decisions and simulate the impact of actions.

AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureEnterprise SoftwareTokyo, JP

Jin Nonogami(Founder)野々上 仁(代表取締役 CEO)安西 智宏(取締役)上田谷 真一(取締役)

Co-investorsAccord VenturesMonozukuri Ventures

Co-investorsUTokyo Innovation Platform Co. Ltd.

EditGene is an educational platform that explains gene and genome editing technologies such as CRISPR, base editing, and prime editing.

BiotechEdTech

Chiome is a Japanese biotech venture that discovers and develops antibody drugs targeting unmet medical needs.

BiotechHealthtech

Co-investorsSMBC Venture Capital

Spun out of RIKEN research; develops innovative technology to rapidly generate monoclonal antibodies against difficult antigens.

Co-investorsNippon Venture CapitalSMBC Venture Capital

Spun out of Kurume University School of Medicine to develop tailor-made peptide vaccines for various cancers and hepatitis C.

Co-investorsNippon Venture Capital

Spun out of Tokyo Women's Medical University to develop regenerative medicine products via cell sheet engineering.

Japanese healthcare startup (Mental Health Technologies, Inc.) that runs businesses in mental health solutions, medical workforce shift services, medical career support, and digital marketing, centered on connecting companies with physicians to address employees' physical and mental health.

Digital HealthHealthtechMental HealthSaaSTokyo, JP

刀禰真之介(代表取締役社長 (Founder & President/CEO))

Co-investorsSkyland Ventures

Listed on TSE Mothers (9218) in March 2022.

Yukashikado provides personalized nutrition testing and customized supplement products tailored to individual nutritional needs.

ConsumerDigital HealthHealthtechWellness & FitnessTokyo, JP

Shinya Minobe(Representative Director & CEO)Daisuke Terada(Director, Vice President & CTO)

Comprehensive nutrition service company offering VitaNote, a mail-in urine-based nutrition testing service, and TYPEFOOD, a smartphone-based simple urine test paired with type-specific nutrition foods.

Provides patient-focused medical information services supporting pharmaceutical companies' marketing and product strategy.