FIRSTLIGHT Capital
Venture capitalTokyo · Pre-Seed–Growth · 1 people tracked
Also known as ファーストライト・キャピタル株式会社
Investment thesis
FIRSTLIGHT Capital invests under the theme of 'creating innovation in a society with a declining population.' It backs seed to Series A startups in digital domains including SaaS, AI, automation, marketplaces, and media. Drawing on real operating experience, the firm aims to lead the growth process of both entrepreneurs and their businesses, supporting portfolio companies in realizing their vision.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 3, 2026.
Team · 1 people
from the firm's websiteWhat they invest in
from 14 of 31 portfolio companiesAI & Machine Learning ×7SaaS ×6Enterprise Software ×5Future of Work ×3HR Tech ×3IoT ×3Construction Tech ×2Data & Infrastructure ×2
HQs:Japan×12China×1
Investments · 31 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathPartnerOsamu Iwasawa· solo GP
ASIOT develops edge-AI and IoT devices and services, including "A Smart", a retrofit service that automates utility meter reading, and provides big-data analytics and IoT+AI consulting.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareIoTPropTechTokyo, JP
Yohei Mikami(Representative Director)Xiaohua Zhu(Director)
PartnerOsamu Iwasawa· solo GP
Software platform for retail store operations management.
PartnerOsamu Iwasawa· solo GP
CloudPick develops AI-powered checkout and inventory management solutions for retail stores using computer vision and machine learning.
AI & Machine LearningIoTRetail TechShanghai, CN
Alex Ng(Founder)Jeff Feng(Founder & CEO)
PartnerOsamu Iwasawa· solo GP
PartnerOsamu Iwasawa· solo GP
DentaLight provides digital health solutions for dental clinics and patients to improve oral preventive healthcare and quality of life.
Digital HealthHealthtechWellness & FitnessTokyo, JP
Genki Fujikubo
PartnerOsamu Iwasawa· solo GP
Diggle is a SaaS platform for budget and forecast management that automates variance analysis and data aggregation to replace spreadsheet-based processes.
Data & InfrastructureEnterprise SoftwareSaaSTokyo, JP
PartnerOsamu Iwasawa· solo GP
PartnerOsamu Iwasawa· solo GP
PartnerOsamu Iwasawa· solo GP
PartnerOsamu Iwasawa· solo GP
ONE CAREER operates a career data platform that collects and visualizes job-search and recruitment data to make hiring information transparent for both individuals and companies.
Data & InfrastructureFuture of WorkHR TechTokyo, JP
PartnerOsamu Iwasawa· solo GP
PartnerOsamu Iwasawa· solo GP
PECO operates one of Japan's largest pet information media platforms, serving around 15 million monthly users.
ConsumerMedia & Entertainment
PartnerOsamu Iwasawa· solo GP
Realm manages distribution, monetization, and ad sales for independent podcasts and audio content.
Creator EconomyMedia & EntertainmentSaaS
Joseph FinkJeffrey Cranor
PartnerOsamu Iwasawa· solo GP
Retreat provides a planning platform combined with hands-on support to help People Ops and Operations teams organize corporate retreats, including sourcing venues, estimating budgets, building itineraries, and coordinating logistics.
Future of WorkSaaSTravel & Hospitality
Shun Yamada(CEO & Co-Founder)Jack Tadami(COO & Co-Founder)
PartnerOsamu Iwasawa· solo GP
PartnerOsamu Iwasawa· solo GP
PartnerOsamu Iwasawa· solo GP
Zen Intelligence (formerly SoftRoid) develops Physical AI, including AI foundation models and robots for automating construction site management, inspection, and data collection.
AI & Machine LearningConstruction TechRoboticsTokyo, JP
野﨑 大幹(代表者 (Representative))
PartnerOsamu Iwasawa· solo GP
PartnerOsamu Iwasawa· solo GP
PartnerOsamu Iwasawa· solo GP
QUANDO Inc. develops IoT/AI-based business solutions, application and web development, and provides consulting for software implementation.
AI & Machine LearningConstruction TechEnterprise SoftwareIoTSaaS北九州市, JP
下岡 純一郎(Representative Director CEO)中野 雅俊(Representative Director CTO)Junichiro Shimooka(Representative Director & CEO)Takuma Saeki(Director & CFO)
PartnerOsamu Iwasawa· solo GP
PartnerOsamu Iwasawa· solo GP
PartnerOsamu Iwasawa· solo GP
PartnerOsamu Iwasawa· solo GP
WorkCircle operates an anonymous career social network ("WorkCircle") and a crowdsourced salary database ("OpenSalary") for working professionals in Japan.
Future of WorkHR TechSocialTokyo, JP
岩崎 朋也(代表取締役 (CEO))テリー・ドリュー・フィリップ・サハラ(取締役 (Director))
PartnerOsamu Iwasawa· solo GP
Takumi Giken is a Japanese company addressing challenges in the manufacturing/machining industry, working with processing and fabrication firms.
Advanced ManufacturingAI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareSaaSTokyo, JP
前田 将太(代表取締役社長 (CEO))井坂 星南(取締役 CTO)原 崇文(取締役 CBO)
PartnerOsamu Iwasawa· solo GP
PartnerOsamu Iwasawa· solo GP
PeopleX is an AI-native HR platform that automates recruitment and employee development through AI-powered interviews, role-play simulations, and team assessments.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareHR TechTokyo, JP
PartnerOsamu Iwasawa· solo GP
KUZEN develops and operates a customer engagement platform that automates conversations, offered to enterprise clients in Japan.
AI & Machine LearningMarketing TechSaaSTokyo, JP
Shogo Ota(代表取締役 CEO)Kota Shirakura(取締役 CTO)Kohei Nakazato(執行役員 COO)Kai Narita(執行役員 CFO)Yoshio Takahashi(執行役員 VP of Engineering)Takumi Sawada(VP of Customer Success)
PartnerOsamu Iwasawa· solo GP
PartnerOsamu Iwasawa· solo GP
Frequently asked questions
- What stage does FIRSTLIGHT Capital invest at?
- FIRSTLIGHT Capital invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C, Growth stages.
- What sectors does FIRSTLIGHT Capital focus on?
- FIRSTLIGHT Capital focuses on AI & Machine Learning, Marketplaces, Media & Entertainment, SaaS, Sector Agnostic.
- Where is FIRSTLIGHT Capital located?
- FIRSTLIGHT Capital is headquartered in Tokyo, JP.
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