How many investments has Funds Startups made?

Funds Startups has 28 tracked investments, including 1 dated in the last 24 months.

What stage does Funds Startups invest at?

Funds Startups invests at the Series B, Series C, Growth, Late Stage stages.

What is Funds Startups's typical check size?

Funds Startups typically writes checks of $66M.

What sectors does Funds Startups focus on?

Funds Startups focuses on Biotech, Deep Tech, Medical Devices, Sector Agnostic.

Where is Funds Startups located?

Funds Startups is headquartered in Tokyo, JP.

Does Funds Startups lead rounds?

Yes, Funds Startups leads investment rounds.

Who does Funds Startups co-invest with?

Funds Startups most often shares deals with Global Brain, Globis Capital Partners, DBJ Capital, among 35 tracked co-investors.

Funds Startups

Funding platformoperating company · company profile

Tokyo · Series B–Late Stage · 24 people tracked

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Investment thesis

Funds Startups focuses on building financial infrastructure for the sustainable, optimal growth of mid- to later-stage startups, with its core business being venture debt. It argues that as exit strategies diversify, startups should not rely on equity alone but combine multiple funding methods, since capital strategy shapes growth flexibility. Through proprietary scoring models and startup-specialized lending expertise, it structures tailor-made financing aligned with each company's capital policy and business characteristics. Its funds provide several-hundred-million to up to one-billion-yen venture debt, and for deep tech startups it combines grant bridges, convertible bonds, and venture debt to support them across growth stages.

Invests inBiotech Deep Tech Medical DevicesSector AgnosticJapan Tokyo

Source: firm website, verified Sep 6, 2026.

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Stage

Series B–Late Stage

Check

$66M

Tokyo, JP

Leads rounds

Leads

Instruments

Debt

Founded

2016

AUM

$253M

Tracked investments

Team · 24 people

from the firm's website

柴田陽· 共同創業者/取締役

Co-founder and director. A University of Tokyo economics graduate and ex-McKinsey serial entrepreneur behind several popular apps who co-founded Crowdport (now Funds, Inc.) in November 2016.

藤田雄一郎· 代表取締役CEO

Co-founder and CEO. A Waseda University commerce graduate who worked at CyberAgent, founded a marketing-support company (sold to a listed company in 2012), helped launch a major social-lending service, and co-founded Crowdport (now Funds, Inc.) in November 2016.

前川寛洋· 取締役CFO

Director and CFO with a background in corporate planning, finance and IPO preparation across HR-industry startups and large companies.

若松慶信· 取締役CTO/プロダクト開発本部長

Director, CTO and head of product development; a Kyoto University engineering background web engineer experienced in UI, architecture and infrastructure.

髙尾知達· 取締役海外事業管掌COO/CLO

Director overseeing overseas business (COO/CLO) and a licensed attorney; led financial licensing and Funds product design and drove the group's first cross-border acquisition in Taiwan.

中野慎三· 社外取締役

Outside director who built Itochu's venture investment foundation and launched Itochu Technology Ventures, later serving as its president.

佐藤慎一· 顧問・アドバイザー（元財務事務次官）

Advisor and former Vice Minister of Finance who now serves as advisor to several companies including Suntory Holdings.

國保博之· 執行役員VPoA/コーポレートマネジメント本部長

Executive officer (VPoA) heading corporate management, with HR and administration experience across listed companies including Snow Peak.

坂本直樹· 執行役員/マーケットプレイス本部長

Executive officer heading the marketplace division, with an equity capital markets background at SMBC Nikko Securities.

大橋俊安· リスク統括本部特別参与

Special advisor in the risk management division; a longtime credit analyst at Daiwa Securities and author on the corporate bond market.

川中浩平· 社外取締役/弁護士

Outside director and attorney with experience in financial-institution supervision and compliance at the Kanto Local Finance Bureau.

新藤秀人· リスク統括本部長

Head of the risk management division; a New York-licensed attorney with legal experience at Daiwa Securities and fintech roles at Fintertech.

村山かおり· 内部監査室長

Head of internal audit, a certified internal/systems auditor and US CPA with audit experience at Deloitte Tohmatsu and insurance firms.

松尾直彦· 顧問・アドバイザー（弁護士）

Advisor and attorney (Japan and New York) who led drafting of Japan's Financial Instruments and Exchange Act at the FSA.

松田清人· 顧問・アドバイザー

Advisor; chairman of Topaz Capital, which he founded in 2012 after senior roles at Mizuho and Unison Capital.

柴田篤夫· 常勤監査役

Full-time corporate auditor with a background in international banking, internal control and compliance at Asahi Bank, Lone Star and Unison Capital.

永田達哉· 執行役員VPoF/コーポレートマネジメント副本部長

Executive officer (VPoF) and deputy head of corporate management; a University of Tokyo and INSEAD MBA with consulting and CFO experience at DEEPCORE and MNTSQ, joining Funds in May 2026.

河野哲行· 常勤監査役

Full-time corporate auditor experienced in structured finance, securitization and M&A, and in compliance leadership at multiple securities firms.

河野純一郎· 社外取締役

Outside director and General Partner at ANRI with a long career in Japanese venture investing and fund management at JAFCO and Itochu Technology Ventures.

百合本安彦· 社外取締役

Outside director who founded Global Brain Corporation in 1998 and serves as its president.

藤田大洋· 執行役員CHRO/人事本部長

Executive officer, CHRO and head of HR; previously led HR at IT ventures and served as CHRO at Tsukuruba, joining Funds in June 2026.

西田尚弘· 顧問・アドバイザー

Advisor and representative director of Arco Partners with a structured finance and capital markets background at Deutsche and HSBC.

青木一郎· 社外監査役

Outside auditor and former Ministry of Finance/FSA official who held senior financial-regulatory and government posts.

鯨岡翔· 執行役員/AI推進本部長

Executive officer heading the AI promotion division, a former SONICJAM director with a planning and creative-direction background in digital advertising.

What they invest in

from 9 of 28 portfolio companies

AI & Machine Learning ×4Consumer ×2Data & Infrastructure ×2IoT ×2PropTech ×2SaaS ×2Cleantech ×1Deep Tech ×1

HQs:Japan×10

Investments · 28 tracked

founders shown can be your intro path

Aillisaillis.jp

Sho Okiyama(Founder)in

Co-investorsBeyond Next Ventures i-nest capital STRIVE Z Venture Capital Aozora Corporate Investment Pegasus Tech Ventures

CLAS Inc.clas.style 𝕏

CLAS operates a circular subscription platform for monthly rentals of furniture and home appliances in Japan.

Co-investorsCanal Ventures Chishima Real Estate — Startup Investment Globis Capital Partners

Engineer Mikataengineer-mikata.com

X&Management Japan is an independent venture capital firm led by Keisuke Honda, investing actively in startups from the seed to Series A stage with the stated mission of creating Japan's first decacorn.

HR TechSaaSSector AgnosticNot stated, JP

BoardKeisuke Honda

Fast Beautyfufucolor.com

Fufu Color is a specialized hair coloring salon chain in Japan offering affordable professional hair coloring services with quick turnaround times and a focus on accessible beauty care.

ConsumerWellness & FitnessTokyo, JP

Co-investorsAG Capital Co. Ltd.DBJ Capital Global Brain

HAKKIhakki-africa.com 𝕏Apr 2025

Hakki Africa develops credit scoring algorithms and APIs for microfinance institutions and emerging market financial services in Africa, serving underbanked populations lacking formal credit history.

AI & Machine LearningFintechImpact & Social GoodSaaSTokyo, JP

KOJI TOKIDA(Co-Founder/COO)in Reiji Kobayashi(Founder)in

Co-investorsGlobal Brain Globis Capital Partners Headline SMBC Venture Capital Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation

Landitlandit.co.jp

Landit builds an urban intelligence platform that collects and analyzes spatial supply-demand and movement data using satellites, physical AI, and IoT, offering parking-focused digital products such as reservation, payment, brokerage, management, and AI camera automation services.

AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureMobility & TransportationPropTechTokyo, JP

Kenta Fujibayashi(代表取締役 (Representative Director / CEO))

Co-investorsmint VC Gingerbread Capital New Enterprise Associates (NEA)Valo Ventures Workday Ventures

LinQlinq.co.jp

Linq is a communication company focused on getting large numbers of users to adopt its own applications, developing consumer communication apps that may be used worldwide.

ConsumerSocial

Co-investorsNOW Japan NTT DOCOMO Ventures W Inc.

LocationMind株式会社locationmind.com in

LocationMind provides location intelligence and spatial analysis services using GNSS positioning, satellite imagery, IoT sensing (LiDAR, UWB), and mobile big data to support urban planning, infrastructure, mobility, and commercial applications across multiple sectors.

AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureIoTTokyo, JP

Naoki Kiritani(Founder / CEO)inRyosuke Shibasaki(Founder / CTO)Dinesh Manandhar(Founder / CDO)in

Co-investorsHulic Startup Miyako Capital Shizuoka Capital ZENRIN FUTURE PARTNERS

PAPAMO株式会社papamo.net 𝕏

PAPAMO operates an online movement therapy classroom for children with developmental concerns and provides program support services for therapeutic facilities.

EdTechHealthtechTokyo, JP

Sakiko Hashimoto(Representative Director)

Co-investorsGlobal Brain W Inc.Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Capital W ventures

エイターリンク (Aeterlink)aeterlink.com

AeterLink develops long-range wireless power transmission technology, including its "AirPlug" spatial wireless power system, and holds Japan's first WPT (wireless power transfer) radio station license.

CleantechDeep TechHardwareIoTTokyo, JP

Ryo Iwasa(Representative Director / CEO)in Yuji Tanabe(Director / CTO)inKazuhiro Esashi(CAO (Chief Accounting Officer) / Head of Finance)

Co-investorsAozora Corporate Investment Energy & Environment Investment Keio Innovation Initiative

シェルパ・アンド・カンパニーcierpa.co.jp

Runs the 'SmartESG' sustainability data platform, the 'ESG Journal' media, and 'ESG Advisory' consulting to support corporate sustainability management.

Jun Sugimotoin

Co-investorsGlobal Brain X-HUB TOKYO Global Startup Accelerator Genesia Ventures

すむたすsumutasu.co.jp

Sumutasu operates an AI-based service for selling condominiums in Japan, providing an online price assessment in as little as one hour and cash payment in as little as two days.

AI & Machine LearningMarketplacesPropTechRetail TechTokyo, JP

角 (Sumi)(代表 (Representative/CEO))Ryo Nakayama Tomoya Ito(Founder)in

Co-investors500 Global Coral Capital Global Brain Kiraboshi Capital Mobile Internet Capital, Inc.Plug and Play Ventures

ソラジマsorajima.jp

Japanese manga publisher and Webtoon studio producing original vertical-scroll comics distributed in 11 countries.

Tokyo, JP

前田儒郎(Founder)in

Co-investorsAtinum Investment Co. Ltd.CyberAgent Capital DBJ Capital Dentsu Ventures Global Brain KDDI Open Innovation Fund +4 more

株式会社Acompanyacompany.tech

Offers the 'Confidential AI Suite' security product brand centered on confidential computing to safely connect data and AI.

Ryosuke Takahashi(Founder)inTakeharu Kondo(Founder)

Co-investorsBeyond Next Ventures Central Japan Innovation Capital DG Daiwa Ventures Globis Capital Partners

Other

Tracked investments with no reachable website or further public details — typically companies that wound down, renamed, or were absorbed.

アイリス株式会社エイターリンク株式会社シェルパ・アンド・カンパニー株式会社ランディット株式会社公式Webサイトへ navigate_next株式会社WiseVine株式会社エンジニアのミカタ株式会社クラス株式会社コーピー株式会社すむたす株式会社ソラジマ画像

Portfolio news

latest coverage across their companies

LocationMind to Lead Tourism DX Initiative in the Middle East Using Geospatial AI | LocationMind株式会社 | 位置情報解析の東大発ベンチャー

LocationMind株式会社 · locationmind.com · Oct 17, 2025

Frequently asked questions

How many investments has Funds Startups made?: Funds Startups has 28 tracked investments, including 1 dated in the last 24 months.
What stage does Funds Startups invest at?: Funds Startups invests at the Series B, Series C, Growth, Late Stage stages.
What is Funds Startups's typical check size?: Funds Startups typically writes checks of $66M.
What sectors does Funds Startups focus on?: Funds Startups focuses on Biotech, Deep Tech, Medical Devices, Sector Agnostic.
Where is Funds Startups located?: Funds Startups is headquartered in Tokyo, JP.
Does Funds Startups lead rounds?: Yes, Funds Startups leads investment rounds.
Who does Funds Startups co-invest with?: Funds Startups most often shares deals with Global Brain, Globis Capital Partners, DBJ Capital, among 35 tracked co-investors.

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