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Waseda University Ventures

Venture capital

Tokyo · Pre-Seed–Growth · 15 people tracked

Also known as 早稲田大学ベンチャーズ株式会社

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2,059 people in our graph share verified history with the Waseda University Ventures team — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.

Laura Buhlerunlockedknows Hiroaki Ohta · together at McKinsey & Company (overlapped)
×8knows the team · via University of Oxford
×3knows the team · via McKinsey & Company
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Investment thesis

Waseda University Ventures (WUV) is a venture capital firm dedicated to founding-stage investment, specializing in creating new startup companies that apply academic knowledge. Its mission is to implement scholarly insights and research outcomes into society, becoming a capital provider that generates businesses and industries contributing to the evolution and happiness of human society as well as sustainability. The firm backs university-originated deeptech and science-based ventures.

Source: firm website, verified Aug 27, 2026.

Stage
Pre-Seed–Growth
HQ
Tokyo, JP
Leads rounds
Leads
Instruments
Equity
Founded
2022
AUM
$58M
Tracked investments
31

Team · 15 people

from the firm's website
Hiroaki Ota· Representative Director; General Partner
Tetsuya Yamamoto· Representative Director; General Partner
太田裕朗· 代表取締役 / General Partner
山本哲也· 代表取締役 / General Partner
丹羽大介· パートナー (Partner)
大野聡子· パートナー (Partner)
Aiko Sekine· Auditor
Yasuyuki Abe· Chairman of the Board
関根愛子· 監査役 (Auditor)
阿部康行· 取締役会長 (Chairman)

What they invest in

from 16 of 31 portfolio companies

Deep Tech ×8Media & Entertainment ×7AI & Machine Learning ×3Biotech ×3Energy ×3Medical Devices ×3Cleantech ×2Hardware ×2

HQs:Japan×11United States×2

Investments · 31 tracked

founders shown can be your intro path
「ZET-summit2024」(2024年2月6-7日開催)に代表の藤嶌が登壇いたしましたzetsummit-kyoto.com

ZET Summit Kyoto is an event organized by Kyoto Prefecture that brings together researchers, companies, and public sector stakeholders to showcase zero emission technologies and foster collaboration between large corporations and green technology startups.

CleantechClimate TechDeep TechKyoto, JP

「ダイヤモンド半導体を当たり前の存在に」 気鋭のスタートアップの戦略を探るdempa-digital.com𝕏

Dempa Digital is a specialized media company focused on the electronics industry, delivering both real-time news and in-depth analysis through a weekly publication and digital platform.

Media & EntertainmentSemiconductors

2022年4月 出資prtimes.jp

PR TIMES is a press release distribution service that helps companies distribute news releases to media and the public, with content syndicated across more than 260 partner sites.

Marketing TechMedia & EntertainmentSaaS

Co-investorsAngel Bridge Co.,Ltd.basepartnersDD Holdings Venture CapitalDIMENSIONi Cubed Venturesi-nest capital+7 more

Anris Incanris.jp

ANRis develops nucleic acid therapeutics using proprietary SNPD-siRNA technology for drug discovery and treatment delivery in medical and pharmaceutical applications.

AI & Machine LearningBiotechDeep TechHealthtechMedical DevicesTokyo, JP

Kumiko Ui-Tei(Co-Founder, Chief Technology Officer (CTO))Takeshi Wada(Co-Founder, Technical Advisor)inHiroaki Taniguchi(Co-Founder, Technical Advisor)川村 渉(代表取締役 (Representative Director))

Biophenoma Incbiophenoma.com

BioPhenoMA develops a protein detection technology platform based on its proprietary TN-cyclon (improved enzyme cycling method) to quantify ultra-trace amounts of proteins in real biological samples while preserving their structure and localization.

BiotechDeep TechMedical Devices

Etsuro Ito(Founder)

Blue Laser Fusion Incbluelaserfusion.comin

Blue Laser Fusion develops proprietary pulsed laser technology for two main applications: directed energy defense systems and commercial fusion power generation.

Deep TechDefense TechEnergySanta Barbara, US

Dr. Shuji Nakamura(CEO)

Co-investorsSoftBank Group

Evermed Incevermed.jp

EVerMed is a company focused on extracellular vesicle biology and pharmaceutical development, combining academic expertise with industry experience in drug development and regenerative medicine.

BiotechDeep TechDigital HealthMedical DevicesTokyo, JP

Dr. Yu Fujita(Founder, CTO)

Marylandmaryland.gov𝕏

Maryland.gov is the official government portal for the U.S. state of Maryland, providing residents access to benefits such as unemployment insurance, financial assistance, food and nutrition programs, housing, and health services.

GovTech

Nano Qtnano-qt.comin

NanoQT (Nanofiber Quantum Technologies) develops quantum interconnect hardware based on a proprietary ultra-low-loss nanofiber cavity that uses cavity quantum electrodynamics to link quantum processing units via photons.

Deep TechHardwareQuantum Computing

Masashi Hirose(Co-founder & CEO)inAkihisa Goban(Co-founder & CTO)inTakao Aoki(Co-founder & CSO)Richard Ogawa(General Counsel)Dai Tsukada(Head of Operations)inRieko Shinohara(Director of People and Culture)in

Co-investorsPhoenix Venture Partners

Nikkan Kogyo Shimbunnikkan.co.jp𝕏

Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun operates a Japanese-language news publication focused on industry, manufacturing, and business coverage in Japan, reporting on topics such as economic indicators, energy, and technology.

Media & Entertainment

Co-investorsTOHOKU University Venture Partners

Power Diamond Systemspowerdiamondsys.com

Power Diamond Systems develops diamond semiconductor power and high-frequency devices, commercializing technology transferred from Waseda University research.

CleantechDeep TechEnergyHardwareSemiconductorsTokyo, JP

Tatsuya Fujishima(Co-Founder & CEO)inHiroshi Kawarada(Co-Founder)藤嶌 辰也(Co-Founder & CEO)川原田 洋(Co-Founder)

Co-investorsJIC Venture Growth Investments

ダイヤモンドMOSFET相補型パワーインバーター開発へitmedia.co.jp

ITmedia is a Japanese media portal that publishes articles and content on various technology topics.

Media & Entertainment

Co-investorsSoftBank GroupSumitomo Mitsui Trust nvestment Co. Ltd.

実用化が間近に迫る! ダイヤモンド半導体が今、注目される理由emira-t.jp𝕏

EMIRA is a Japanese online media publication that interprets innovation through the lens of "energy," featuring innovative people, sites, and past initiatives.

EnergyMedia & Entertainment

早大とPDSがダイヤモンドMOSFET開発newswitch.jp𝕏

Newswitch is a Japanese news site covering economics and industry with a focus on manufacturing, technology, and careers, presenting specialized news in an accessible way.

AI & Machine LearningMedia & Entertainment

株式会社Quanmaticquanmatic.comin

Quanmatic works on the social implementation and commercialization of advanced technology across enterprise IT, consulting, and autonomous driving fields.

AI & Machine LearningDeep TechQuantum Computing

Daisuke Tanaka(Chief Executive Officer)in

Co-investorsUTEC

Other

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

AccesswireGel Coat Biomaterials IncKitakyushuKyutechMriNanofiber Quantum Technologies, Inc.NanoQT、米新興と協力Neubond Ltd.PDSPestalozzi Technology IncTitechTres Alchemix LtdVeta Corpローム株式会社と協働で量子技術の研究開発から社会実装までを一気通貫で加速

Portfolio news

latest coverage across their companies

Frequently asked questions

How many investments has Waseda University Ventures made?
Waseda University Ventures has 31 tracked investments.
What stage does Waseda University Ventures invest at?
Waseda University Ventures invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C, Growth stages.
What sectors does Waseda University Ventures focus on?
Waseda University Ventures focuses on Biotech, Deep Tech, New Materials, Quantum Computing, Sector Agnostic, Semiconductors, Sports Tech.
Where is Waseda University Ventures located?
Waseda University Ventures is headquartered in Tokyo, JP.
Does Waseda University Ventures lead rounds?
Yes, Waseda University Ventures leads investment rounds.
Who does Waseda University Ventures co-invest with?
Waseda University Ventures most often shares deals with Angel Bridge Co.,Ltd., Phoenix Venture Partners, Maor Investments, among 27 tracked co-investors.

Images

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