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なぜ人類規模の課題は、スタートアップから始まるのか

Two Japan-based deep tech startups, Okuma Diamond Device and ZettaJoule, are tackling challenges that large corporations and government agencies have struggled to commercialize. Okuma Diamond Device is developing diamond semiconductors offering 13x better heat dissipation and 5x output performance over silicon, despite a structural funding paradox—no mass market exists yet to justify factory investment. ZettaJoule, pursuing meltdown-proof nuclear reactors based on JAEA research, has attracted senior energy industr…

7/22/2026

AIに「賢さ」を任せたら、人には何が残るのか

Coral Capital explores how AI is commoditizing the analytical skills long prized in consulting, finance, and tech. Drawing on a Startup Aquarium talk by PKSHA Technology CEO Katsuya Uenoyama, the piece argues that AI is evolving from a language model into an action model, shifting human value from knowing to doing. Uenoyama calls the key differentiator "intellectual motor skills" — the ability to enter markets, move people, run experiments, and drive change. In an AI-native world, the real competitive edge lies no…

7/7/2026

どの市場で創るべきか、日本のAIアプリ層に好機到来

Coral Capital has published an analysis arguing that Japan's AI application-layer startup ecosystem is significantly underdeveloped compared to the United States, presenting a major opportunity for founders. The firm draws parallels to Japan's early SaaS era around 2016, when investments in companies like SmartHR and IVRy preceded a broader market surge. Coral Capital identifies regulatory compliance, vertical-specific software, proprietary data access, and orchestration as defensible moats. Japan's projected labo…

7/1/2026

言語の壁が消えた。それは脅威か、それとも機会か

A talk session published on Coral Capital's YouTube channel, featuring VCs from Coreline Ventures, SBI Investment, and ain, examined how AI is dismantling Japan's traditional market defenses. With translation and localization costs now near zero, overseas startups are targeting Japan as early as Series A or B, eroding the "build a Japan-specific version" playbook domestic founders have long relied on. The panel also discussed how AI is reshaping hiring — shifting demand toward a smaller, high-judgment workforce — …

6/17/2026

Andurilとともに、日本を未来へ進める

Defense tech company Anduril completed a $5 billion Series H at a $61 billion valuation, co-led by a16z and Thrive Capital, with Coral Capital also participating. Coral's post highlights the strategic Japan angle: at a Tokyo launch event, Palmer Luckey unveiled the "Kizuna" drone built entirely from Japanese components. Japanese firms — already deep in Anduril's supply chain — are positioned as critical partners rather than newcomers. Coral frames the investment within the broader Japan-US alliance and Japan's fou…

6/10/2026

なぜ次の太陽光戦争を制するのは、中国ではなく日本なのか

China dominates 80% of global solar manufacturing, creating dangerous energy dependency. But perovskite solar technology—lighter, flexible, and highly efficient—offers Japan a structural advantage through its geography, building stock, and dominance in iodine reserves, a key material in perovskite cells.

4/29/2026

SpaceX出身の起業家はなぜ核燃料を作るのか

Scott Nolan, former SpaceX engineer turned investor, founded General Matter to address the US nuclear fuel supply gap. With $900M DOE contract and $2.4B US EXIM Bank interest for Japan, his startup aims to rebuild American uranium enrichment capacity lost since 2013, critical for both US and Japanese energy security.

4/20/2026

日本のアポロ計画──ダイヤモンド半導体という挑戦

The Fukushima nuclear disaster exposed a critical gap: silicon electronics fail under extreme radiation. Japan launched a national project to develop diamond semiconductors—the ultimate power material—capable of operating inside damaged reactors to prevent recriticality.

4/8/2026

Building a $200M Music Company Outside Silicon Valley | Suno’s Story - Coral Capital

The story of how Suno built a $200 million music technology company outside of Silicon Valley, highlighting their unique approach to music creation and business development.

4/3/2026

日本の「再軍備」が意味すること

Japan has historically alternated between military development and disarmament. From rapid gun adoption in the 1500s to post-WWII pacifism, Japan now moves toward rearmament by lifting weapons export restrictions, leveraging its advanced industrial capabilities.

3/11/2026

Japan can be America's arsenal - Noahpinion | Substack

Article discusses Japan's potential role as a strategic military production partner for the United States, examining defense cooperation and manufacturing capabilities.

3/3/2026

アメリカのロボットの中身は、日本製だらけだ

While America dominates neural networks, Japan controls the 'nervous system' of robotics through precision motion control. Japanese companies excel in reliability engineering for industrial applications.

2/26/2026

If The US Wants Robots, They Need Japan - Coral Capital

Cannot generate summary - article content not provided

2/26/2026

なぜ北海道は「新しい台湾」なのか

Japan didn't lose the semiconductor war but specialized in high-margin, irreplaceable manufacturing technologies. With the Rapidus project, Hokkaido could become a new Taiwan-like semiconductor hub.

2/11/2026

日本はなぜ、再び原子力へ向かうのか

Japan, lacking energy resources, faced economic shocks from oil crises and Ukraine war. The country built 54 nuclear reactors by 2010, achieving 30% nuclear power share and technological dominance in reactor components, now reconsidering nuclear energy for energy sovereignty.

1/27/2026

日本の出生率の話はもうやめよう

Challenges the Western narrative of Japan's decline due to low birth rates, arguing Japan has successfully adapted to demographic changes while neighboring East Asian countries face worse situations.

1/21/2026

「失われた数十年」への決別と、日本の「第三の躍進」

Japan faces a third transformation opportunity amid US-China tensions. Despite the 'lost decades,' Japan holds critical positions in semiconductors and deep tech, making US-Japan integration essential for both nations' futures.

1/13/2026

JAPAN IS BACK – Let’s Build with Japan - Coral Capital

Coral Capital discusses Japan's resurgence and opportunities for collaboration and investment in building businesses and partnerships with Japan.

1/13/2026

【超早割あり】日本最大のスタートアップキャリアフェア「Startup Aquarium 2026」を開催します

Japan's largest startup career fair returns for its 5th edition on March 14, 2026 at Toranomon Hills. Features top CEOs, 50+ company pitches, and networking opportunities. Super early bird tickets available until January 14.

12/16/2025

The 8 Largest NYC Tech Startup Funding Rounds of November 2025 - AlleyWatch

AlleyWatch reports on the top 8 technology startup funding rounds that took place in New York City during November 2025, highlighting the largest investment deals in the city's tech ecosystem.

12/9/2025

The Cost of Waiting for Local Leadership | LinkedIn’s Japan Entry - Coral Capital

An analysis of LinkedIn's delayed market entry into Japan and the strategic costs associated with waiting to find local leadership before expanding into international markets.

12/3/2025

146億円セカンダリーはどう決まったのか──日本最大ディールの裏側

Coral Capital sold part of its SmartHR shares to General Atlantic for 14.6 billion yen in Japan's largest secondary transaction. The deal balanced risk management with growth conviction, maintaining upside while reducing concentration risk through strategic liquidity design.

12/1/2025

Ramp raises $300m at $32bn valuation - FinTech Futures

Unable to generate summary - article content excerpt not provided

11/18/2025

SmartHR: $96 Million Strategic Investment Raised As General Atlantic Acquires Stake From Coral Capital - Pulse 2.0

Japanese HR tech company SmartHR secures $96 million in strategic funding as investment firm General Atlantic acquires a stake from existing investor Coral Capital.

11/18/2025

SmartHR Receives US$96 Million (JPY¥14.6 Billion) Strategic Investment From General Atlantic, Acquiring Stake From Coral Capital - General Atlantic

SmartHR, a Japanese HR tech company, secured $96 million strategic investment from General Atlantic, with the investor acquiring stake from existing shareholder Coral Capital.

11/17/2025

Ramp Reaches $32 Billion Valuation, Doubling Revenue and Customers in Past Year - PR Newswire

Financial technology company Ramp achieved a $32 billion valuation milestone, demonstrating remarkable growth by doubling both revenue and customer base within the past year.

11/17/2025

Ramp Valued at $32 Billion After $300 Million Financing Round - Finovate

Corporate expense management platform Ramp achieves $32 billion valuation following successful $300 million funding round, demonstrating strong investor confidence in fintech sector.

11/17/2025

Ramp: $32 Billion Valuation Achieved After $300 Million Raise And Tender Offer - Pulse 2.0

Corporate expense management company Ramp achieved a $32 billion valuation following a $300 million funding round and tender offer, marking significant growth in the fintech sector.

11/17/2025

Coral Capital Solutions Welcomes Siska as Chief Operating Officer - ABF Journal

Unable to generate summary as article content excerpt was not provided in the request.

11/7/2025

MarqVision Lands $48M Series B to Power Brand Control and Revenue Growth for Global Brands - PR Newswire

MarqVision secured $48M in Series B funding to enhance its brand protection and revenue growth solutions for global brands, expanding its capabilities in brand control technologies.

9/15/2025

Investment Signals

20
TrendEnterprise85%

Japanese deep tech companies are addressing the challenge of commercializing domestically-developed technologies globally by establishing overseas operations and recruiting experienced regulatory leaders.

Source: なぜ人類規模の課題は、スタートアップから始まるのか
ThesisEnterprise88%

Early-stage startups, not large corporations, are better positioned to tackle humanity-scale challenges because they can take risks without quarterly earnings pressure and existing business constraints.

Source: なぜ人類規模の課題は、スタートアップから始まるのか
InvestmentEnterpriseGrowth92%

ZettaJoule is commercializing Japan's high-temperature gas reactor technology, with backing from former nuclear regulators and a $850M+ planned research reactor project at Texas A&M.

Source: なぜ人類規模の課題は、スタートアップから始まるのか
InvestmentEnterpriseGrowth95%

Okuma Diamond Devices is building the world's first diamond semiconductor factory (completion May 2026) to commercialize next-generation analog semiconductors with superior thermal and radiation properties for demanding applications.

Source: なぜ人類規模の課題は、スタートアップから始まるのか
ThesisAI / ML86%

AI amplifies the impact of one's starting position and available action space; those with broader environments and networks see exponentially greater returns from AI adoption.

Source: AIに「賢さ」を任せたら、人には何が残るのか
OpinionAI / ML82%

Japan's startup ecosystem lacks not technology or capital but the ambition to pursue sufficiently large problems, and this gap will become more apparent as AI commoditizes technical capabilities.

Source: AIに「賢さ」を任せたら、人には何が残るのか
ThesisAI / ML88%

AI commoditizes abstract reasoning and information processing, making previously valuable white-collar skills universally accessible and shifting competitive advantage to execution capability and decision-making.

Source: AIに「賢さ」を任せたら、人には何が残るのか
ThesisAI / ML85%

AI is evolving from text-based language models to action-based models that execute code and tasks, fundamentally shifting what humans need to provide: from abstract intelligence to the ability to drive change in reality.

Source: AIに「賢さ」を任せたら、人には何が残るのか
TrendHealthTech88%

Healthcare and social services will face most severe labor shortage by 2035, creating opportunities for AI in clinical documentation and administrative tasks where high-earning professionals waste hours on paperwork.

Source: どの市場で創るべきか、日本のAIアプリ層に好機到来
InvestmentAI / ML86%

IVRy started with small businesses (clinics, restaurants) unable to answer phones manually and grew to serve 90+ industries across all prefectures with $100M+ total funding.

Source: どの市場で創るべきか、日本のAIアプリ層に好機到来
InvestmentSaaSGrowth87%

LayerX's Bakuraku automated backoffice accounting across 20,000+ companies and reached 10 billion yen ARR by early 2026, demonstrating 'make unnecessary not easier' design philosophy.

Source: どの市場で創るべきか、日本のAIアプリ層に好機到来
InvestmentAI / MLGrowth88%

LegalOn exemplifies successful vertical AI with lawyer-verified Japanese legal content and compliance moats, now used by 30%+ of listed Japanese companies.

Source: どの市場で創るべきか、日本のAIアプリ層に好機到来
TrendAI / ML90%

Japan's acute labor shortage (384 million person-days shortage by 2035) creates strong tailwinds for AI automation in administrative, healthcare, and customer service sectors.

Source: どの市場で創るべきか、日本のAIアプリ層に好機到来
OpinionAI / ML89%

Pain-killing AI products (solving critical problems) will generate revenue faster than vitamin-like efficiency improvement products.

Source: どの市場で創るべきか、日本のAIアプリ層に好機到来
TrendAI / ML87%

AI-scribing solutions like Abridge are rapidly expanding in healthcare by automating clinical documentation, creating major ROI opportunities in medical administration.

Source: どの市場で創るべきか、日本のAIアプリ層に好機到来
InvestmentAI / ML85%

SmartHR, Kakehashi, and Dinii were early SaaS investments made in 2016 that benefited from regulatory and local platform differences.

Source: どの市場で創るべきか、日本のAIアプリ層に好機到来
InvestmentAI / ML88%

Portfolio companies Lens, IVRy, MarqVision, and Factory represent investments in AI application layer across different geographies.

Source: どの市場で創るべきか、日本のAIアプリ層に好機到来
ThesisAI / ML90%

Local Japanese companies must compete on structural advantages like regulatory compliance, local data, and niche vertical specialization rather than simple localization, as foreign competitors enter faster.

Source: どの市場で創るべきか、日本のAIアプリ層に好機到来
ThesisAI / ML92%

Japan has significant untapped opportunities for AI application startups compared to the US, with a 'Cambrian explosion' imminent as happened with SaaS adoption.

Source: どの市場で創るべきか、日本のAIアプリ層に好機到来
ThesisAI / ML95%

AI application layer startups will survive and thrive despite foundation model improvements, with defensibility through regulatory compliance, vertical specialization, proprietary data, orchestration layers, and specialized models.

Source: どの市場で創るべきか、日本のAIアプリ層に好機到来

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