Portfolio Companies
4emole
emole, operator of short drama app BUMP, raises 850 million yen in Series A funding
LocationMind
LocationMind completes second close of Series B, raising JPY 3.17bn total (~$21.5M USD)
Arches
Arches raises $1.6M to expand Expert Knowledge Sharing service across 5 Asian locations.
BRIDGE（ブリッジ）
Japan virtual YouTuber management agency raises $6.6M to expand globally
Recent Articles
7Top 7 Intellectual Property Startups to Watch in 2026 - Failory
Failory highlights the top 7 intellectual property startups to watch in 2026, showcasing innovative companies disrupting the IP industry with cutting-edge technology and solutions.
12/1/2025
emole, operator of short drama app “BUMP,” raises 850 million yen in Series A funding - BRIDGE（ブリッジ）
emole, the company behind short drama app 'BUMP,' has successfully raised 850 million yen in Series A funding, signaling strong investor confidence in the growing short-form drama streaming market in Japan.
4/3/2025
Japan FinTech Observer #78. Welcome to the seventy-eighth edition… | by Norbert Gehrke | Tokyo FinTech - Medium
The 78th edition of Japan FinTech Observer by Norbert Gehrke on Tokyo FinTech, covering the latest trends and developments in Japan's financial technology landscape.
9/23/2024
LocationMind completes second close of Series B, raising a total of JPY 3.17bn | by Norbert Gehrke | Tokyo FinTech - Medium
LocationMind has completed the second close of its Series B funding round, bringing the total amount raised to JPY 3.17 billion. The announcement was covered by Tokyo FinTech on Medium.
9/20/2024
GCV Powerlist 2022: Akihiko Tokuhisa - Global Venturing
5/17/2022
Arches raises USD1.6 million to expands its "Expert Knowledge Sharing" service throughout 5 locations in Asia - PR Newswire Asia
Arches has secured USD1.6 million in funding to expand its Expert Knowledge Sharing service across five locations in Asia, signaling growing demand for expert consultation platforms in the region.
12/16/2021
Japan virtual YouTuber management agency raises $6.6 million to expand globally - BRIDGE（ブリッジ）
A Japanese virtual YouTuber (VTuber) management agency has secured $6.6 million in funding to fuel its global expansion efforts, signaling growing international interest in the VTuber industry.
5/8/2020
Investment Signals
6Arches secured USD 1.6 million funding to expand its Expert Knowledge Sharing service across 5 Asian locations, indicating investor confidence in the B2B knowledge platform business model.
emole raised 850 million yen (~$5.7M USD) in Series A funding for BUMP, a short-form drama content app, indicating investor confidence in mobile entertainment platforms.
Intellectual property startups are emerging as a notable category worth monitoring in 2026, indicating growing market interest in IP management and automation solutions.
LocationMind completed second close of Series B funding, raising JPY 3.17bn total. This indicates continued investor confidence in the company's business model and growth trajectory.
VCs are backing talent management agencies focused on virtual content creators (VTubers) as a viable international expansion market.
Virtual YouTuber management agency in Japan raised $6.6 million for global expansion, indicating investor confidence in the VTuber talent management market.