KEY POINTSHakuhodo DY Holdings invests in Alumni Ventures Japan+US Bridge Fund and starts collaboration with U.S. venture capital firm Alumni VenturesPartnership links Japanese companies with U.S.-centered startups in AI, deep tech, space, health tech and quantum computingPlanned work includes seminars, business matching, market-entry support, research, networking and talent development
Hakuhodo DY Holdings is partnering with U.S. venture capital firm Alumni Ventures to link Japanese companies with advanced startups and technologies. Photo by Declan Sun on Unsplash
Declan Sun
Hakuhodo DY Holdings said on July 9 that it will invest in the newly formed Alumni Ventures Japan+US Bridge Fund and begin a collaboration with U.S. venture capital firm Alumni Ventures to connect Japanese companies with startups in advanced technology fields.
The Japanese advertising and marketing group is positioning incubation as one of the growth areas in its medium-term management plan and has been building a domestic base for incubation and startup support rooted in its consumer-focused approach. The new partnership is intended to use Alumni Ventures’ U.S. network to accelerate collaboration and innovation with cutting-edge startups.
Hakuhodo DY said links between Japanese corporations and the global startup and investor networks emerging in frontier sectors remain underdeveloped. It described the United States as a core market for startups and venture capital, with deal flow and technology trends concentrated in areas such as artificial intelligence, deep tech, space, health technology and quantum computing.
The Japan+US Bridge Fund is being formed to bridge the startup ecosystems of Japan and the United States. Through investments in startups mainly in the United States, the fund aims to create opportunities for Japanese companies and industries to connect with advanced global technologies, according to the release.
The companies plan joint seminars and events linking Japanese companies with overseas startups, business-matching support, discussions on helping overseas startups enter the Japanese market, knowledge-sharing on venture investment and global networking, personnel exchange and training, and joint research and information dissemination on overseas technology and startup trends.
Hakuhodo DY and Alumni Ventures also plan to combine the Japanese group’s strengths in creative and marketing execution with Alumni Ventures’ startup network to pursue value creation in the Japanese market and the creation of new industries, the release said.
Alumni Ventures, founded in 2014 and based in Manchester, New Hampshire, has raised more than $1.6 billion from over 25,000 investors and syndicate members and has invested in more than 1,800 companies across multiple sectors. Its representative is Michael Collins, and its investment focus includes startups in Japan and the United States, particularly in AI, deep tech and life sciences.
As part of the collaboration, Ryutaro Nakata of Alumni Ventures Japan is scheduled to speak at the sixth Global Deep Tech VC Seminar on July 29, a seminar series jointly hosted by Hakuhodo DY Holdings and Corundum System Biology, according to the release.
Japan has sought to deepen links between established corporations and startup ecosystems as companies pursue growth in areas such as AI and other advanced technologies. Corporate venture investment and partnerships with overseas funds have become one route for Japanese companies to access startup pipelines and international networks.