Nobuyuki Akimoto, formerly the head of NTT Docomo Ventures, the corporate venturing unit of Japan-based telecommunications company NTT, joined US and Asia-focused venture capital firm TransLink Capital this month as a managing partner.
Akimoto, one of GCV’s Rising Stars in 2016 (pictured speaking at the Global Corporate Venturing Symposium last month – on left, with Matthew Koertge from Telstra Ventures), moved from NTT Docomo Ventures to NTT subsidiary NTT Docomo’s global service planning office, in its smart-life business division in July 2016.
The latest move comes as Sompo Japan Nipponkoa Insurance (SJNK), a subsidiary of Japan-based insurer Sompo, commits at least $40m and possibly up to $80m, to TransLink to manage its corporate venture capital fund.
In April 2016, Sompo and SJNK established digital strategy planning departments as well as an innovation hub called Sompo Digital Lab in Tokyo and Silicon Valley as part of a plan to make investments into digital technologies.
Beyond such managed accounts, TransLink Capital raised more than $65m for its third fund in 2014, according to news provider AltAssets.
Separately, Hiroshi Baba has moved internally at NTT from a senior manager role at NTT Investment Partners to become director of NTT’s sports and entertainment office and strategic planning office. Akimoto was succeeded at NTT Docomo Ventures in 2016 by Takayuki Inagawa.