Japan-based Global Brain (GB) has been on a tear this year adding four corporate mandates to its venture capital as a service model that is increasingly common for specialist managers as highlighted last week.
One of the latest is agriculture-focused bank Norinchukin, which provided a $50m mandate to GB and is an important relationship given the bank’s political and economic ties. Last month, Japan appointed Masataka Miyazono, a former Norinchukin Bank executive, as the head of its $1.5 trillion Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF).
Norinchukin joined GB’s same-sized mandates from drinks-to-drugs provider Kirin, printing group Epson and logistics company Yamato also won this year.
They build on a platform provided by other corporations, including telecoms operator KDDI, real estate manager Mitsui Fudosan and the financial services unit of electronics giant Sony. KDDI’s third Open Innovation fund mandate with GB is $200m, Mitsui Fudosan has provided $50m for an early-stage fund and $300m for a growth one under the 31Ventures group, and Sony Financial Ventures is a $50m program for Sony Financial Group.
GB’s own flagship seventh venture fund has $300m for limited partners.
And, true to its name, GB is increasingly global having set up its London, UK office last year under Naoki Kamimaeda and Rina Obi to primarily cover Europe and Israel as well eastern parts of North America.
As a result, we are delighted to welcome GB as a speaker at our next GCV Digital Forum 2.0 on 29 September, which will incorporate the GCV Asia Congress as well as the GCV Energy and New York’s GCV Synergize events as they move online this year. Subject to covid-19 restrictions, live conference programming will start on 7-8 December in London with the GCV Symposium followed by the GCVI Summit on 27-28 January in Monterey, California.
