Kazuhiko Chuman is general manager of KDDI Open Innovation Fund, a corporate venture capital fund set up by Japanese telecoms company KDDI in 2012. The fund has invested in more than 100 startups across technology sectors and realised 16 exits to date.
KDDI Open Innovation Fund not only targets companies operating in the domestic market – such as virtual reality game developer Thirdverse, robotics technology developer Telexistence and Ginkan, the owner of gastronomy social network SynchroLife – but also cross-border deals, backing global startups including Germany-based private online browser and search tool creator Xayn and South Korea-headquartered short video production company Whynot Media.
In recent months, the fund has invested in events platform US-based Airmeet as well as UnaBiz, an Internet-of-Things (IoT) developer which has headquarters in Singapore and Thailand.
KDDI Open Innovation Fund’s healthcare-oriented portfolio includes chat-based medical consultation service Embrace, dermatology drug and cosmetics maker NanoEgg and healthy lifestyle assistance app operator Prevent.
Chuman said while KDDI Open Innovation Fund shares deal flow with other CVC units, it also co-invests with large enterprises that do not have a dedicated vehicle or venture investment subsidiary.
In addition, KDDI’s accelerator scheme, Mugen Labo, aims for business co-creation by combining the ideas and technologies of startups with a wide range of assets from enterprise partners.
He recently told Global Corporate Venturing: “Furthermore, we have partnered with Tokyo University to offer entrepreneurship education for master’s degree since October 2021.” Chuman was educated at Kyushu University in Fukuoka.
