Japanese ceramics and electronics producer Kyocera Corporation is set to launch a $40m corporate venture capital unit called Kyocera Ventures Innovation Fund I in April.
Founded in 1959, Kyocera manufactures industrial ceramics, solar power generating equipment, telecommunications technology, document imaging systems, electronic parts, chip packages, cutting tools and medical and dental implant devices.
Kyocera has done some corporate venturing in the past, having last disclosed a direct investment in gut bacteria supplement developer AuB’s $2.3m round in mid-2022. It also backed funds including venture capital firm Earth & Beyond Ventures’ $125m deep and space tech fund in February 2023.
Kyocera Ventures Innovation Fund I will operate for a decade and focus on series A to C stage Japanese and Asian startups, providing between $200,000 and $2m per deal.
Target areas include environment and energy, information and communications, medical and healthcare, mobility, advanced materials, software and AI, aerospace and defence, semiconductors, and nuclear fusion.
The fund will be jointly managed by VC firm Global Brain, which already helps run other CVC funds, including telecoms firm KDDI’s Open Innovation Funds, property developer Mitsui Fudosan’s 31Ventures and logistics group Yamato’s Kuroneko Innovation Fund.
