AAA Nine CVCs join Tokyo Metropolis’s startup matching initiative

Nine CVCs join Tokyo Metropolis’s startup matching initiative

Tokyo landmarks
Tokyo landmarks
Tokyo landmarks

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has selected nine corporate partners for its investor and startup matching service.

Formally known as the Matching support project between corporate venture capital investors and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups, or Business x Next x Tokyo for short, the initiative was launched in June in association with human resources firm Adecco.



Asahi Kasei Ventures, Japan Con-Tech Fund, Canon Marketing Japan Mirai Fund, Kirin Health Innovation Fund and FR Mirai Creators Fund are among the selected corporate venturing units.

They represent chemicals producer Asahi Kasei, building maintenance firm Kashiwabara Corporation, advertising group Canon Marketing Japan, brewery Kirin Holdings and department store chain operator J Front Retailing, respectively.



The corporate line-up is filled out by industrial and aerospace equipment producer Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI), media production group Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions (ShoPro), plastics manufacturer Sekisui Chemical and chemical additive provider Denka.

The CVC participants are eligible to apply for a subsidy, where the Tokyo Metropolitan Government would assume half of the costs incurred during proof-of-concept activities with startups.


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By Edison Fu

Edison Fu is a reporter and Asia liaison at Global Corporate Venturing.