# AI investors in Japan (2026 list)

> 172 AI investors in Japan, 95% active in the last 12 months. Led by Techstars, 500 Global, Andreessen Horowitz. Ranked by what they funded.

Source: https://millionrounds.com/lists/ai-investors-in-japan (Millionrounds; every figure on the page links to its filing or article)

[Investor Lists](https://millionrounds.com/lists)

# AI investors in Japan

Updated 7 November 2026

Firms observed backing an AI company in Japan in the last two years, wherever the firm is based.

[See all 172 *→*](https://millionrounds.com/login?join=1&next=%2Fapp%2Finvestor-lists%2Fai-investors-in-japan)The top 25

**172** investors on the list *+1* this week

**4,129** cheques in 12 months *-13%* against the market

**$11M** median round they joined *+43%* against the market median

**95%** wrote a cheque in 12 months

**41%** have led a round

## The Top 25

Ordered by cheques observed, never by anything anyone paid for

Deploying now (25)

- 1 [Techstars](https://millionrounds.com/fund/techstars) *Deploying now* VC firm · United States **2,989** **$1.2M** median round **Nov 2026** last seen
- 2 [500 Global](https://millionrounds.com/fund/500-startups) *Deploying now* Angel · United States **2,140** **$3.6M** median round **Oct 2026** last seen
- 3 [Andreessen Horowitz](https://millionrounds.com/fund/andreessen-horowitz) *Deploying now* VC firm · United States **1,661** **$27M** median round **Nov 2026** last seen
- 4 [New Enterprise Associates](https://millionrounds.com/fund/new-enterprise-associates) *Deploying now* VC firm · United States **1,610** **$34M** median round **Oct 2026** last seen
- 5 [Plug and Play](https://millionrounds.com/fund/plug-and-play) *Deploying now* Accelerator · United States **1,561** **$5M** median round **Nov 2026** last seen
- 6 [Khosla Ventures](https://millionrounds.com/fund/khosla-ventures) *Deploying now* VC firm · United States **1,128** **$26M** median round **Nov 2026** last seen
- 7 [Gaingels](https://millionrounds.com/fund/gaingels) *Deploying now* Private equity · United States **1,010** **$8M** median round **Oct 2026** last seen
- 8 [Google for Startups](https://millionrounds.com/fund/google-for-startups) *Deploying now* Accelerator · United States **811** **$1.4M** median round **Sept 2026** last seen
- 9 [Goldman Sachs](https://millionrounds.com/fund/goldman-sachs) *Deploying now* Private equity · United States **758** **$73M** median round **Oct 2026** last seen
- 10 [Antler](https://millionrounds.com/fund/antler) *Deploying now* VC firm · United Kingdom **729** **$1M** median round **Nov 2026** last seen
- 11 [Salesforce Ventures](https://millionrounds.com/fund/salesforce-ventures) *Deploying now* Corporate VC · United States **649** **$26M** median round **Nov 2026** last seen
- 12 [Citibank](https://millionrounds.com/fund/citi) *Deploying now* Growth equity · United States **566** **$20M** median round **Oct 2026** last seen
- 13 [Tengxun Touzi](https://millionrounds.com/fund/tengxun-touzi) *Deploying now* VC firm · China **553** **$50M** median round **Nov 2026** last seen
- 14 [HSG](https://millionrounds.com/fund/hsg) *Deploying now* VC firm · Hong Kong SAR China **498** **$31M** median round **Oct 2026** last seen
- 15 [B Capital](https://millionrounds.com/fund/b-capital) *Deploying now* VC firm · United States **495** **$14M** median round **Oct 2026** last seen
- 16 [Mitsubishi UFJ Capital](https://millionrounds.com/fund/mitsubishi-ufj-capital-co-ltd) *Deploying now* VC firm · Japan **493** **$4.7M** median round **Nov 2026** last seen
- 17 [Global Brain Corporation](https://millionrounds.com/fund/global-brain-corporation) *Deploying now* VC firm · Japan **480** **$7.6M** median round **Sept 2026** last seen
- 18 [GSR](https://millionrounds.com/fund/gsr) *Deploying now* VC firm · United Kingdom **453** **$6M** median round **Jun 2026** last seen
- 19 [Lux Capital](https://millionrounds.com/fund/lux-capital) *Deploying now* VC firm · United States **445** **$30M** median round **Nov 2026** last seen
- 20 [SMBC Venture Capital](https://millionrounds.com/fund/smbc-venture-capital-2) *Deploying now* Investment bank · Japan **443** **$5.1M** median round **Oct 2026** last seen
- 21 [DCM Ventures](https://millionrounds.com/fund/dcm-ventures) *Deploying now* Private equity · United States **433** **$16M** median round **Aug 2026** last seen
- 22 [Mizuho Capital](https://millionrounds.com/fund/mizuho-capital) *Deploying now* VC firm · Japan **397** **$6.5M** median round **Nov 2026** last seen
- 23 [Crosslink Capital](https://millionrounds.com/fund/crosslink-capital) *Deploying now* VC firm · United States **381** **$10M** median round **Oct 2026** last seen
- 24 [East Ventures](https://millionrounds.com/fund/east-ventures) *Deploying now* VC firm · Singapore **367** **$2.8M** median round **Oct 2026** last seen
- 25 [SBI Investment](https://millionrounds.com/fund/sbi-investment) *Deploying now* VC firm · Japan **330** **$8.7M** median round **Sept 2026** last seen

**147 more on this list**

All 172 are in the app, with filters for stage, sector and market. A free account shows 10 per search, Pro up to 1,000.

[See the whole list *→*](https://millionrounds.com/login?join=1&next=%2Fapp%2Finvestor-lists%2Fai-investors-in-japan)

## The Newest Cheques

Rounds this list's investors joined most recently

- **6** Nov **[Ocient](https://millionrounds.com/company/ocient)** Series C · $100M *With* [In-Q-Tel](https://millionrounds.com/fund/iqt)
- **5** Nov **[T-Therapeutics](https://millionrounds.com/company/t-therapeutics)** Series B · $133M *With* [Tengxun Touzi](https://millionrounds.com/fund/tengxun-touzi)
- **5** Nov **[Soter Insure](https://millionrounds.com/company/soter-insure)** Series B *With* [SBI Group](https://millionrounds.com/fund/sbi-group)
- **5** Nov **[CesiumAstro](https://millionrounds.com/company/cesiumastro)** Series D+ · $730M *With* [Woven Capital](https://millionrounds.com/fund/woven-capital)
- **5** Nov **[Nealle](https://millionrounds.com/company/nealle)** Series C *With* [Keyrock Capital Management Limited](https://millionrounds.com/fund/keyrock-capital-management-limited)
- **5** Nov **[Zipline](https://millionrounds.com/company/zipline)** Growth · $1.5B *With* [Salesforce Ventures](https://millionrounds.com/fund/salesforce-ventures)

## Stages This Year

2,883 rounds

- Venture **22%**
- Seed **18%**
- Series A **17%**
- Series B **9%**
- Debt **7%**
- Other **28%**

## What They Backed

Sectors, last 12 months

- AI **1,134**
- Fintech **194**
- Biotech **153**
- Healthcare **145**
- Big Data & Analytics **141**
- Financial Services **129**

## Cheques by Quarter

Led Joined

1,117 Q1 25

1,242 Q2 25

1,372 Q3 25

1,413 Q4 25

1,323 Q1 26

1,158 Q2 26

892 Q3 26

248 Q4 26

The last bar is the quarter still running.

## Lists Like This

- [AI investors in United States 3,683](https://millionrounds.com/lists/ai-investors-in-united-states)
- [Fintech investors in United States 1,166](https://millionrounds.com/lists/fintech-investors-in-united-states)
- [AI investors in United Kingdom 1,039](https://millionrounds.com/lists/ai-investors-in-united-kingdom)
- [Big Data & Analytics investors in United States 1,039](https://millionrounds.com/lists/big-data-investors-in-united-states)
- [Biotech investors in United States 914](https://millionrounds.com/lists/biotech-investors-in-united-states)
- [Energy investors in United States 798](https://millionrounds.com/lists/energy-investors-in-united-states)
- [Robotics investors in United States 797](https://millionrounds.com/lists/robotics-investors-in-united-states)
- [Construction investors in United States 742](https://millionrounds.com/lists/construction-investors-in-united-states)
- [Cybersecurity investors in United States 702](https://millionrounds.com/lists/cybersecurity-investors-in-united-states)

[All investor lists *→*](https://millionrounds.com/lists)

## Reading for founders in AI and data

- Genius Makers: The Mavericks Who Brought AI to Google, Facebook, and the World Cade Metz · 2021 4.26 from 3,395 ratings on Goodreads AI and data Company building About the book "This colorful page-turner puts artificial intelligence into a human perspective. Through the lives of Geoff Hinton and other major players, Metz explains this transformative technology and makes the quest thrilling." Walter Isaacson, author of The Code Breaker Recipient of… On AmazonListen on Audible
- Rewired: The McKinsey Guide to Outcompeting in the Age of Digital and AI Eric Lamarre · 2023 3.87 from 490 ratings on Goodreads AI and data Company building About the book In Rewired, the world's most influential management consulting firm, McKinsey & Company, delivers a road-tested, how-to manual their own consultants use to help companies build the capabilities to outcompete in the age of digital and AI. Many companies are stuck with digital… On AmazonListen on Audible
- The Scaling Era: An Oral History of AI, 2019–2025 Dwarkesh Patel · 2025 3.87 from 570 ratings on Goodreads AI and data Company building About the book An inside view of the AI revolution, from the people and companies making it happen.How did we build large language models? How do they think, if they think? What will the world look like if we have billions of AIs that are as smart as humans, or even smarter?In a series of… On AmazonListen on Audible
- Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity Daron Acemoğlu · 2023 3.94 from 2,496 ratings on Goodreads AI and data Company building About the book The bestselling co-author of Why Nations Fail and the bestselling co-author of 13 Bankers deliver a bold reinterpretation of economics and history that will fundamentally change how you see the world A thousand years of history and contemporary evidence make one thing clear.… On AmazonListen on Audible

More books for founders and investors on the [Reading List](https://millionrounds.com/reading-list?role=founder&industry=ai).

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

## Quick answers about AI investors in Japan

### Who are the most active AI investors in Japan?

By cheques observed, the most active are Techstars, 500 Global, Andreessen Horowitz, New Enterprise Associates and Plug and Play.

### How many AI investors in Japan are there?

172 are on record. 95% made an investment in the last 12 months and 41% have led a round.

### Which stages do AI investors in Japan back?

Of the rounds with a named stage in the last 12 months, mostly Seed (25%) and Series A (24%).

### How big are the rounds AI investors in Japan join?

The typical (median) round among the leading investors here is $8.7M.

### Which sectors do AI investors in Japan back most?

In the last 12 months, mostly AI, Fintech and Biotech.

### Which AI investors in Japan lead the most rounds?

Andreessen Horowitz (114 led), New Enterprise Associates (73 led) and Khosla Ventures (57 led).

### Where are AI investors in Japan based?

Among the most active, most are based in the United States (15), Japan (5) and the United Kingdom (2).

### What have AI investors in Japan invested in recently?

Recent rounds include Ocient (Series C, Nov 2026, with In-Q-Tel), T-Therapeutics (Series B, Nov 2026, with Tengxun Touzi) and Soter Insure (Series B, Nov 2026, with SBI Group).

Built from the rounds we watched, refreshed every night. [How we count](https://millionrounds.com/methodology) · [Report a correction](https://millionrounds.com/corrections)