Innovation Engine

Innovation Engine is a Tokyo-based venture capital firm established in 2001, focusing on investments in sectors where Japan has a competitive edge, including consumer goods, renewable energy, healthcare, and technology. With a total fund size of 9,000 million yen, the firm aims to support emerging businesses throughout their growth phases, facilitating their initial public offerings or mergers and acquisitions. By targeting innovative enterprises, Innovation Engine seeks to contribute to the development and success of Japan's entrepreneurial landscape.

Takashi Matsumoto

Investment Partner

Kazuhiko Ota

Investment Partner

Mutsunori Sano

President and CEO

30 past transactions

Astroscale

Series F in 2021
Astroscale Holdings Inc. engages in the development of technologies to remove orbital debris. It offers services, such as end-of-life service by Astroscale (ELSA), a spacecraft retrieval service for satellite operators; and active debris removal (ADR). It also designs and manufactures the lunar dream capsule which gives people a chance to send their names into space. Astroscale Holdings Inc. was founded in 2019 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan with additional offices in Harwell, United Kingdom; and Singapore.

ispace, inc.

Series C in 2021
ispace, inc. engages in developing networked micro robots for building detailed maps of available resources in the space. It develops micro-robots to create and support daily existence of humans in space. The company is based in Tokyo, Japan.

Life is Beautiful

Venture Round in 2021
Life is Beautiful develops iOS and Android mobile apps, web apps, and Facebook apps. The company’s portfolio of services includes development and consultation with Natural Language Processing, smartphone app development, social app development, web service development, UI/UX design, character design, and consultation. Life is Beautiful was founded on September 29, 2010, and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.

iYell

Venture Round in 2020
iYell Inc. provides mortgage for real estate companies. The company designs and develops a platform through which they provide mortgage. The company was incorporated in 2016 and is based in Tokyo, Japan.

toridori

Series A in 2020
Toridori Inc. engages in providing marketing services to individuals, small, and medium-sized enterprises. It offers social networking services (SNS), support services, feedback, and the latest information on influencer marketing. The company was founded in 2016 and is based in Tokyo, Japan.

Bonx

Series C in 2020
BONX Inc. plans, designs, and develops wearable devices. The company offers BONX Grip, a Bluetooth earpiece with music, calls, and group-talks snowboarding, cycling, SUP, and fishing sports persons. It sells its products online. The company was founded in 2014 and is based in Tokyo, Japan.

Power Sharing

Venture Round in 2020
Power Sharing CO., Ltd. provides contract services to new power companies, such as power supply and demand management, customer management, fee calculation, and billing. Its services include power generation management, demand/power generation balancing, power procurement/interchange agency, sales support, home energy management system services, and business consulting. The company was founded in 2014 and is based in Asahi, Japan with an additional office in Tokyo, Japan.

GRCS

Venture Round in 2019
GRCS Inc., previously known as NANAROQ Inc., is a Japan-based company established in March 2005 that specializes in security risk management. The firm offers Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) solutions designed to help organizations visualize and manage risks effectively. By leveraging information technology, GRCS aims to enhance the optimization of corporate regulations and align them with societal standards, thereby enabling businesses to navigate the complexities of risk management more efficiently.

TWO CELLS Co.,Ltd

Corporate Round in 2019
TWO CELLS is engaged in the research and development of regeneration technology. The company was founded in April 2003 and is based in Tokyo, Japan.

Leading Mark

Series B in 2019
Leading Mark Inc. is an employment agency based in Tokyo, Japan, that focuses on addressing the needs of job seekers. As a growing human resources startup, it is expanding its services to include mid-career and international hiring. The company has a representative in China who is dedicated to connecting top Japanese-speaking Chinese students with opportunities in Japan. Leading Mark emphasizes the importance of providing relevant information to job seekers, in contrast to larger, traditional agencies that may prioritize the interests of employers and their own commissions. By centering its efforts around the average job seeker, Leading Mark aims to alleviate frustration and support career development.

tripla

Series C in 2019
tripla, K.K. develops chat base software for foreign travelers visiting Japan. It provides artificial intelligence based chat bot service for business enterprises in travel industries like hotels and ryokan. The company also provides reservation service and chat communication services in Japan. tripla, K.K. was founded in 2015 and is based in Tokyo, Japan.

Live Smart

Venture Round in 2019
Live Smart is a start-up to develop a service platform in the living space.

DataMix

Venture Round in 2019
DataMix provides an educational program specialized for training data scientists for working adults. It primarily offers two programs that include Data Scientist Training Program and Business Translator Training Program. The Data Scientist Training Program is a program aimed at adults who are seriously seeking to open up their careers with data science at the edge while Business Translator Training Program is a program for working people who want to make business by utilizing data science and big data. The company was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.

ZenmuTech

Venture Round in 2018
ZenmuTech, Inc. specializes in providing thin client environments primarily for local governments, financial institutions, and the education sector. The company offers a range of solutions, including thin client devices for server-based computing, tools to convert traditional PCs into thin clients, and a security product called ZENMU, which safeguards data on notebooks and PCs from unauthorized access. Additionally, ZenmuTech provides consultation services for implementing thin client infrastructure, develops a virtualized USB management system, and creates embedded operating systems tailored for thin clients. Founded in 2014 and based in Tokyo, Japan, ZenmuTech also focuses on security solutions that utilize advanced encryption and secret sharing technologies to protect sensitive information from potential leaks and theft.

UNCOVER TRUTH

Venture Round in 2018
UNCOVER TRUTH is an analytics company that offers data visualization services through the web and mobile.

HACARUS

Series A in 2018
HACARUS Inc. specializes in developing AI solutions for the manufacturing and medical industries, focusing on Explainable Lightweight AI Tools. The company offers several products, including SALUS, a platform for medical and life sciences applications; COLIGO, which provides customized services for IoT and edge computing; and SPECTRO, designed for advanced visual inspections using HACARUS’ proprietary Sparse Modeling technology. This innovative approach allows the AI to analyze data by identifying key features, making it more resource-efficient than traditional deep learning methods. Additionally, HACARUS provides data science consulting and educational services through its AI Academy. Founded in 2014 and based in Kyoto, Japan, HACARUS aims to enhance decision-making processes by delivering reliable AI-driven insights to its clients.

tripla

Venture Round in 2018
tripla, K.K. develops chat base software for foreign travelers visiting Japan. It provides artificial intelligence based chat bot service for business enterprises in travel industries like hotels and ryokan. The company also provides reservation service and chat communication services in Japan. tripla, K.K. was founded in 2015 and is based in Tokyo, Japan.

KIYO Learning

Venture Round in 2018
KIYO Learning Co.,Ltd. engages in planning, production, sale, and operation of educational content and services for business people in Japan. The company was founded in 2010 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.

PicoCELA

Series B in 2018
PicoCELA Inc. is a company based in Itoshima, Japan, specializing in the manufacturing of advanced wireless backhaul technology designed to establish multicell wireless networks. Founded in 2008, PicoCELA develops the PicoCELA Backhaul Engine, a Linux application that enhances wireless platforms by enabling multi-hop communication and creating MIMOZONES, which provide comprehensive coverage through the aggregation of super small cells. The company's unique technology, protected by over 20 patents globally, employs a dynamic tree routing algorithm and wireless frame transfer to minimize radio interference and ensure stable broadband transmission with low latency. PicoCELA's systems have been successfully implemented in more than 100 sites across Japan, operating over 3,000 units daily, and have achieved significant reductions in LAN cabling, resulting in substantial cost savings. The company serves a diverse range of sectors, including enterprise, healthcare, education, and smart cities, and recently launched the PCWL-0400, an edge computer that further reduces cabling and data upload requirements.

Brain Magic

Venture Round in 2018
Brain Magic Ltd. is a technology startup based in Tokyo, Japan, founded in 2016. The company specializes in developing innovative input devices designed to enhance computer operation for creative professionals, particularly illustrators and video creators. Its flagship product, the Orbital2, serves as a left-hand input device that streamlines keyboard operations, thereby increasing efficiency and reducing the stresses associated with creative workflows. By focusing on optimizing everyday business and creative tasks, Brain Magic aims to facilitate smoother and more productive work experiences for users worldwide.

Perseus Proteomics

Venture Round in 2018
Perseus Proteomics Inc. operates as a drug discovery bio-venture company in Japan. It is involved in the antibody discovery, antibody engineering, target discovery, and functional protein expression business; and antibody research support activities comprising mouse hybridoma sequencing, recombinant protein production, and contract antibody research activities, as well as development, manufacture, and supply of antibody products. The company was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.

Bonx

Series A in 2018
BONX Inc. plans, designs, and develops wearable devices. The company offers BONX Grip, a Bluetooth earpiece with music, calls, and group-talks snowboarding, cycling, SUP, and fishing sports persons. It sells its products online. The company was founded in 2014 and is based in Tokyo, Japan.

mama square

Venture Round in 2017
Mama Square Co., Ltd. operates working space with daycare facilities for kids. It also offers telemarketing, back office business, marketing research, consulting, and other services to its clients. The company was established on 2014 and is based in Tokyo, Japan.

Tranzax

Corporate Round in 2017
Tranzax Co., Ltd., established in 2009 and headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, specializes in commercial financing services aimed at optimizing cash management for primary manufacturers. The company offers various financial solutions, including accounts receivable financing, factoring, supply chain finance, and purchase order financing. Their services are designed to minimize financial costs throughout the supply chain by leveraging electronically recorded receivables. Tranzax's innovative product, PayForward, specifically helps ordering companies fund their accounts receivable, ensuring smoother financial operations within the supply chain.

Y's

Venture Round in 2016
Y's, Inc. owns and operates rehabilitation facilities for people with cerebrovascular disorder. The company also operates acupuncture osteopathic institute, relaxation salon, visiting massage facilities. The company was founded in 2014 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. As of August 30, 2018, Y's, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of M3, Inc.

tmsuk

Corporate Round in 2016
tmsuk Co., Ltd. develops and manufactures various robots for various applications. It provides dental patient, security, in shop promotion, rescue, produced receptionist and guidance, outdoor security and information, humanoid two-legged walking, life-saving, home security, security and guidance, patrol and monitor, utility, waking, remote-controlled giant, and receptionist robots, as well as robots with voice recognition and converse technologies. The company was founded in 2000 and is based in Munakata, Japan.

Delta-Fly Pharma

Venture Round in 2015
Their company name "Delta-Fly" is derived from "Dragonfly (Tonbo)". Tonbo symbolizes the spirit of "regression" from where it only retreats forward, and is also called "the winning insect."

BrightPath Biotherapeutics

Venture Round in 2014
BrightPath Biotherapeutics Co., Ltd. is a biopharmaceutical company based in Kurume, Japan, specializing in the development of innovative cancer immunotherapy drugs. The company is advancing several therapeutic candidates, including ITK-1, a cancer peptide vaccine currently in Phase III clinical trials for prostate cancer. Additionally, it is developing GRN-1201, which is undergoing Phase II trials for non-small cell lung cancer and Phase I trials for melanoma. BrightPath also has products in the research stage, such as GRN-1301, aimed at treating drug-resistant non-small cell lung cancer, and iPS-NKT, which focuses on regenerated NKT cell therapy derived from induced pluripotent stem cells. Established in 2003 and formerly known as GreenPeptide Co., Ltd., the company rebranded in July 2017 to reflect its commitment to advancing cancer treatment through peptide vaccine technology that enhances the immune response to tumor-associated antigens.

ZMP

Seed Round in 2003
ZMP is a Tokyo-based company specializing in robotics and autonomous vehicle technology. Founded in 2001, it develops and sells a variety of products, including humanoid robots, logistics support robots, and automatic operation technologies for advanced driver assistance and sensor systems. The company also offers autonomous driving development products, on-road vehicle testing products, robotic camera solutions, and various sensors such as inertial measurement units and biological sensors. ZMP serves diverse sectors, including mobile manufacturing, research institutions, and universities, providing robotic teaching materials and other educational resources. With a diverse workforce, comprising a significant number of international engineers, ZMP is committed to expanding its global presence in the robotics and automotive technology industries.