Global Brain

Global Brain is a Tokyo-based venture capital firm founded in 1998, specializing in early-stage investments across various sectors, including e-commerce, software, gaming, media, IoT, education, entertainment, and fintech. The firm has expanded its investment activities to the US and Asia, targeting series A-stage technology companies. Since its inception, Global Brain has invested in approximately 30 companies, achieving seven initial public offerings and seven mergers and acquisitions. The firm supports its portfolio companies by providing not only capital but also strategic guidance, partnerships, and team-building resources to help them reach their milestones. Global Brain is particularly adept in e-commerce, operating a platform called EC-PLANET, which encompasses several group companies, including a large online sports goods store and a logistics firm offering comprehensive fulfillment services. This network, along with Global Brain's connections to established Japanese companies, facilitates market entry for US and Asian businesses into Japan.

Kaori Akiba

Principal, Corporate Management Group

Tatsunori Arai

Director, Investment Group

Megumi Asatsuma

Corporate Management Group, Director

Anjani Bansal

Partner, India Office Representative

Brooke Beers

Partner

Takuji Chida

Director, Investment Groups

Hogil Doh

General Partner, Investment Group

Thomas Duong

Principal

Brian Flucht

Partner and Head, US Division

Daisuke Furukawa

Venture Partner

Hajime Furuya

Venture Partner

Kenji Hayashi

Principal, Investment Group

Shohei Hayashi

Partner

Harue Hayashi

Partner and Vice Chief Fund Management Officer

Yosuke Hirai

Director

Joopyo Hong

Partner Investment Group

Naoki Horie

Principal, Investment Group

Jang Hyeokjin

Principal, Investment Group

Shohei Ichimiya

Partner, US Office

Nozomu Ikuta

Principal

Kotona Inaida

Director, Fund Management Group

Tomoaki Ishikure

Investment Group Partner

Yoshinari Ito

Venture Partner

Yuki Ito

Director

Hiroyuki Izumi

Partner, Investment Group

Ken Kajii

General Partner, Investment Group

Naoki Kamimaeda

Partner and Europe Division Head

Masaru Kaneshiro

Principal

Daisuke Kashiro

Partner, Investment Group

Kirin Kato

Principal

Takashi Kato

Partner, San Francisco Office Representative

Masaya Kawakami

Partner

Hiroyuki Kawamoto

Principal

Ko Kawaragi

Director

Maiko Kayata

Principal

ByeongJin Kim

Principal, Fund Management Group

Jungyong Kim

Principal, Investment Group

Riichiro Kimura Ph.D

Director, Investment Group

Kenta Kitsuka

General Partner

Issei Kokubu

Principal, Investment Group

Yoshiomi Kubota

Principal

Jinya Kurita

Director

KyungHun Lee

Partner, South Korea Office Representative

YingQi Liang(Joy)

Principal, Investment Group

Chukaku Lin

Principal

Atsushi Matsuda

Venture Partner

Akira Matsumoto

Principal, Investment Group

Natsumi Matsuoka

Principal

Hiroshi Mihayashi

Principal

Tomoko Minagawa

Director, Investment Group

Ai Minamizaki

Principal, Investment Group

Shigeru Mitarai

Principal

Kazuhiko Miyama

General Partner

Shuhei Mori

Principal

Seiichiro Mukai

Director

Satoko Murata

Principal, Investment Group

Kohtaro Nagawa

Director, Investment Group

Tasuke Nakagawa

Partner / M&A

Mitsutaka Nakao

Principal, Investment Group

Shien Nakayama

Director, Investment Group

Yuya Namiki

Director

Ying Jian Ng

Director, Investment Group

Daisuke Nishida

Partner, Investment Group

Akiko Noguchi

Director, Corporate Management Group

Rina Obi

Investment Director

Sho Ohtani

Principal, Investment Group

Tetsui Okada

Director, Investments Group

Mayu Okamoto

Principal

Akane Okuyama

Director

Shingo Otaki

Partner, Investment Group

Naoki Sadakuni

Venture Partner

Enen Sai

Principal, Fund Management Group

Kazuki Sakuragawa

Partner and Editor in Chief, Corporate Management Group

Masumi Sato

Principal

Naoki Sato

Principal, Investment Group

Tomoki Sekiguchi

Principal

Rie Shibata

Director, Fund Management Group

Takeru Shigemura

Director

Miku Shimamura

Principal

Hiroshi Shimazu

Managing Director

Masamune Shin

General Partner, Investment Group

Ayu Shinoyama

CFO and Board Member

Chisa Shinsakaue

Director

Divyansh Singh

Principal

Hiroto Sorita

Director, Investment Group

Sachiko Sugiura

Principal

Yusuke Suzuki

Partner

Kazumo Tachibana

Director

Mana Takabayashi

Director, Investment Group

Hiroki Takai

Director, Investment Group London Office

Toko Takao

Principal

Hideyuki Tanaka

Principal

Marika Tazaki

Partner

Hirotaka Togashi

Director, Investment Group

Haruka Tsujii

Principal

Atsushi Ueda

Principal, Investment Group

Takuya Ukai

Principal, Investment Group

Tetsuya Urimoto

Director, Investment Group

Noriko Usui

Partner and Chief Fund Management Officer

Keita Washizu

Principal

Hirokazu Watanabe

Partner

Keita Wazhizu

Principal, Investment Group

Masao Yamada

Senior Partner, Investment Groups

Kazunori Yamaguchi

Partner, Investment Group

Ryozo Yamamoto

Partner, Investment Group

Michiko Yamazaki

Principal, Investment Group

Isao Yasuda

Senior Partner

Takuro Yoda

Principal, Investment Group

Sayaka Yoshino

Director

Miku Yoshio

Partner, Investment Group

Yasuhiko Yurimoto

Founder and President and CEO & Board Member

Miyazawa Yusuke

Venture Partner

Lusheng Zou

Director, Investment Group

Past deals in Market Research

Super Studio

Series C in 2022
Provider of D2C consulting services specializing in product planning and development. The company provides consulting services concentrating on product manufacturing, sales promotion activities, supply chain optimization, and CRM after-sales as well as offering an enterprise collaboration platform for sales and marketing, enabling businesses to maximize their revenue and customer experience.

Knowledge Merchants Works

Series C in 2022
Knowledge Merchants Works Inc. is a Tokyo-based company that specializes in human resources consulting and solutions tailored for the store service industry in Japan. Founded in 2017, the company provides management training programs focused on leadership and organizational change, utilizing principles from organization theory. It also assesses employees' daily experiences and evaluates store environments to offer targeted solutions aimed at revitalizing workplaces. Additionally, Knowledge Merchants Works offers the "Juku" series, which focuses on business and organizational transformation for emerging store service leaders, and the "Hata" application series designed to enhance store productivity.

Knowledge Merchants Works

Series B in 2020
Knowledge Merchants Works Inc. is a Tokyo-based company that specializes in human resources consulting and solutions tailored for the store service industry in Japan. Founded in 2017, the company provides management training programs focused on leadership and organizational change, utilizing principles from organization theory. It also assesses employees' daily experiences and evaluates store environments to offer targeted solutions aimed at revitalizing workplaces. Additionally, Knowledge Merchants Works offers the "Juku" series, which focuses on business and organizational transformation for emerging store service leaders, and the "Hata" application series designed to enhance store productivity.

Repro

Series C in 2020
Repro Inc. develops Repro, a mobile analytics solution for clients to convert and retain their mobile users. It offers application growth support consulting for total support from strategy planning and development to application. The company provides in-app message to improve conversion rate. The company was founded in 2014 and is based in Tokyo, Japan.

Repro

Series C in 2020
Repro Inc. develops Repro, a mobile analytics solution for clients to convert and retain their mobile users. It offers application growth support consulting for total support from strategy planning and development to application. The company provides in-app message to improve conversion rate. The company was founded in 2014 and is based in Tokyo, Japan.

Realeyes

Series B in 2019
Realeyes Data Services Ltd., an emotions research company, provides web-based facial expression measurement solutions for video advertisements. The company’s solutions enable users to read how people feel about their video advertisements using computer vision. It offers Tentpole Creative, Digital Content, Live Interaction, consumer insight, and creative performance. The company was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in London, United Kingdom with additional offices in New York, New York; Tokyo, Japan; and Budapest, Hungary.

SMARTCAMP

Venture Round in 2019
Smart camp is a company that manages Internet services and this company is good at B2B marketing.

SMARTCAMP

Series B in 2019
Smart camp is a company that manages Internet services and this company is good at B2B marketing.

Aspectiva

Venture Round in 2019
Aspectiva’s AI solution turns product Reviews into a smart shopping experience, helping online shoppers find the products that best fit their needs. Our unique NLP technology analyzes massive amounts of reviews and surfaces what people say about any product in any category to enable shoppers make informed decisions and buy with confidence.

Aspectiva

Series A in 2017
Aspectiva’s AI solution turns product Reviews into a smart shopping experience, helping online shoppers find the products that best fit their needs. Our unique NLP technology analyzes massive amounts of reviews and surfaces what people say about any product in any category to enable shoppers make informed decisions and buy with confidence.

Aspectiva

Series A in 2017
Aspectiva’s AI solution turns product Reviews into a smart shopping experience, helping online shoppers find the products that best fit their needs. Our unique NLP technology analyzes massive amounts of reviews and surfaces what people say about any product in any category to enable shoppers make informed decisions and buy with confidence.

Aspectiva

Venture Round in 2017
Aspectiva’s AI solution turns product Reviews into a smart shopping experience, helping online shoppers find the products that best fit their needs. Our unique NLP technology analyzes massive amounts of reviews and surfaces what people say about any product in any category to enable shoppers make informed decisions and buy with confidence.

Pricebook

Series B in 2015
Pricebook Co., Ltd. is a company based in Indonesia that provides a shopping search engine focused on gadgets for consumers in Southeast Asia. The platform aims to bridge the information gap between consumers and businesses by offering comprehensive price comparison services. Through its search engine, Pricebook aggregates product information, including reviews, specifications, and availability in both online and offline stores. This enables customers to make informed purchasing decisions by easily comparing products and prices across various retailers. The company is positioned to capitalize on the rapidly growing e-commerce market in the region, striving to become the leading platform for online shoppers.

Near Pte.

Series B in 2014
Near Pte. Ltd. operates a location-based intelligence platform that delivers real-time insights on places, people, and products. It offers various data and analytical products designed to support data-driven decision-making, such as Allspark, a mobile-first audience cloud solution, and Carbon, which analyzes real-world consumer footprints. The platform processes data from over 1.6 billion monthly users across 44 countries, enabling brands to engage with audiences in a privacy-centric manner. Near serves diverse industries, including automobile, fast food, retail, FMCG, BFSI, technology, travel, and telecommunications. Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Singapore, Near has expanded with offices in San Francisco, New York, London, Bengaluru, Tokyo, and Sydney. The company collaborates with notable brands such as News Corp, MetLife, and Mastercard, enhancing their customer experiences through its suite of SaaS products.

Near Pte.

Venture Round in 2014
Near Pte. Ltd. operates a location-based intelligence platform that delivers real-time insights on places, people, and products. It offers various data and analytical products designed to support data-driven decision-making, such as Allspark, a mobile-first audience cloud solution, and Carbon, which analyzes real-world consumer footprints. The platform processes data from over 1.6 billion monthly users across 44 countries, enabling brands to engage with audiences in a privacy-centric manner. Near serves diverse industries, including automobile, fast food, retail, FMCG, BFSI, technology, travel, and telecommunications. Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Singapore, Near has expanded with offices in San Francisco, New York, London, Bengaluru, Tokyo, and Sydney. The company collaborates with notable brands such as News Corp, MetLife, and Mastercard, enhancing their customer experiences through its suite of SaaS products.

PORT

Series A in 2014
Social Recruiting intends to offer social recruiting service. The company was founded in 2011 and is based in Japan.

Retailigence

Series A in 2011
Retailigence Corporation is a hyperlocal marketing platform that focuses on converting online consumers into offline buyers by utilizing real-time inventory data from retailers. Founded in 2009 and based in Redwood City, California, the company provides a mobile advertising solution that enhances the shopping experience by delivering location-based user interactions through various digital advertising mediums. Its products include the adPOP Engine, which integrates data into programmatic advertising, and a mobile application that displays local store-level product availability. Retailigence serves a diverse clientele, including advertising solutions providers, application developers, marketing agencies, and brick-and-mortar retailers across the United States. The company operates as a subsidiary of ShopAdvisor, Inc. and has established a strategic partnership with Gimbal, Inc.

Retailigence

Seed Round in 2010
Retailigence Corporation is a hyperlocal marketing platform that focuses on converting online consumers into offline buyers by utilizing real-time inventory data from retailers. Founded in 2009 and based in Redwood City, California, the company provides a mobile advertising solution that enhances the shopping experience by delivering location-based user interactions through various digital advertising mediums. Its products include the adPOP Engine, which integrates data into programmatic advertising, and a mobile application that displays local store-level product availability. Retailigence serves a diverse clientele, including advertising solutions providers, application developers, marketing agencies, and brick-and-mortar retailers across the United States. The company operates as a subsidiary of ShopAdvisor, Inc. and has established a strategic partnership with Gimbal, Inc.

Tri-Stage

Seed Round in 2007
Tri-Stage is a direct marketing support company based in Japan, recognized as a pioneer in the industry. The firm specializes in offering comprehensive marketing services to enhance mail-order sales for its clients. Utilizing various media channels, including television and the Internet, Tri-Stage assists marketing companies in acquiring customers and promoting products and services effectively. The company’s extensive experience and proven track record enable it to provide high-quality solutions that support the entire customer management process, ultimately contributing to the success of its clients in the competitive market.

Tri-Stage

Angel Round in 2006
Tri-Stage is a direct marketing support company based in Japan, recognized as a pioneer in the industry. The firm specializes in offering comprehensive marketing services to enhance mail-order sales for its clients. Utilizing various media channels, including television and the Internet, Tri-Stage assists marketing companies in acquiring customers and promoting products and services effectively. The company’s extensive experience and proven track record enable it to provide high-quality solutions that support the entire customer management process, ultimately contributing to the success of its clients in the competitive market.

Tri-Stage

Angel Round in 2006
Tri-Stage is a direct marketing support company based in Japan, recognized as a pioneer in the industry. The firm specializes in offering comprehensive marketing services to enhance mail-order sales for its clients. Utilizing various media channels, including television and the Internet, Tri-Stage assists marketing companies in acquiring customers and promoting products and services effectively. The company’s extensive experience and proven track record enable it to provide high-quality solutions that support the entire customer management process, ultimately contributing to the success of its clients in the competitive market.
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