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Incubate Fund

Asia, Tokyo, Japan, Tokyo

Description

Incubate Fund is a prominent independent early-stage venture capital firm headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, founded in 2010. Specializing in providing capital to technology startups at the seed stage, the firm has established itself as a key player in the Japanese startup ecosystem, while also expanding its investment activities globally. Incubate Fund is known for its hands-on approach, actively supporting its portfolio companies beyond just capital, offering assistance in areas such as recruitment, business development, and subsequent fundraising rounds.

The firm's investment strategy primarily targets innovative technology companies across various sectors, including but not limited to SaaS, fintech, healthcare, and consumer internet. Incubate Fund has built a substantial portfolio, having invested in over 250 companies since its inception. Their notable investments include successful Japanese unicorns like Mercari, SmartNews, and Sansan, underscoring their ability to identify and nurture high-growth potential startups from their earliest stages.

Incubate Fund manages multiple funds, including dedicated Japan-focused vehicles and broader global funds, accumulating a significant total capital under management. Across its various funds, Incubate Fund has raised approximately $1.3 billion, enabling them to deploy substantial capital into promising ventures. For their initial seed-stage investments, Incubate Fund typically writes first checks ranging from $100,000 to $1,000,000, reflecting their commitment to providing crucial early capital to founders. Their long-standing presence and deep network in the Asian tech scene make them a valuable partner for nascent startups seeking to scale.

Investor Profile

Incubate Fund has backed more than 77 startups, with 21 new investments in the last 12 months alone. The firm has led 11 rounds, about 14% of its total and boasts 42 exits across its portfolio.

Investment Focus Highlights

  • Concentrates on Seed, Series Unknown, Series A rounds (top funding stages).
  • Majority of deals are located in Japan, United States, India.
  • Strong thematic focus on Software, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Information Technology.
  • Led 6 rounds in the past year.
  • Typical check size: $100K – $1M.

Stage Focus

  • Seed (32%)
  • Series Unknown (31%)
  • Series A (21%)
  • Series C (5%)
  • Series B (5%)
  • Pre Seed (4%)
  • Series D (1%)

Country Focus

  • Japan (65%)
  • United States (23%)
  • India (8%)
  • United Kingdom (1%)

Industry Focus

  • Software
  • Artificial Intelligence (Ai)
  • Information Technology
  • Financial Services
  • Manufacturing
  • E-commerce
  • Machine Learning
  • Web Development
  • Saas
  • Industrial Automation
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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn who this investor regularly partners with—both firms and angels—and explore their latest activity.

Who does Incubate Fund frequently co-invest with?

SMBC Venture Capital
Asia, Tokyo, Japan, Tokyo
Co-Investments: 8
Co-Investments: 4
Co-Investments: 4
Mizuho Capital
Asia, Tokyo, Japan, Tokyo
Co-Investments: 5
Yokohama Capital
Asia, Kanagawa, Japan, Yokohama
Co-Investments: 5
JIC Venture Growth Investments
Asia, Tokyo, Japan, Marunouchi
Co-Investments: 4
Vela Partners
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Co-Investments: 12
Coral Capital
Asia, Tokyo, Japan, Tokyo
Co-Investments: 3
Mitsubishi UFJ Capital
Asia, Tokyo, Japan, Tokyo
Co-Investments: 6
DNX Ventures
North America, California, United States, San Mateo
Co-Investments: 4

Which angels does Incubate Fund often collaborate with?

KY
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 2
Yusuke Sato
Asia, Japan
Shared Deals: 2
Shared Deals: 1
MU
North America, California, United States, Palo Alto
Shared Deals: 2
Genki Shiota
Asia, Tokyo, Japan, Tokyo
Shared Deals: 2
JS
North America, Florida, United States, Sarasota
Shared Deals: 1
Kotaro Chiba
Asia, Tokyo, Japan, Tokyo
Shared Deals: 1
Hironao Kunimitsu
Asia, Tokyo, Japan, Tokyo
Shared Deals: 2
ER
North America, Illinois, United States, Chicago
Shared Deals: 2
BJ
North America, Massachusetts, United States, Waltham
Shared Deals: 1

What are some of recent deals done by Incubate Fund?

UMIAILE

Sumida, Tokyo, Japan

UMIAILE is a marine robotics startup spun out of Honda.

Marine TechnologyRobotics
SeedOct 16, 2025
Amount Raised: $10,436,209
Mjolnir Spaceworks

Kita, Tokyo, Japan

Mjolnir Spaceworks desings and manufactures state-of-the-art novel space rockets with efficient engines as well as other space equipments.

AerospaceManufacturingSpace Travel
Series AOct 3, 2025
Amount Raised: $2,715,086
INDX

Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

INDX converts unstructured data into AI-ready assets for digital transformation and internal AI use.

FinanceHealth CareMarketingRetail
SeedSep 30, 2025
Amount Raised: $675,692
Zen Intelligence

Toranomon, Tokyo, Japan

Zen Intelligence is a technology firm that provides a software robot that patrols and collects data for analyzing the construction site.

AnalyticsConstructionRoboticsSoftware
Series ASep 25, 2025
Amount Raised: $10,090,427
Mechano Cross

Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan

Mechano Cross is a mechanical company that offers mechanochemical organic synthesis technology for solution reactions.

ChemicalMechanical EngineeringOrganic
SeedSep 5, 2025
Visual Bank

Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

Visual bank is a visual rights company that operates a stock photo business and provides an AI data platform.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)Information TechnologyPhoto Sharing
Series BAug 25, 2025
Amount Raised: $7,470,847
Rocket Link Technology

Kanagawa, Fukushima, Japan

Rocket Link Technology is a product development company that specializes in designing LTP rockets for space travel.

AerospaceProduct DesignSpace Travel
Series BJul 11, 2025
Amount Raised: $4,077,135
Nominal

New York, New York, United States

Nominal mission is to empower companies to make the decisions through financial data intelligence.

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)Financial ServicesSoftwareWeb Development
Series AJul 9, 2025
Amount Raised: $20,000,000
Tokyo Epic

Hamamatsucho, Tokyo, Japan

Tokyo Epic provides planning and development of webtoon, and animation services.

AnimationRoboticsVirtualization
SeedJul 8, 2025
Amount Raised: $615,861
pHydrogen

Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

pHydrogen is an energy engineering firm that offers electrolyzers with earth-abundant resources using electrolyte engineering.

EnergyEnvironmental EngineeringSustainability
SeedJun 23, 2025
Amount Raised: $2,053,269