Z Venture Capital

Z Venture Capital (ZVC) operates as the corporate venture capital arm of Z Holdings, a prominent SoftBank Group company. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, ZVC primarily focuses its investment activities on Internet services and AI technology companies across a broad spectrum of sectors, including FinTech, E-commerce, Media, SaaS, Healthcare, and Deep Tech. While its primary geographic focus is Japan, the firm also actively seeks opportunities in Southeast Asia, leveraging the extensive ecosystem and resources of its parent company. This strategic positioning allows ZVC to identify and support innovative startups that can potentially integrate with or benefit from Z Holdings' diverse portfolio of services.

The firm demonstrates a versatile investment approach, engaging with companies across various stages from Seed to Late-stage. ZVC typically deploys initial investments ranging from $1 million to $10 million, with the capacity for follow-on investments that can extend up to $20 million. This flexible check size allows them to support promising ventures from their nascent stages through significant growth phases. In 2021, Z Venture Capital notably launched a new fund amounting to 30 billion Japanese Yen, approximately $270 million USD at the time, underscoring its substantial capital base and commitment to fostering technological innovation in its target markets.

As a corporate venture capital firm, ZVC offers more than just financial capital. Portfolio companies gain potential access to Z Holdings' vast operational expertise, market insights, and extensive user base, which includes major platforms like Yahoo! Japan and LINE. This synergistic relationship aims to accelerate the growth of its portfolio companies by providing strategic guidance, partnership opportunities, and a pathway to broader market penetration. ZVC's mission is to create new value by investing in disruptive technologies and business models that align with the strategic interests and future growth areas of the Z Holdings ecosystem.