The Global Startup Expo (GSE), an international conference gathering domestic and international startups and venture capitalists (VCs), opened on the 17th of September at the Osaka Expo. Leading overseas funds and VCs announced plans to establish bases in Japan one after another.

French private equity fund Jolt Capital announced plans to establish a new base in Tokyo in the first half of 2026. “Japan has excellent patents and intellectual property, which can lead to significant operating revenue,” said Jean Schmidt, CEO. Jolt has approximately €600 million (about ¥100 billion) in assets under management, often investing in companies in deeptech.

Of the 20 or so companies to be invested in with their new €1 billion (approx. ¥170 billion) fund, two or three will be Japanese companies.

US VC Alumnai Ventures also announced that it will establish a new $100 million (approx. ¥15 billion) fund to invest in Japanese and US startups. The new fund is expected to operate for about 15 years, and plans to invest $3 million to $5 million per company in 20 to 50 startups working on commercializing advanced technologies such as fusion and robotics.

New Enterprise Associates, a major US venture capital firm that invests in global tech cominpanies, has invested in three companies, including Sakana AI—which became Japan's fastest unicorn—and has announced that it is proceeding with a fourth investment in Japan.

Partner Andrew Schoen stated, “Japan's ecosystem is attractive, offering a robust combination of market size, talent pool, and government support.” He added, “However, the layer of investors targeting later-stage growth is thin, and supporting businesses in the pre-IPO stage will be a future challenge.”

For domestic startups, opportunities to connect with overseas investors possessing strong financial resources and extensive support expertise are expanding.