Alumni Ventures Expands Globally with Japan Office and New Partnerships

The launch of these partnerships is a modern strategy to connect the venture capital ecosystems of both countries, helping startups collaborate globally and grow through new technologies and services.

The firm also announced the opening of its new office Alumni Ventures Japan KK in Tokyo’s Tri Seven Roppongi building, marking an important step in its Asia Pacific expansion. The office is led by Michael G. Phillips Head of Asia Pacific Chief Legal Officer and Executive Managing Director at Alumni Ventures who has moved to Tokyo to drive regional growth, and build stronger connections within Japan’s innovation ecosystem.

Among its key partners are KDDI Corporation, a leading telecom company in Japan, and UTokyo Innovation Platform Co., Ltd. This shows that Japanese companies and universities are increasingly interested in helping startups grow through venture capital. Alumni Ventures is also working with more institutions and universities to find new collaboration opportunities.

Alumni Ventures’ expansion into Japan is part of its global growth plan and shows its strong belief in Japan’s innovation economy. With skilled talent, top research institutions, active corporate support, and growing startup activity, Japan is an attractive market for long term investment. By opening a permanent office in Tokyo Alumni Ventures aims to connect investors, founders and institutions across two of the world’s leading innovation ecosystems.

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“Japan has world-class capital and world-class innovation, and the U.S. venture market has historically been difficult for Japanese institutions to access in a structured, meaningful way,” said Mike Collins, CEO, Board Chairman, and Founder at Alumni Ventures. “With our permanent office in Tokyo, we are building a real bridge between two powerful venture ecosystems. We believe Japan’s innovation ecosystem is at an inflection point, and our permanent presence here will enable deeper collaboration between Japanese and U.S. founders and institutions.”

“This is an excellent chance to cultivate the next generation of internationally minded venture capitalists within KDDI, who will go on to lead Japan's startup ecosystem,” stated Tomohiko Katsuki, Managing Executive Officer, CSO & CDO, Executive Director of Corporate Strategy & Open Innovation at KDDI. “By intersecting Alumni Ventures’ world-class ecosystem with KDDI’s telecommunications infrastructure and business development expertise, we are radically accelerating the growth trajectory for innovative founders. Together with Alumni Ventures, we will continue our challenge to create the industries of tomorrow.”

“While global expansion is essential for Japanese deep-tech startups to realize significant growth and build a globally competitive ecosystem, achieving this is no easy task,” said Masafumi Kawai, Chief Investment Officer at UTokyo IPC. “We offer various programs to support startups’ global expansion, and believe that our strategic partnership with Alumni Ventures—which has an extensive network of overseas investors and entrepreneurs—will serve as a catalyst to accelerate these efforts.”

About Alumni Ventures

Founded in 2014, by James Gill and Beth Obermiller Alumni Ventures is one of the most active venture capital firms in the world. It makes startup investing more accessible to individuals and supports founders with funding, and guidance. The firm focuses on bold innovation and believes that venture investing should be open to a broader range of people, not just institutions.

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