What Deepcore does

DEEPCORE Inc. is an AI-specialized venture capital firm and incubator incorporated in Tokyo, Japan, established in 2018 and wholly owned by SoftBank Group Corp. The firm invests at pre-seed to Series A in startups applying deep learning, generative AI, robotics, and adjacent advanced technologies across manufacturing, healthcare, retail, logistics, biotech, and fintech. Beyond capital, it provides hands-on operational support covering fundraising, sales, global expansion, HR, IP, and back-office functions, and bundles a Support Package of accounting, legal, cloud, and communications services at discounted rates to portfolio companies.

The firm's differentiating layer is the KERNEL community ecosystem — 800+ members and a physical KERNEL HONGO incubation facility in central Tokyo — wrapped by an integrated program stack: SYNCLE (2-month peer learning co-developed with MIMIGURI), LINKS by KERNEL (career/CxO matching, 40+ placements), KERNEL EIR LAB and DeepTech Bridge (researcher-to-cofounder matching under NEDO MPM), and KERNEL Global Startup Camp (4-month accelerator providing JPY 5M or USD 40K initial investment). Since inception DEEPCORE has invested in 140+ companies and supported the founding of 80+ startups, with portfolio credentials including 4 Y Combinator acceptances and researchers published at CVPR, ICML, and ICRA.

DEEPCORE generates revenue primarily through fund management fees and carried interest on three disclosed vehicles: DEEPCORE TOKYO 1 (JPY 5.6B, 2018), DEEPCORE TOKYO 2 (JPY 11.7B, May 2023), and STATION Ai Central Japan 1 (JPY 1B, 2023), plus a third fund established in June 2026. Strategic alliances include SoftBank Group (sole shareholder), Japan Deep Learning Association, OIST (MOU), MIMIGURI, Kobe City (KERNEL KOBE), and government program designations NEDO MPM and TOKYO SUTEAM.

Name

Deepcore

Legal name

株式会社ディープコア

Website

https://deepcore.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

DEEPCORE is a Tokyo-based AI-specialized venture capital firm and incubator, wholly owned by SoftBank Group, investing at seed to Series A in deep learning, generative AI, and robotics startups while operating the KERNEL community and programs such as SYNCLE and LINKS to support founders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Venture Capital & Startup Incubation

NAICS

Open-End Investment Funds (525910)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Accelerators & Startup Programs (FSANAHAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Emerging Managers / Seeding Platforms (FSAHAKAI)

Keywords

• Venture capital funding
• AI startup incubation
• Seed to series A investing
• Startup community building
• Deep tech accelerators

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Venture Capital Management / Fund Returns: DEEPCORE generates returns through equity investments in AI and advanced technology startups at pre-seed to Series A stages. Managed funds include DEEPCORE TOKYO 1 (JPY 5.6 billion), DEEPCORE TOKYO 2 (JPY 11.7 billion), and STATION Ai Central Japan 1 (JPY 1 billion). The firm also established a 3rd fund in June 2026. Revenue is derived from fund management fees and carried interest on successful exits.
2. Startup Support Services: Provides support packages to portfolio companies including accounting, legal, HR, PR, general affairs services, cloud services, communication tools, and programming learning tools at discounted rates. This supports portfolio company growth which in turn increases fund value.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

DEEPCORE is an AI-focused venture capital firm and incubator that invests in AI and advanced-technology startups at pre-seed to Series A stages. It manages multiple investment funds (totaling over ¥18.3B committed capital) and operates the KERNEL community, KERNEL HONGO incubation facility, and programs such as SYNCLE, LINKS by KERNEL, KERNEL EIR LAB, and KERNEL Global Startup Camp to support AI startups from founding through growth.

Product overview

Deepcore is an AI-focused venture capital firm and incubator that operates a multi-product ecosystem for startup support. The core offering is KERNEL, a members-only startup community providing access to events, facilities, and seven Official Communities. Supporting programs include SYNCLE (peer learning), KERNEL EIR LAB and DeepTech Bridge (co-founding matching), LINKS by KERNEL (career matching), and KERNEL Global Startup Camp (accelerator). The firm manages three investment funds with total AUM of approximately 183 billion yen and provides a Support Package for portfolio companies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KERNEL: AI-focused incubation community and startup hub operated by DEEPCORE. A members-only community for entrepreneurs, researchers, and engineers with over 800 members. Operates KERNEL HONGO facility in Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo.
• LINKS by KERNEL
• SYNCLE
• KERNEL Global Startup Camp
• KERNEL EIR LAB
• DeepTech Bridge
• First 10
• CxO Club
• EIR LAB

Products and services

• KERNEL Members-only invitation-based startup community for AI entrepreneurs, researchers, and engineers providing events, Slack communication, and access to KERNEL HONGO facility. Currently has 800+ members.
• KERNEL HONGO AI-focused physical incubation facility in Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo providing workspace, computing resources, and 24/7 access to KERNEL members.
• DEEPCORE Family Funds Multi-fund venture capital vehicle investing in AI and advanced technology startups from pre-seed to Series A stages across healthcare, manufacturing, retail, logistics, and other industries. Total AUM exceeds ¥18.3 billion.
• SYNCLE Two-month peer learning program designed to help startups navigate people and organizational challenges. Offers Course A (founder's purpose/artistic expression) and Course B (death roadmap analysis). Free for selected participants as a TOKYO SUTEAM adopted project.
• LINKS by KERNEL Career matching community connecting professionals seeking startup roles with AI/deep tech startups. Offers full-time, part-time, freelance, and pro bono engagement options. 40+ successful placements and 400+ community members.
• KERNEL EIR LAB Entrepreneur-in-Residence program matching business professionals (CxO candidates) with deep tech researchers for co-founding opportunities. Includes matching and exploration tracks with access to 800+ KERNEL members and KERNEL HONGO facilities.
• DeepTech Bridge Program for researchers with deep tech technologies to pursue co-founding through matching with experienced business professionals. NEDO MPM adopted program.
• KERNEL Global Startup Camp Four-month accelerator program for early-stage startups looking to expand overseas. Provides lectures, mentorship, weekly pitch sessions with international investors, and initial investment of ¥5 million (or USD 40,000 for overseas entities). Includes Demo Days held twice yearly.
• Support Package Support services for portfolio startups including accounting, legal, HR, PR, general affairs, cloud services, communication tools, and programming learning tools at discounted rates. Provided as part of DEEPCORE's hands-on support model.

Quantifiable outcome

• 140+ startups invested since 2018, 80+ startups formed through KERNEL community, 4 Y Combinator accepted companies
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability11 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Japan Deep Learning Association (JDLA)coreOthersDEEPCORE is a regular member of the Japan Deep Learning Association, aligning with Japan's leading AI/deep learning industry body and contributing to the national AI ecosystem.
• Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDEEPCORE has signed a memorandum of understanding with OIST for collaboration on promoting entrepreneurship and commercialization of research outcomes from OIST.
• MIMIGURI Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDEEPCORE and MIMIGURI co-developed SYNCLE, a 2-month peer learning program to help startups navigate people and organizational challenges. SYNCLE is a TOKYO SUTEAM adopted project. MIMIGURI contributes facilitators, workshop design, and organizational development expertise.
• NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization)coreOthersDEEPCORE was selected for NEDO's 2025 Management Personnel Matching program for University-Based Startups (MPM), supporting matching between university research technologies and experienced business professionals to accelerate deep tech startup creation in Japan.
• Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TOKYO SUTEAM)coreOthersDEEPCORE's SYNCLE program was adopted as a TOKYO SUTEAM recognized project, supported by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's startup support initiative to help entrepreneurs overcome people and organizational challenges.
• Kobe City (KERNEL KOBE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDEEPCORE was selected as a subsidy recipient for Kobe City's specialized incubation program (FY2025 onwards), establishing KERNEL KOBE to support deep tech startup creation in Kobe, from technology discovery through founding and growth.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• ANRI: Japan-based early-stage VC focused on AI, deep tech, and software startups at seed and Series A. Closest direct competitor to DEEPCORE in the Japanese AI seed investment landscape with comparable fund sizes and similar founder support approach.
• Globis Capital Partners: One of Japan's leading venture capital firms investing across seed to growth stages with strong focus on technology and SaaS. Comparable to DEEPCORE as a Japan-focused tech VC with institutional LP backing and strong founder network.
• World Innovation Lab (WiL): Japan-US cross-border VC with corporate strategic backing investing in AI, IoT, and digital health. Comparable to DEEPCORE for its Japan/international bridge model and corporate-backed structure targeting AI and deep tech founders.
• Plug and Play Japan: Japan arm of global Plug and Play accelerator/VC network running accelerator programs and corporate partnerships. Comparable to DEEPCORE for operating accelerator programs and community-driven deal sourcing in Japan.
• Beyond Next Ventures: Japan-focused deep tech and life sciences VC with university partnership model similar to DEEPCORE's OIST collaboration. Comparable for emphasis on researcher-to-founder commercialization in Japan.

Broad incumbents

• JAFCO Group: One of Japan's largest and oldest venture capital firms with broad portfolio across stages and sectors including AI/deep tech. Provides broader incumbent comparison point — significantly larger AUM but less specialized than DEEPCORE's AI focus.
• Sony Innovation Fund: Corporate venture capital arm of Sony Group investing in AI, deep tech, and entertainment. Comparable to DEEPCORE as another Japanese conglomerate CVC with strategic AI mandate and similar early-stage focus.
• Techstars: Global accelerator network running 3-month programs and follow-on investments. Comparable to DEEPCORE for the accelerator program structure (similar to KERNEL Global Startup Camp) and founder community model.
• Y Combinator: Premier global startup accelerator with seed investment and extensive founder community. Relevant to DEEPCORE as an aspirational benchmark — DEEPCORE portfolio has produced 4 YC-accepted founders, demonstrating their pipeline's quality.
• Mitsubishi UFJ Capital: Japanese corporate VC arm of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group investing broadly including AI/deep tech. Comparable as another Japan CVC active in DEEPCORE's investment space (e.g., co-invested in A-wave Series B).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/deepcore_inc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@HakkutsuChannel
• Facebookfacebook.com/DEEPCOREinc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments114 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Deepcore