ANOBAKA

What ANOBAKA does

ANOBAKA is a Tokyo-headquartered seed-stage venture capital firm that backs early-stage internet and generative AI startups in Japan. The firm operates four investment limited partnerships — three general-purpose seed funds and a dedicated Generative AI Fund established in April 2023 — and has built a cumulative portfolio of 200+ companies as of its 10th anniversary in late 2025. ANOBAKA's stated investment range is ¥10-50 million for general seed investments and ¥10-30 million for generative AI-native companies, with an average time-to-invest of 1-2 months from initial meeting. The firm traces its lineage to KLab Venture Partners (KVP), founded in 2015, and was reorganized via a management buyout from KLab in December 2020.

The firm has built a vertically integrated platform around its core capital products. In April 2025, ANOBAKA launched "ANO-kun," an industry-first AI Capitalist agent co-developed with portfolio company Automagica and trained on the firm's 10+ years of accumulated investment know-how across 1,500+ prior investment cases. ANO-kun conducts structured online interviews with seed-stage founders, achieving a 77% meeting completion rate and routing approximately 40 companies to human capitalists within its first year of operation. The firm also operates the ANOBASHO community hub (opened January 2025) in Toranomon, the non-equity U-25 AI Accelerator program (launched November 2025), the ANOBAKA PITCH investor showcase, and the Generative AI Conference TOKYO.

ANOBAKA generates revenue primarily through VC fund management fees and carried interest on exits, supplemented by fee-based CVC establishment and open innovation consulting services for corporate clients including Marimo Holdings and Oriental Land. Distribution is community-led, combining direct founder outreach via the AI Capitalist online funnel, recurring portfolio events (ANOBAKA PITCH, AWARD, Generative AI Conference, StartupMarket 2026), and a physical community hub. The firm has approximately 10 core team members and is founder-led by CEO/Partner Hirokazu Nagano and Partner Satoshi Hagiya, both veterans of the predecessor KLab Venture Partners.

Name

ANOBAKA

Legal name

株式会社ANOBAKA

Website

https://anobaka.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ANOBAKA is a Tokyo-based seed-stage venture capital firm managing four funds focused on internet and generative AI startups, with 200+ portfolio companies. It operates ANO-kun, an AI-mediated deal-sourcing agent, plus a community hub and accelerator program supporting early-stage Japanese founders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Seed-Stage Venture Capital

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394), Miscellaneous Financial Investment Activities (523999)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Industry-Specialist / Sector-Focused M&A Advisory (FSAEAGAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Buy-Side M&A Advisory (FSAEAGAB)

Keywords

• Seed-stage venture capital
• Early-stage startup investing
• Generative AI fund
• CVC establishment consulting
• Startup community platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Shibuya

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. VC Fund Management Fees & Carried Interest: Primary revenue from management of four VC funds (1号ファンド established April 2016, 2号 October 2018, 3号 November 2021, Generative AI 1号 April 2023) targeting seed-stage internet startups, with management fees and carried interest on successful exits/IPO/M&A.
2. CVC Establishment & Open Innovation Consulting: Fee-based consulting services for large enterprises establishing CVCs, including investment strategy, fund sizing, talent/org design, and facilitating business alliances between corporate LPs and portfolio startups (e.g., Marimo Holdings × Coconomi case).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

ANOBAKA is a Japan-based seed-stage venture capital firm that manages four investment limited partnerships (three general seed funds and one Generative AI fund) investing ¥10M–¥50M per company. Beyond capital, the firm provides hands-on support from initial meeting through IPO or M&A, runs an industry-first AI Capitalist agent (ANO-kun) for 24/7 founder sparring, operates a physical community hub (ANOBASHO) for portfolio companies, runs a U-25 AI Accelerator for student founders, and offers CVC establishment and open-innovation consulting for large enterprises.

Product overview

ANOBAKA operates as a platform-plus-modules architecture in venture capital fund management. The core product is a set of seed-stage VC funds — the All Category Fund (1号 April 2016, 2号 October 2018, 3号 November 2021) and the Generative AI Fund (Generative AI No.1 Investment Limited Partnership, April 2023). Layered on top of these funds are modular offerings: ANOくん (AI Capitalist) automates sourcing and pitch critique; ANOBAKA U-25 AI Accelerator runs a non-equity student program; ANOBASHO serves as the physical community hub for portfolio companies; ANOBAKA PITCH, Generative AI Conference TOKYO, StartupMarket, and ANOBAKA AWARD are recurring events for portfolio exposure; ANOケア provides founder mental-health support; and Open Innovation services deliver business alliance and CVC establishment support for corporate partners. Together, these form a vertically integrated seed-stage investment platform combining capital (the funds), AI tooling (ANOくん), community (ANOBASHO), talent (U-25 Accelerator), and corporate open-innovation matching.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Generative AI Fund: A specialized seed/early-stage fund operated by ANOBAKA that targets generative AI-native startups, with an investment range of 10–30 million yen. Formed as a separate fund (Generative AI 1号ファンド) in April 2023.
• ANOくん (ANO-kun)
• ANOBASHO

Products and services

• ANOBAKA All Category Seed Fund (Funds 1–3)
• ANOBAKA Generative AI Fund
• ANO-kun (ANOく) AI Capitalist Industry-first AI Capitalist agent co-developed with portfolio company Automagica. Conducts online sparring interviews with seed-stage entrepreneurs, structures pitch-deck critiques using ANOBAKA's 10+ years of accumulated investment expertise (1,500+ past deals), and routes promising founders to human capitalists. Operates 24/7. Launched April 2025; achieved 240 interviews, 77% completion rate, and routed 40 companies to human capital review (3 progressed to investment committee) within its first year.
• ANOBASHO community hub Physical community co-working space at Growth Toranomon 5F (2-2-1 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo). Functions as the gathering point for ANOBAKA's portfolio community, hosts events, and serves as the workspace for resident portfolio companies (CORE, AI Impulse, hampo-saki, Herix, among others). Opened January 2025. Also offered as a 6-month free shared-office prize to the Generative AI Conference TOKYO pitch competition winner.
• ANOBAKA U-25 AI Accelerator Non-equity (no investment required) accelerator program for students and entrepreneurs under 25 targeting generative AI ventures. ~6-month program based at ANOBASHO. Provides funding at acceptance and at company formation, technical support via cloud-service packages, mentoring by capitalists and founders, and study sessions. First cohort of 16 participants announced 2026-01-22; kickoff 2026-01-19, with participants across industrial SaaS, agriculture AI, vertical AI, medical, and personal OS domains.
• ANOBAKA Open Innovation / CVC Consulting B2B services for large Japanese corporates, including (1) business alliance support between corporates and ANOBAKA portfolio startups, (2) CVC establishment support covering investment strategy, fund sizing, and talent/organization design, and (3) community events (ANOBAKA PITCH, ANOBAKA AWARD, seasonal events). Flagship case: Marimo Holdings × Coconomi business alliance leading to Coconomi joining the Marimo Holdings group as a subsidiary. Oriental Land's CVC made ANOBAKA its first LP investment target in June 2024.
• ANOBAKA PITCH (biannual investor-matching event) Invitation-only biannual pitch event connecting ANOBAKA portfolio startups with major Japanese VCs and CVCs. Spring and Autumn iterations; pitches by ~10 portfolio companies followed by networking. Spring 2026 edition held 2026-04-09 at Belle Salle Toranomon with 200+ registrants, sponsored by Sumitomo Realty & Development.
• Generative AI Conference TOKYO (annual conference) Annual generative AI conference co-hosted by ANOBAKA, Nissay Capital, PKSHA Technology, United Inc., and AWS Japan. Features panel discussions, AI Idea Pitch competition (¥1,000,000 grand prize + 6-month ANOBASHO shared-office access for winner), and networking. 120 attendees from startups, VC/CVC, and corporates. 2026 edition held 2026-05-26 at MFPR Shibuya Building.
• ANOBAKA AWARD (annual awards ceremony) Annual year-end celebration and awards ceremony recognizing ANOBAKA portfolio companies across 8 categories (PR, Growth, Sales Seed, Sales, Fundraising, HR, Challenge, Special/EXIT). 2025 edition held 2025-12-16 at Minami-Aoyama, Tokyo, and marked the milestone of 200+ cumulative portfolio companies.
• ANO Care (ANOケア) founder mental-health program Internal mental-health and well-being support program for ANOBAKA's portfolio startup founders, in response to growing awareness of founder mental-health challenges. Featured in Tokyo Shimbun coverage (2026-04-24) and operated via portfolio manager Hara Yuriko.
• ANOBAKA CH (YouTube channel & podcast) Content channel for distributing insights on 'the reality of challenge' to entrepreneurs. Original YouTube channel launched 2021 with 200+ episodes of portfolio founder interviews; concept refreshed February 2026. Podcast program launched July 2025.

Quantifiable outcome

• 240 companies met with AI Capitalist ANO-kun in first year (April 2025-April 2026)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability7 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered tactical, strategic and flagship.

• Tama Shinkin Bank (多摩信用金庫)tacticalStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 May 2026Business alliance with ANOBAKA portfolio company Suke-Dachi (株式会社助太刀) to provide construction industry matching services to Tama Shinkin Bank's construction clients, addressing labor shortage challenges in Fukuoka.
• Fukuoka Chuo Bank (福岡中央銀行)tacticalStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 May 2026Business alliance with ANOBAKA portfolio company Suke-Dachi (株式会社助太刀) to provide construction industry matching services (Suke-Dachi Business/Enterprise) and recruitment services (Suke-Dachi Staff) to Fukuoka Chuo Bank's construction industry clients, addressing labor shortages in Fukuoka's construction sector.
• Tokyo Metropolitan Government (SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026 Executive Committee)strategicOthers · 22 April 2026ANOBAKA participated as a featured exhibitor at SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026 (April 27-29, 2026, Tokyo Big Sight), one of Asia's largest global innovation conferences organized by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. ANOBAKA showcased four portfolio companies (CORE, AI Impulse, Hanpo-saki, Herix) at the ANOBASHO community hub booth.
• Sumitomo Realty & Development Co., Ltd.tacticalGTM or Marketing Partner · 9 April 2026Sponsor of ANOBAKA PITCH 2026 SPRING held April 9, 2026 at Belle Salle Toranomon; supported the invitation-only pitch event connecting ANOBAKA portfolio startups with major Japanese VCs and CVCs.
• CrowdWorks, Inc. (株式会社クラウドワークス)tacticalGTM or Marketing Partner · 9 April 2026Operator of 'MAP TALK' M&A podcast where ANOBAKA CEO Hirokazu Nagano appeared in episode 6 on June 5, 2026 to discuss ANOBAKA's seed-stage investment philosophy and recent M&A trends for startups.
• Nissei Capital Co., Ltd.strategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 April 2026Co-host of Generative AI Conference TOKYO (held twice yearly since 2025), joining ANOBAKA in organizing the AI startup pitch contest (¥1 million grand prize) and panel discussions with leading AI investors.
• PKSHA Technology Co., Ltd.strategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 April 2026Co-host of Generative AI Conference TOKYO alongside ANOBAKA, Nissei Capital, United Inc., and AWS Japan. PKSHA Algorithm Fund Partner Shunsuke Itaya appears as a featured panelist.
• United Inc.strategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 April 2026Co-host of Generative AI Conference TOKYO alongside ANOBAKA, Nissei Capital, PKSHA Technology, and AWS Japan, supporting the AI startup pitch contest and networking.
• Amazon Web Services Japan (AWS Japan)strategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 April 2026Co-host of Generative AI Conference TOKYO alongside ANOBAKA, Nissei Capital, PKSHA Technology, and United Inc., providing AWS credits and Amazon Echo prizes to award winners (e.g., amu Inc. received AWS prizes at ANOBAKA AWARD 2025).
• San-in Godo Bank, Ltd. (株式会社山陰合同銀行)tacticalGTM or Marketing Partner · 28 March 2026Event host for 'Gougin Startup Fes 2026' (March 27-28, 2026) with 600+ participants; ANOBAKA CEO Nagano moderated a session on business succession × innovation featuring three San-in region succession case studies.
• CyberAgent CapitalstrategicGTM or Marketing Partner · 25 March 2026Joint co-host of StartupMarket 2026 startup career conference alongside five other seed VCs (Genesia Ventures, Headline Japan, mint, W fund, TeamMake Capital) on June 20, 2026 at Tokyo Innovation Base in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. Event expected to draw 1,200 participants and 60-70 VC-recommended startups.
• Genesia VenturesstrategicGTM or Marketing Partner · 25 March 2026Joint co-host of StartupMarket 2026 startup career conference alongside six other seed VCs on June 20, 2026 at Tokyo Innovation Base in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. Event expected to draw 1,200 participants and 60-70 VC-recommended startups.
• Headline JapanstrategicGTM or Marketing Partner · 25 March 2026Joint co-host of StartupMarket 2026 startup career conference alongside six other seed VCs on June 20, 2026 at Tokyo Innovation Base in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. Event expected to draw 1,200 participants and 60-70 VC-recommended startups.
• mintstrategicGTM or Marketing Partner · 25 March 2026Joint co-host of StartupMarket 2026 startup career conference alongside six other seed VCs on June 20, 2026 at Tokyo Innovation Base in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. Event expected to draw 1,200 participants and 60-70 VC-recommended startups.
• W fundstrategicGTM or Marketing Partner · 25 March 2026Joint co-host of StartupMarket 2026 startup career conference alongside six other seed VCs on June 20, 2026 at Tokyo Innovation Base in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. Event expected to draw 1,200 participants and 60-70 VC-recommended startups.
• TeamMake CapitalstrategicGTM or Marketing Partner · 25 March 2026Joint co-host of StartupMarket 2026 startup career conference alongside six other seed VCs on June 20, 2026 at Tokyo Innovation Base in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. Event expected to draw 1,200 participants and 60-70 VC-recommended startups.
• Automagica Co., Ltd. (株式会社Automagica)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025Co-developer of the AI Capitalist 'ANO-kun' (業界初のAIキャピタリスト) — ANOBAKA's industry-first AI capital agent. Automagica is an ANOBAKA portfolio company specializing in generative AI; the two jointly developed the ANO-kun system, which applies ANOBAKA's 10+ years of 1,500+ investment cases to AI-mediated founder meetings and investment committee preparation.
• Marimo Holdings Co., Ltd. (株式会社マリモホールディングス)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Open innovation partner; ANOBAKA introduced portfolio company Coconomi (organic food subscription) to Marimo Holdings, resulting in a business alliance and Coconomi joining the Marimo Holdings group as a subsidiary. The case is featured as ANOBAKA's flagship CVC facilitation case study.
• KLab Co., Ltd. (株式会社KLab)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerANOBAKA's parent/predecessor relationship — ANOBAKA was established in December 2020 via MBO (Management Buyout) from KLab, where CEO Nagano led the investment division. KLab CEO Tetsuya Sanada provided the closing comment at ANOBAKA's 10th anniversary 'ANO Festival', reaffirming ongoing support. KLab's CVC made the initial LP investment.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• CyberAgent Capital: Seed- and early-stage venture capital arm of CyberAgent, one of Japan's largest internet companies. Direct peer in Japanese seed-stage AI/internet investing; co-hosts StartupMarket 2026 with ANOBAKA and co-led the Cataris ¥50M seed round alongside ANOBAKA.
• Genesia Ventures: Tokyo-based seed- and early-stage VC investing across AI, SaaS, and consumer internet. Direct peer in Japanese seed-stage AI; co-hosts StartupMarket 2026 with ANOBAKA, providing a directly comparable competitor for AI-native seed deals.
• Headline Asia (Headline Japan): Global early-stage VC with strong Japan presence (formerly Colopl Ventures → Headline Asia). Direct peer in Japanese seed-stage investing; co-hosts StartupMarket 2026 with ANOBAKA, targeting similar founder segments and check sizes.
• mint: Japanese seed-stage VC focused on early-stage consumer and tech startups. Direct peer in the Japanese seed ecosystem; co-hosts StartupMarket 2026 with ANOBAKA and competes for similar ¥10–50M seed rounds.
• W fund: Japanese seed-stage VC backed by Woman type (Female Funders). Direct peer in Japanese seed-stage investing; co-hosts StartupMarket 2026 with ANOBAKA and competes for similar founder segments in the ¥10–50M range.
• TeamMake Capital: Japanese seed VC focusing on internet/AI startups. Direct peer in Japanese seed-stage investing; co-hosts StartupMarket 2026 with ANOBAKA, providing directly comparable deal sourcing and community engagement.

Broad incumbents

• East Ventures: One of Southeast Asia's largest early-stage VCs with strong Japan presence. Broader incumbent with significantly larger AUM and multi-country scope; competes with ANOBAKA on Japanese seed deals and provides a benchmark for scale.
• JAFCO Group: Japan's largest publicly listed VC firm with broad stage coverage from seed to buyout. Broader incumbent that competes for institutional seed allocations and offers ANOBAKA LPs a benchmark of what large-scale Japanese VC looks like.

Regional players

• Drone Fund: Japan-focused VC specializing in drone, aerospace, and deep-tech startups led by Kotaro Chiba (LP investor in ANOBAKA). Compares as a thematic Japanese specialist VC; relationship includes cross-LP investment and event co-participation.

Others

• PKSHA Technology / PKSHA Algorithm Fund: Listed Japanese AI software company operating a CVC algorithm fund that invests in early-stage AI startups. Co-hosts Generative AI Conference TOKYO with ANOBAKA; comparable as a Japanese AI-investing ecosystem participant and potential LP/coinvestor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/anobaka_vc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@anobakach103/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/ANOBAKAVC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/anobaka

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments170 records

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

Frequently asked questions about ANOBAKA