JAFCO
JAFCO Group Co., Ltd. is Japan's largest and longest-established venture capital and private equity firm, investing across seed-to-buyout stages in domestic Japanese companies and providing hands-on sales, HR, and IPO preparation support to its 4,249 cumulative portfolio investments.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1973
- HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What JAFCO does
JAFCO Group Co., Ltd. is Japan's largest and longest-established venture capital and private equity firm, founded on April 5, 1973, and publicly listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime Market under ticker 8595. The firm invests across two core product lines: Venture Investment targeting seed-to-Series A startups with capital and active management involvement, and Buyout Investment supporting companies at inflection points through growth-oriented private equity. As of May 2026, JAFCO has invested in 4,249 cumulative companies, supported 1,042 IPOs, and managed cumulative funds of ¥1.2 trillion.
The firm differentiates through a hands-on Business Development organization spanning sales/marketing, HR (including 37 CxO placements in FY2023), and back-office support (including 32 IPO preparations in FY2023), delivering post-investment value beyond capital. JAFCO also publishes proprietary AI investment thesis reports, operates the JAFCO POST content platform, runs the First Leap EIR program, and hosts pitch events and webinars connecting portfolio companies with enterprise customers.
JAFCO's revenue model combines recurring management fees (up to 2.5% annually of committed/invested capital), performance-based carried interest (up to 20% of profits), and capital gains from the sale of portfolio securities — with FY2026 revenue at ¥216 billion and FY2025 at ¥282 billion, materially fluctuating with exit activity. In April 2025 JAFCO announced a strategic shift to Japan concentration, completed by January 2026 with the divestiture of all overseas subsidiaries. The firm employs 126–133 staff, including 40+ investment professionals, and maintains its headquarters in Toranomon Hills, Tokyo, with a regional office in Osaka.
JAFCO firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- JAFCO
- Legal name
- ジャフコ グループ株式会社 (JAFCO Group Co., Ltd.)
- Website
- https://jafco.co.jp
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1973
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- JAFCO Group Co., Ltd. is Japan's largest and longest-established venture capital and private equity firm, investing across seed-to-buyout stages in domestic Japanese companies and providing hands-on sales, HR, and IPO preparation support to its 4,249 cumulative portfolio investments.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
JAFCO industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Venture Capital and Private Equity
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394), Management of Companies and Enterprises (55111), Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities (523)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282), Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Strategic / Balance-Sheet CVC (On-balance-sheet investing) (FSANAHAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Capital Markets Advisory (IPO Readiness, SPAC, ECM/DCM Advisory) (BPAHAOAL), Corporate Strategic Partnership & Ecosystem Investment Arms (FSANAHAF)
Keywords
Where JAFCO is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tokyo
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices2 records
Markets served
JAFCO business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Management Fees: Annual management fee charged on committed or invested capital for fund operations and oversight.
- Carried Interest (Success Fees): Performance-based fees calculated as a percentage of profits from successful investments, typically 20% of returns above the hurdle rate.
- Investment Securities Sales Revenue: Capital gains from the sale of portfolio company equity, including realized gains from IPO exits and M&A transactions. Comprises sale proceeds and dividend/interest income.
- Fund Management Income: Ongoing fees from managing investment fund vehicles, including both management fees and carried interest from various fund structures.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Fund establishment fee for investment partnership setup |
| Subscription | Annual | Annual management fee for fund operations |
| Outcome Based/ Performance | Multi-year contract | Performance-based carried interest |
| Subscription | Annual | Fund operational expenses |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
JAFCO product offering
Product offeringCore offering
JAFCO is a venture capital and private equity firm that invests capital in early-stage startups and growth-stage companies in Japan, and provides hands-on operational support (sales/marketing, HR, back-office, IPO preparation) to portfolio companies. The firm also manages investment funds on behalf of institutional limited partners, earning management fees and performance-based carried interest.
Product overview
JAFCO Group Co., Ltd. is Japan's largest venture capital and private equity firm, established in 1973, offering a comprehensive platform of investment and portfolio support services. The core investment products include Venture Investment (seed/early-stage startup financing) and Buyout Investment (growth-stage PE), alongside Fund Management services managing ¥1.2 trillion in cumulative assets. The portfolio support ecosystem comprises specialized services including e-私書箱 (electronic fund report delivery), CEO Coaching for executive development, Sales & Marketing Support leveraging an enterprise network of thousands of companies, HR Support for executive recruitment and organizational development, and Back Office Support for IPO preparation and governance. JAFCO also operates knowledge products like Investment Hypothesis Reports (proprietary AI-focused research) and entrepreneurship programs such as First Leap. The integrated model combines capital provision with operational support to maximize portfolio company value creation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Venture Investment (ベンチャー投資) Venture capital investment targeting early-stage Japanese startups (seed to Series A), providing capital and intensive management involvement to drive continuous business growth.
- Buyout Investment (バイアウト投資) Growth-oriented private equity investment targeting companies at inflection points, supporting sustained value creation for businesses undertaking a second founding or management buyout.
- Fund Management (ファンド運用) Management of venture and buyout investment funds on behalf of institutional limited partners, including fund formation, capital deployment, and exit execution.
- Business Development Support (ビジネスディベロップメント) Portfolio support program providing sales and marketing assistance (business matching, enterprise introductions), HR support (CxO recruitment, organizational design, executive coaching), and back-office support (IPO preparation, governance, financial management).
- First Leap (Entrepreneur in Residence Program) Entrepreneurship program that supports aspiring founders to develop business ideas within JAFCO before launching their own companies.
- e-私書箱 (e-shishobako) Electronic Document Delivery Secure digital delivery service for fund management reports and investment-related documents distributed to limited partners.
- & JAFCO POST Investment Hypothesis Reports Proprietary research publications covering AI-native business models, AI BPO market analysis, and organizational transformation investment theses.
Quantifiable outcome
- 825 business matching cases generated for portfolio companies in FY2023
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use JAFCO
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
JAFCO technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
JAFCO partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Nippon Yusen (NYK Line)minorMaritime shipping company partnering with Oceanic Constellations for mass production and offshore rocket recovery technology development
- Keihin DockminorShipbuilding company collaborating with Oceanic Constellations on USV mass production capabilities
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
JAFCO competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
JAFCO social profiles
Digital presenceJAFCO compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
JAFCO financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
JAFCO leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
JAFCO funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
JAFCO M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A2 records
Investments410 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about JAFCO
What does JAFCO do?
JAFCO is a venture capital and private equity firm that invests capital in early-stage startups and growth-stage companies in Japan, and provides hands-on operational support (sales/marketing, HR, back-office, IPO preparation) to portfolio companies. The firm also manages investment funds on behalf of institutional limited partners, earning management fees and performance-based carried interest.
Is JAFCO a public or private company?
JAFCO is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was JAFCO founded?
JAFCO was founded in 1973. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is JAFCO based?
JAFCO is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does JAFCO make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Management Fees are the primary driver. The others are carried Interest (Success Fees), investment Securities Sales Revenue and fund Management Income.
Does JAFCO have an API?
No public API is recorded for JAFCO.
What industry is JAFCO in?
JAFCO's product category is Venture Capital and Private Equity. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAHAA, Strategic / Balance-Sheet CVC (On-balance-sheet investing), with a secondary code of BPAHAOAL, Capital Markets Advisory (IPO Readiness, SPAC, ECM/DCM Advisory). Its NAICS code is 52394 and its SIC code is 6282.