Cool Japan Fund
Cool Japan Fund (クールジャパン機構) is a Japanese government-backed sovereign investment fund, established in 2013 under the Cool Japan Act with METI support, that deploys equity capital into companies promoting Japanese content, food, fashion, and inbound tourism internationally across Asia and beyond.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Cool Japan Fund does
Cool Japan Fund (クールジャパン機構 / 株式会社海外需要開拓支援機構) is a Japanese government-backed sovereign investment fund established in 2013 under the Act on the Promotion of Overseas Demand for Japanese Goods, Services and Content (Cool Japan Act), with policy support from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). Headquartered at Roppongi Hills, Tokyo, the fund deploys equity capital and fund-of-funds commitments into companies that promote Japanese content, food, fashion/lifestyle, and inbound tourism in international markets. Its investment organization is split into an Investment Strategy Group and a Business Development & Partnership Promotion Group, totaling 51-100 employees.
The fund operates across four named sectors — media and content, food and hospitality, fashion and lifestyle, and inbound tourism — and has progressively expanded into adjacent verticals including fintech, insurtech, automotive, cross-border e-commerce, logistics, and VTuber/IP. Notable 2024-2026 investments include Carro (US$60M, lead), Funding Societies | Modalku (US$25M), PolicyStreet (US$21M round with US$12M direct, lead), Buy&Ship (US$12M), ecbo (up to ¥1 billion, lead), Coolmate, Brave group, KONVY, and JumpStart, alongside fund-of-funds vehicles such as Japan Activation Capital Alpha I L.P. and Living Lab Ventures' Japan Thematic Fund.
CJF's monetization is fund-based rather than product-based: it generates returns through equity appreciation and exit proceeds (IPOs, M&A, secondaries), with proceeds reinvested to sustain the fund's policy mandate. It does not operate a proprietary technology platform, charge external users, or publish pricing for its investment services. The wholly-owned Japan Content Factory (JCF), created in 2018, acts as a bridge-finance vehicle for Japanese content-production companies pursuing overseas expansion. The fund co-invests with regional sovereign peers (GIC, Khazanah Nasional) and global VCs, and has signaled portfolio maturation through pre-IPO activity at Carro and Buy&Ship.
Cool Japan Fund firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cool Japan Fund
- Legal name
- 株式会社海外需要開拓支援機構
- Website
- https://www.cj-fund.co.jp
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Cool Japan Fund (クールジャパン機構) is a Japanese government-backed sovereign investment fund, established in 2013 under the Cool Japan Act with METI support, that deploys equity capital into companies promoting Japanese content, food, fashion, and inbound tourism internationally across Asia and beyond.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cool Japan Fund industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sovereign Wealth Fund / Investment Fund Management
- NAICS
- Other Financial Vehicles (525990)
- SIC
- Investors, Nec (6799)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Impact Investment & Development Investment Funds (BPADACAO)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Development Finance, Guarantees & Blended Finance Programs (BPADABAM)
Keywords
Where Cool Japan Fund is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tokyo
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Cool Japan Fund business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Investment Returns: The fund generates returns through equity investments in portfolio companies, seeking capital appreciation and exit opportunities through IPOs, acquisitions, or secondary sales. Returns are reinvested into new investment opportunities to sustain the fund's mission of promoting Japanese cultural and commercial interests overseas.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Cool Japan Fund product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cool Japan Fund (株式会社海外需要開拓支援機構) is a Japanese government-backed investment fund established in 2013 under the Cool Japan Act that makes equity investments in companies promoting Japanese content, food, fashion, lifestyle, and inbound tourism to international markets. It deploys capital directly into portfolio companies and via fund-of-funds vehicles, operating across four investment sectors: food, media/content, fashion and lifestyle, and inbound tourism. The fund provides both capital and strategic support, including business matching between Japanese firms and overseas markets.
Product overview
Cool Japan Fund (クールジャパン機構) is a Japanese sovereign wealth fund (株式会社海外需要開拓支援機構) that invests in companies to promote Japanese content, culture, products, and services globally. The fund focuses on four investment areas: food (食), fashion/lifestyle (衣料ライフスタイル), media/content (メディアコンテンツ), and inbound tourism (インバウンド). The organization provides investment consultation services through downloadable Excel formats and facilitates business matching between Japanese companies and overseas markets.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Direct Equity Investment Program
- Japan Content Factory (JCF)
- Japan Activation Capital Alpha I L.P.
Companies that use Cool Japan Fund
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Cool Japan Fund technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Cool Japan Fund partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators6 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Cool Japan Fund competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- GIC Pte Ltd: Singapore's sovereign wealth fund and a documented co-investor alongside Cool Japan Fund in Carro. Both deploy long-duration capital across Asia with sovereign backing, making it the closest structural peer.
- Khazanah Nasional: Malaysia's sovereign wealth fund that co-invested with CJF in Funding Societies and PolicyStreet. Both are sovereign vehicles deploying strategic capital in Southeast Asia to promote national economic interests.
- Temasek Holdings: Singapore state-owned investment company with similar long-duration equity investment approach across Asia. Comparable in mandate structure as a sovereign investment fund, though broader in sector scope than CJF's cultural focus.
- Korea Investment Corporation (KIC): South Korea's sovereign wealth fund. Comparable as an Asian sovereign investment vehicle, though KIC focuses on traditional financial returns versus CJF's cultural-promotion mandate.
- Mubadala Investment Company: UAE sovereign wealth fund with global direct investment operations. Comparable scale and sovereign-backed direct investment approach, though focused on energy/technology transitions versus CJF's cultural focus.
- Development Bank of Japan (DBJ): Japanese government-affiliated financial institution that provides long-term investment capital. Domestic peer operating under similar government policy alignment, though focused on industrial development versus CJF's cultural export mandate.
- British Business Bank: UK government-backed economic development bank with equity investment operations. Comparable as a government-backed investment institution with policy-aligned deployment mandate.
- China Investment Corporation (CIC): China's sovereign wealth fund with global direct investment scope. Comparable as a major sovereign investment vehicle operating in Asia with similar scale and mandate, though politically distinct from Japan's CJF.
- Public Investment Fund (PIF): Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund with aggressive global investment strategy including direct equity deals. Comparable scale and sovereign mandate though distinct sector focus.
Broad incumbents
- Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA): Korean government agency promoting Korean cultural content (K-pop, K-drama) globally. Most direct mission parallel to CJF's Cool Japan strategy—national cultural promotion through investment support—making it the most analogous peer by mandate.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Cool Japan Fund social profiles
Digital presenceCool Japan Fund financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cool Japan Fund leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Cool Japan Fund subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Cool Japan Fund funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cool Japan Fund M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A2 records
Investments41 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cool Japan Fund
What does Cool Japan Fund do?
Cool Japan Fund (株式会社海外需要開拓支援機構) is a Japanese government-backed investment fund established in 2013 under the Cool Japan Act that makes equity investments in companies promoting Japanese content, food, fashion, lifestyle, and inbound tourism to international markets. It deploys capital directly into portfolio companies and via fund-of-funds vehicles, operating across four investment sectors: food, media/content, fashion and lifestyle, and inbound tourism. The fund provides both capital and strategic support, including business matching between Japanese firms and overseas markets.
Is Cool Japan Fund a public or private company?
Cool Japan Fund is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Cool Japan Fund founded?
Cool Japan Fund was founded in 2013. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Cool Japan Fund based?
Cool Japan Fund is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does Cool Japan Fund make money?
One revenue line is on record: investment Returns.
Who are Cool Japan Fund's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are GIC Pte Ltd, Khazanah Nasional, Temasek Holdings, Korea Investment Corporation (KIC), Mubadala Investment Company, Development Bank of Japan (DBJ), British Business Bank, China Investment Corporation (CIC) and Public Investment Fund (PIF). Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Cool Japan Fund have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cool Japan Fund.
What industry is Cool Japan Fund in?
Cool Japan Fund's product category is Sovereign Wealth Fund / Investment Fund Management. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADACAO, Impact Investment & Development Investment Funds, with a secondary code of BPADABAM, Development Finance, Guarantees & Blended Finance Programs. Its NAICS code is 525990 and its SIC code is 6799.