DG Daiwa Ventures
DG Daiwa Ventures is a Tokyo-based venture capital firm, jointly backed by Digital Garage and Daiwa Securities Group, that invests in seed and early-stage startups across AI, deep tech, fintech, climate, and robotics globally, while supporting portfolio growth through its Japan-global bridge network.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersMarunouchi, Japan
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What DG Daiwa Ventures does
DG Daiwa Ventures (DGDV) is a Tokyo-headquartered venture capital firm established on July 1, 2016, as a joint venture between Digital Garage and Daiwa Securities Group. The firm invests in seed and early-stage startups with next-generation technologies and provides accompanying business development support, operating across AI, security, deep tech, fintech, climate tech, robotics, healthcare, consumer, and SaaS domains in both Japan and offshore markets. DGDV originates deals through direct sourcing, co-investments with global VC partners (HOF Capital, Sequoia Capital India, Tiger Global, Y Combinator), and proprietary event platforms including the Global Founders Summit and Tokyo Unicorn Summit, the latter explicitly expanding in 2026 from a Japan-Korea-Taiwan format to include Singapore and Vietnam.
DGDV manages three institutional fund vintages: the original DG Lab Fund 1, DG Lab Fund II (approximately 125 billion yen, formed in November 2020 with nine strategic corporate LPs including Eisai, KDDI, Sompo Japan, Taisho Pharmaceutical, Takenaka, TSI Holdings, Hanwha Asset Management, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, and Kakaku.com), and DGDV Fund 3 (over 100 billion yen at final close in 2025), bringing total AUM to approximately 300 billion yen. The firm's portfolio spans 40+ companies, including one unicorn outcome (slice, Indian consumer payments), three liquidity events (Curv acquired by PayPal in 2021, Gnext IPO on TSE Mothers in 2021, BastionZero acquired by Cloudflare in 2024), and multiple award-winning companies (Fairy Devices' TIME Best Inventions 2022 and CES 2022 Innovation Awards).
Revenue is generated through standard VC fund management fees and carried interest on the AUM base; the firm-level revenue figure is not publicly disclosed. Operating expenses are modest relative to AUM, with a team of approximately 16 investment professionals plus venture partners concentrated in Tokyo (Marunouchi headquarters plus Daikan'yama and Shibuya satellite offices), supplemented by US-stationed coverage through Silicon Valley-based personnel and a growing Indian market presence. Leadership comprises two representative directors (Junichi Nakajima and Katsuyasu Murata) supported by senior directors heading domestic and overseas investment, plus dedicated value-up, community management, and fund operations functions added through 2024-2026 hires.
DG Daiwa Ventures firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- DG Daiwa Ventures
- Legal name
- 株式会社DG Daiwa Ventures
- Website
- https://dg-daiwa-v.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- DG Daiwa Ventures is a Tokyo-based venture capital firm, jointly backed by Digital Garage and Daiwa Securities Group, that invests in seed and early-stage startups across AI, deep tech, fintech, climate, and robotics globally, while supporting portfolio growth through its Japan-global bridge network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
DG Daiwa Ventures industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Venture Capital
- NAICS
- Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259), Other Financial Vehicles (52599)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282), Finance Services (6199)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Venture Capital Fund-of-Funds / Multi-Manager Platforms (FSANAAAJ)
Keywords
Where DG Daiwa Ventures is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Marunouchi
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices3 records
Markets served
DG Daiwa Ventures business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Investment Management Fees: DGDV generates revenue through management fees from operating venture capital funds, including DG Lab Fund 1, DG Lab Fund 2 (approximately 125 billion yen), and Fund 3 (over 100 billion yen in final close, with total AUM of approximately 300 billion yen).
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
DG Daiwa Ventures product offering
Product offeringCore offering
DG Daiwa Ventures is a Tokyo-based venture capital firm that invests in seed and early-stage startups with next-generation technologies across AI, deep tech, fintech, robotics, climate tech, security, blockchain, and bio-health. It manages three investment funds — DG Lab Fund I, DG Lab Fund II (approximately 125 billion yen), and DGDV 3号ファンド (over 100 billion yen at final close), bringing total AUM to approximately 300 billion yen — and provides portfolio companies with capital, business development support, and cross-border networking with global VC partners.
Product overview
DG Daiwa Ventures is a Tokyo-based venture capital firm that provides investment and business development support for startups with next-generation technologies. The firm operates three investment funds (DG Lab 1号ファンド, DG Lab2号ファンド at ~125 billion yen, and 3号ファンド at 100+ billion yen with ~300 billion yen total AUM), investing across sectors including AI, blockchain, healthcare, security, fintech, consumer, SaaS, climate, and xR. The firm's portfolio includes AI platforms (Actcast edge AI by Idein, Project Pluto for institutional investors, Skild Brain for robotics), content creation tools (PEEX AI-powered web novel studio), hardware (Fairy Devices' LINKLET wearable camera), healthcare products (Dioseve's ReproNest for IVF, Calomeal health app), and other deep tech solutions. The firm serves as a bridge between Japanese and global startup ecosystems, collaborating with North American and international investors.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- DG Lab Fund II: A secondary fund focused on global startups with next-generation technologies, launched in 2020 with approximately 125 billion JPY in capital.
- DGDV 3号ファンド
Products and services
- DG Lab 1号ファンド (DG Lab Fund I) The firm's first venture capital fund focused on investing in global startups with next-generation technologies. Available as a limited partnership investment vehicle to institutional and corporate LPs.
- DG Lab2号ファンド (DG Lab Fund II E.L.P. Cayman) A approximately 125 billion yen venture capital fund formed in November 2020 focused on global startups with next-generation technologies in blockchain, AI, xR, security, and bio-health sectors. Available to institutional and corporate limited partners.
- DGDV 3号ファンド (DGDV Fund 3) The third venture capital fund with final close at over 100 billion yen in 2025, bringing total assets under management to approximately 300 billion yen. Focused on domestic and international investments in next-generation technology startups. Available to institutional investors.
Quantifiable outcome
- Fund 3 raised over 100 billion yen in final close
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use DG Daiwa Ventures
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
DG Daiwa Ventures technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability14 records
DG Daiwa Ventures partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered major.
- DG Lab Consortium CompaniesmajorLP investors in DG Lab Fund II including Eisai, Kakaku.com, KDDI, Sompo Japan, Taisho Pharmaceutical, Takenaka Corporation, TSI Holdings, Hanwha Asset Management, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank. Support fund operations and provide ecosystem access.
- Tokyo Unicorn Summit AssociationmajorCo-organizer of Tokyo Unicorn Summit 2026, bringing together unicorns and startups from Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, and Vietnam for cross-border networking.
- The Chosun Ilbo (Korea)majorKorean media partner co-organizing Tokyo Unicorn Summit 2026, expanding event reach to include Singapore and Vietnam alongside existing Korean, Japanese, and Taiwanese participants.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
DG Daiwa Ventures competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Global Brain: Tokyo-headquartered venture capital firm investing across AI, deep tech, and frontier technology with strong co-investment relationships with global VCs. Directly comparable as a Japan-based early-stage VC targeting similar portfolio categories and stage mix.
- World Innovation Lab (WiL): Cross-border venture firm with offices in Japan and Silicon Valley investing in enterprise software, AI, and frontier tech. Comparable to DGDV as a Japan-anchored global VC with US deal flow and corporate LP backing.
- Dentsu Ventures: Corporate venture arm of Dentsu Inc., headed until recently by Yamato Watanabe who subsequently joined DGDV. Comparable as a Japanese CVC investing in early-stage AI, SaaS, media, and xR/blockchain startups with global ambitions.
- Coral Capital: Tokyo-based seed-stage VC firm focused on Japanese and US startups with strong Y Combinator co-investment ties. Comparable as a Japan-domiciled early-stage VC with cross-border deal flow, though typically smaller fund size than DGDV.
- ANOBAKA: Japan-focused seed-stage VC and accelerator operating community-driven programs including AI accelerators with Stanford. Directly comparable as a Japanese seed fund investing in early-stage tech with community-building emphasis.
Broad incumbents
- JAFCO Group: One of Japan's largest venture capital and private equity firms, publicly listed with multi-decade track record across all stages and sectors. Comparable as a Japan-domiciled VC/PE manager but with much broader stage and sector breadth than DGDV's seed/Series A focus.
- Mitsubishi UFJ Capital: CVC arm of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, one of Japan's largest bank-affiliated VCs. Comparable as a large corporate-affiliated Japanese VC with extensive capital base, but with broader stage coverage and bank-driven deal flow.
- SMBC Venture Capital: CVC arm of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, several members of whose parent ecosystem (SMBC Nikko Securities alumni) sit on DGDV's team. Comparable as a large Japanese bank-affiliated VC operating at scale across multiple fund vintages.
- SBI Investment: VC arm of SBI Group and one of Japan's largest VC managers with extensive Southeast Asian and European fintech exposure (Venture Partner Ryutaro Nojima previously worked in SBI's venture division). Comparable as a major Japanese VC with broad global fintech investment focus.
Regional players
- Korea Investment Partners: One of Korea's largest venture capital firms with offices in Seoul, Silicon Valley, and China, investing across AI, deep tech, and biotech. Comparable as a Korea-headquartered VC making cross-border early-stage investments with corporate LP backing.
Market position
Strengths1 record
Weaknesses1 record
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
DG Daiwa Ventures social profiles
Digital presenceDG Daiwa Ventures financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
DG Daiwa Ventures leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
DG Daiwa Ventures funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
DG Daiwa Ventures M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments82 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about DG Daiwa Ventures
What does DG Daiwa Ventures do?
DG Daiwa Ventures is a Tokyo-based venture capital firm that invests in seed and early-stage startups with next-generation technologies across AI, deep tech, fintech, robotics, climate tech, security, blockchain, and bio-health. It manages three investment funds — DG Lab Fund I, DG Lab Fund II (approximately 125 billion yen), and DGDV 3号ファンド (over 100 billion yen at final close), bringing total AUM to approximately 300 billion yen — and provides portfolio companies with capital, business development support, and cross-border networking with global VC partners.
Is DG Daiwa Ventures a public or private company?
DG Daiwa Ventures is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was DG Daiwa Ventures founded?
DG Daiwa Ventures was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is DG Daiwa Ventures based?
DG Daiwa Ventures is headquartered in Marunouchi, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does DG Daiwa Ventures make money?
One revenue line is on record: investment Management Fees.
Who are DG Daiwa Ventures's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Global Brain, World Innovation Lab (WiL), Dentsu Ventures, Coral Capital and ANOBAKA. Broad incumbents are JAFCO Group, Mitsubishi UFJ Capital, SMBC Venture Capital and SBI Investment. Korea Investment Partners is listed as a regional player.
Does DG Daiwa Ventures have an API?
No public API is recorded for DG Daiwa Ventures.
What industry is DG Daiwa Ventures in?
DG Daiwa Ventures's product category is Venture Capital. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAJ, Venture Capital Fund-of-Funds / Multi-Manager Platforms. Its NAICS code is 5259 and its SIC code is 6282.