Saisei Ventures
Saisei Ventures is a venture capital firm that creates and invests in early-stage Japanese biotechnology companies, bridging Japan's academic research base to global capital and pharmaceutical partners. It targets advanced therapeutic platforms including cell immunotherapies, gene therapies, and regenerative medicine, supported by fellowship and founder-development programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersCambridge, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Saisei Ventures does
Saisei Ventures is a venture capital firm founded around 2020 that builds and invests in early-stage biotechnology companies, with a stated focus on bridging Japan's academic and life sciences research base to global capital, business partners, and pharmaceutical markets. The firm is organized as Saisei Ventures LLC, domiciled in the State of New York with a principal office in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and a second office in Tokyo. It employs 10-12 people across functions including Managing Partner, Partners, Venture Partners, Senior Associates, Associates, Entrepreneur-in-Residence, and Board Managers, led by Managing Partner Jonathan Yeh alongside Partners Hikaru Saito and Dr. Sven Kili.
The firm's investment thesis targets early-stage biotech companies (proof-of-concept through early clinical) working on advanced therapeutic platforms — specifically cell immunotherapies, pluripotent cell replacement therapies, and in vivo/ex vivo gene therapy approaches — applied to life-threatening or debilitating diseases. Its current portfolio of six companies (Craif, CureApp, Kenai Therapeutics, Notch Therapeutics, Tune Therapeutics, and United Immunity) spans epigenetic editing, iPSC-derived cell therapies, macrophage/dendritic cell nanoparticle oncology, and digital therapeutics. Beyond capital, Saisei offers two structured programs: the Executive Fellows Program (launched April 2025), which pairs global biotech leaders with Japanese executives, and the Bridge-to-Biotech Venture Creation Initiative (announced February 2026), which supports Japanese biotech founders in accessing international capital and partnerships.
Saisei's revenue model is that of a traditional venture capital firm: management fees on committed fund capital and carried interest on successful exits, with investment terms negotiated bilaterally with portfolio companies and LPs. The firm does not publicly disclose AUM, fund size, revenue, or specific investment terms. Its go-to-market is relationship-driven and event-driven — leveraging partnerships with Kyushu University (designated Life Sciences Partner VC, January 2026), Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (selected for the Drug Discovery Ecosystem Development Support Project, August 2025), and Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED) to source deals and access co-funding — alongside content marketing, industry symposiums, and a LinkedIn/newsletter presence.
Saisei Ventures firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Saisei Ventures
- Legal name
- Saisei Ventures LLC
- Website
- https://saiseiventures.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Saisei Ventures is a venture capital firm that creates and invests in early-stage Japanese biotechnology companies, bridging Japan's academic research base to global capital and pharmaceutical partners. It targets advanced therapeutic platforms including cell immunotherapies, gene therapies, and regenerative medicine, supported by fellowship and founder-development programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Saisei Ventures industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Venture Capital / Biotech Investment
- NAICS
- Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259), All Other Financial Investment Activities (52399)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282), Finance Services (6199)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B) (FSANAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Venture Growth / Recurring Revenue Credit Funds (FSANAIAG)
Keywords
Where Saisei Ventures is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cambridge
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Saisei Ventures business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Venture Capital Investment Returns: Saisei Ventures generates returns through equity investments in early-stage biotechnology companies, taking ownership stakes in portfolio companies and realizing returns through exits, IPOs, or secondary sales.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Saisei Ventures product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Saisei Ventures is a venture capital firm that creates and invests in early-stage biotechnology companies, taking equity stakes in ventures that leverage engineered biology. The firm bridges Japan's pioneering academic research with global capital and business expertise, providing hands-on technical, operational, and financial support to portfolio companies in cell immunotherapies, pluripotent cell replacement therapies, in vivo/ex vivo gene therapy, and other advanced therapeutic platforms.
Product overview
Saisei Ventures is a venture capital firm focused on growing and harnessing the Japanese biotech ecosystem. Rather than a unified software product, the firm offers venture creation services, investment in portfolio biotech companies (CureApp, Craif, Kenai Therapeutics, Notch Therapeutics, Tune Therapeutics, United Immunity), and programs including the Bridge-to-Biotech initiative and Executive Fellows Program. The firm combines Western expertise with Japanese innovation to build globally competitive biotechnology companies, supporting advanced therapeutic platforms such as cell immunotherapies, pluripotent cell replacement therapies, and in vivo/ex vivo gene therapy approaches.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Saisei Ventures Venture Creation Venture capital investment and company creation service that identifies scientific advancements and pairs them with global business and development experience to build biotech ventures in cell immunotherapies, pluripotent cell replacement therapies, in vivo/ex vivo gene therapy, and advanced therapeutic platforms. Targeted at Japanese biotech founders and scientists.
- Bridge-to-Biotech Venture Creation Initiative Program designed to support Japanese biotech founders and entrepreneurs by bridging the gap between Japan's pioneering research and international capital investment. Provides venture creation resources and ecosystem building for early-stage biotech founders in Japan.
- Executive Fellows Program Structured mentorship program that pairs CEOs of Japanese biotech startups with seasoned global leaders to compress learning curves and accelerate growth through decades of experience in company formation, clinical development, business development, fundraising, and regulatory strategy. Aimed at Japanese biotech startup executives.
Companies that use Saisei Ventures
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Saisei Ventures technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Saisei Ventures partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Kyushu UniversitycoreSaisei Ventures announced collaboration with Kyushu University to advance life science ventures and cultivate talent in Western Japan. The firm was designated as a Kyushu University Life Sciences Partner VC to support the creation and growth of Kyushu University-born biotech ventures.
- Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (Japan)coreSaisei Ventures was selected as a partner for the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare's Drug Discovery Ecosystem Development Support Project (創薬エコシステム発展支援事業), aiming to accelerate the creation of globally competitive drug discovery startups originating from Japan.
- Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED)coreAMED supports biotech startups through programs like the Pharmaceutical Startup Ecosystem Strengthening Program, covering up to two-thirds of project costs with maximum awards of ¥10 billion (~$70 million) per project. Saisei portfolio companies Optieum Biotechnologies (JPY 5 billion/~ $39 million award) and United Immunity have received AMED funding.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Saisei Ventures competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- ARCH Venture Partners: One of the largest US early-stage biotech venture capital firms, founded by biotech industry veterans. Closely comparable to Saisei as an early-stage, science-led biotech investor that builds companies around breakthrough academic science - though ARCH operates at significantly larger scale.
- Flagship Pioneering: Biotech venture creation firm that originates and builds platform companies from emerging scientific concepts. Directly comparable to Saisei's venture creation thesis of pairing breakthrough Japanese science with operational support to build globally competitive biotech companies.
- Atlas Venture: Early-stage biotech venture capital firm focused on building companies around transformative science. Comparable to Saisei in stage focus (seed/Series A), modality focus (advanced therapeutics), and hands-on company-building approach.
- OrbiMed: Healthcare-dedicated investment firm covering venture, growth, and credit across therapeutics, medtech, and diagnostics. Comparable in life-sciences focus and in investing across capital stages of biotech companies like those in Saisei's portfolio.
- RA Capital Management: Biotech-focused crossover fund investing across private and public healthcare companies. Comparable in modality alignment with Saisei's gene therapy, cell therapy, and advanced therapeutic focus and in active engagement with portfolio company strategy.
Broad incumbents
- Bessemer Venture Partners: Large multi-stage venture firm with a significant healthcare and biotech practice. Overlaps with Saisei in biotech investing but operates much more broadly across stages, sectors, and geographies.
Regional players
- Beyond Next Ventures: Japan-based early-stage venture capital firm investing in deep tech and life sciences. Closest direct comparable within Japan as a science-led, early-stage life-sciences VC - though with broader sector scope and without Saisei's explicit Japan-to-global bridge positioning.
- Fast Track Initiative: Tokyo-based venture capital firm focused on early-stage Japanese technology and biotech ventures with international expansion support. Comparable to Saisei in Japan-based early-stage biotech investing and bridging Japanese founders to global markets.
- ANRI: Japan-focused early-stage venture capital firm. Comparable as a Japanese VC serving early-stage companies, though ANRI's sector focus skews more toward software/internet than biotech-heavy thesis.
- UTEC (University of Tokyo Edge Capital): Japan-based venture capital firm originating from University of Tokyo, investing in deep tech and life sciences startups from Japanese academia. Comparable to Saisei in academic-sourced Japanese biotech investing and bridging university IP toward commercialization.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Saisei Ventures social profiles
Digital presenceSaisei Ventures financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Saisei Ventures leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Saisei Ventures funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Saisei Ventures M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments8 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Saisei Ventures
What does Saisei Ventures do?
Saisei Ventures is a venture capital firm that creates and invests in early-stage biotechnology companies, taking equity stakes in ventures that leverage engineered biology. The firm bridges Japan's pioneering academic research with global capital and business expertise, providing hands-on technical, operational, and financial support to portfolio companies in cell immunotherapies, pluripotent cell replacement therapies, in vivo/ex vivo gene therapy, and other advanced therapeutic platforms.
Is Saisei Ventures a public or private company?
Saisei Ventures is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Saisei Ventures founded?
Saisei Ventures was founded in 2020. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Saisei Ventures based?
Saisei Ventures is headquartered in Cambridge, United States, in the North America region.
How does Saisei Ventures make money?
One revenue line is on record: venture Capital Investment Returns.
Who are Saisei Ventures's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are ARCH Venture Partners, Flagship Pioneering, Atlas Venture, OrbiMed and RA Capital Management. Bessemer Venture Partners is listed as a broad incumbent. Regional players are Beyond Next Ventures, Fast Track Initiative, ANRI and UTEC (University of Tokyo Edge Capital).
Does Saisei Ventures have an API?
No public API is recorded for Saisei Ventures.
What industry is Saisei Ventures in?
Saisei Ventures's product category is Venture Capital / Biotech Investment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAB, Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B), with a secondary code of FSANAIAG, Venture Growth / Recurring Revenue Credit Funds. Its NAICS code is 5259 and its SIC code is 6282.