QB Capital
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersFukuoka, Japan
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
QB Capital firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- QB Capital
- Legal name
- QBキャピタル合同会社 (QB Capital, LLC)
- Website
- https://qbc.co.jp
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
QB Capital industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Venture Capital / University-born Startup Investment
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394), All Other Financial Investment Activities (52399)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists) (FSANAAAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B) (FSANAAAB), Corporate Venture Studios & Incubators (Build/launch ventures) (FSANAHAC)
Keywords
Where QB Capital is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Fukuoka
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
QB Capital business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Fund Management Fees: QB Capital generates revenue through management fees on the funds they operate (QB Fund 1 approximately 31 billion yen, QB Fund 2 approximately 70 billion yen), and carried interest from successful portfolio company exits.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
QB Capital product offering
Product offeringCore offering
QB Capital is a venture capital firm that provides equity investment and hands-on growth support to university-born startups and real-tech (deep-tech) ventures, primarily in the Kyushu region of Japan. The firm operates two investment funds totaling approximately 100 billion yen and supplements investments with the QB Seed Incubation Program (QBSIP), which provides pre-company stage capital to researchers commercializing university-developed technologies.
Product overview
QB Capital operates as a venture capital firm managing two investment funds: QB Fund 1 (approximately 3.1 billion yen, focused on Kyushu region) and QB Fund 2 (approximately 7 billion yen, nationwide scope). Both funds invest in university-launched startups and real-tech ventures. Additionally, the firm operates the QB Seed Incubation Program (QBSIP) which provides funding at the pre-company stage to researchers and entrepreneurs working on technology commercialization.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- QB Fund 1 (QB1号ファンド) Investment fund established in September 2015 with approximately 3.1 billion yen, focused on university-launched startups centered on Kyushu University in the Kyushu region.
- QB Fund 2 (QB2号ファンド) Successor fund to QB Fund 1, established in April 2021 with approximately 70 billion yen final close, expanding investment scope nationwide to university-launched and real-tech startups.
- QB Seed Incubation Program (QBSIP)
Quantifiable outcome
- Portfolio companies have achieved multiple IPOs and significant follow-on funding rounds
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use QB Capital
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
QB Capital technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
QB Capital partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.
- UntroD Capital JapancoreComprehensive partnership to accelerate creation and investment in university-born startups and deep-tech startups. First-of-its-kind collaboration between VCs focusing on university technology discovery from pre-founding stage through gap fund acquisition, investment, and growth support.
- Kyushu Institute of Technology (九州工業大学)coreComprehensive partnership agreement to support startup creation from Kyushu Institute of Technology research. Includes exclusive partnership on QB Seed Incubation Program applications, joint applications for JST startup programs, and matching between Kyushu Tech research and startups.
- City of HamamatsuminorDesignated VC certification under Hamamatsu City Fund Support Program, enabling QB Capital to support startups in the Hamamatsu region.
- System Soft (株式会社システムソフト)minorPartnership for university-born real-tech venture creation and startup support/open innovation. Agreement focuses on supporting deep-tech ventures addressing global and human challenges.
- City of KitakyushuminorCertified VC designation under Kitakyushu City Startup SDGs Innovation Trial program, allowing QB Capital to support local startups with city-coordinated resources.
- Kyushu University (九州大学)coreComprehensive partnership agreement for commercialization of Kyushu University's intellectual property and research outcomes. Partnership includes deal sourcing, pre-investment evaluation, and ongoing support for university-born ventures.
- Kurume University (久留米大学)majorPartnership for research outcome commercialization and university-born startup creation. Includes practical entrepreneurship education and support for new venture formation from university research.
- Kumamoto University (熊本大学)majorMemorandum for research outcome feasibility evaluation using QB Fund pre-investment program. First institutional partnership for systematic evaluation of university research commercialization potential.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
QB Capital competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Genesia Ventures: Tokyo-based early-stage VC investing in Japanese and Southeast Asian startups. Comparable peer in early-stage mandate, though Genesia focuses on broader digital/SaaS rather than university-born real tech.
- ANRI: Tokyo-based early-stage VC focused on Japanese seed and Series A startups across consumer, SaaS, and deep-tech categories. Comparable to QB Capital in early-stage orientation, though ANRI is broader and not university-specialized.
- UntroD Capital Japan: Tokyo-based venture capital firm specializing in university-born and deep-tech startups. Direct peer to QB Capital—both focus on sourcing from academic research and supporting pre-formation through growth; QB announced a comprehensive partnership with UntroD in June 2026.
- Beyond Next Ventures: Japan-focused early-stage VC that invests heavily in university-launched deep-tech startups across biotech, robotics, and materials. Comparable to QB Capital in mandate (early-stage deep tech from academia) and similar pre-formation incubation approach.
- Real Tech Fund: Pan-Asian deep-tech venture fund backed by Japanese investors including JAFCO and KDDI, focused on university-research-derived startups. Closest direct peer to QB Capital in terms of sector specialization in real-tech and university sourcing.
- NIF Ventures: Japanese VC with cross-border early-stage investing including deep tech and university spinouts. Direct peer where QB Capital's co-founder Hondo previously worked; both invest in university-born technology ventures across Japan.
Regional players
- Kyushu Innovation Initiative (KII): Kyushu-region venture organization supporting university and regional startups through funding and ecosystem programs. Direct regional peer to QB Capital with overlapping Kyushu university partnerships and similar mission of regional startup activation.
- Miyako Capital: Kyoto University-affiliated VC investing in university-launched startups primarily in the Kansai region. Regional peer with the same university-spinout thesis but different geography; comparable on academic sourcing methodology.
- Kyoto University Innovation Capital (Kyoto iCAP): Kyoto University-affiliated CVC investing in university spinouts. Regional peer with the same university-spinout mandate as QB Capital but anchored to Kyoto University rather than Kyushu-region universities.
Broad incumbents
- JAFCO Group: Japan's largest venture capital firm with broad sector and stage coverage including university-born deep tech. Broad incumbent operating at much larger scale than QB Capital, with overlapping deep-tech investments and substantially greater fund sizes.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Customer concentration
QB Capital social profiles
Digital presenceQB Capital compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance7 records
QB Capital financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
QB Capital leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
QB Capital funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
QB Capital M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments55 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about QB Capital
What does QB Capital do?
QB Capital is a venture capital firm that provides equity investment and hands-on growth support to university-born startups and real-tech (deep-tech) ventures, primarily in the Kyushu region of Japan. The firm operates two investment funds totaling approximately 100 billion yen and supplements investments with the QB Seed Incubation Program (QBSIP), which provides pre-company stage capital to researchers commercializing university-developed technologies.
Is QB Capital a public or private company?
QB Capital is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was QB Capital founded?
QB Capital was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is QB Capital based?
QB Capital is headquartered in Fukuoka, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does QB Capital make money?
One revenue line is on record: fund Management Fees.
Who are QB Capital's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Genesia Ventures, ANRI, UntroD Capital Japan, Beyond Next Ventures, Real Tech Fund and NIF Ventures. Regional players are Kyushu Innovation Initiative (KII), Miyako Capital and Kyoto University Innovation Capital (Kyoto iCAP). JAFCO Group is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does QB Capital have an API?
No public API is recorded for QB Capital.
What industry is QB Capital in?
QB Capital's product category is Venture Capital / University-born Startup Investment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAD, Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists), with a secondary code of FSANAAAB, Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B). Its NAICS code is 52394 and its SIC code is 6282.