What Kicker Ventures does

Kicker Ventures is a Menlo Park, California-based venture capital firm founded in 2021 that invests in early-stage healthcare technology companies at pre-seed to Series A stages. The firm writes initial checks of US $100K to $1M and leads or syndicates rounds, targeting companies developing transformational technology solutions across digital health, AI-powered diagnostics, biotechnology, medical devices, and digital therapeutics. Its 18-company portfolio includes Beacon Biosignals (AI-powered at-home EEG diagnostics), Woebot Health (AI behavioral health), Jona (AI-driven microbiome analysis), CareX.AI (video-based vital signs monitoring), Elsa Fertility (AI agents for fertility clinics), Behavidence (digital behavior phenotyping), Swing Therapeutics (digital therapeutics), and Kanvas Biosciences (microbial imaging).

The firm operates a structured ecosystem of support programs alongside its capital deployment. The AccelFit program is a three-tier (Incept, Implement, Realize) acceleration initiative for Japanese AI and digital health startups expanding into the US market, delivered in partnership with JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization) and Mayo Clinic Platform. Complementary programs include the Advisors in Residence—comprising licensed MDs, health systems experts, and AI innovators from Microsoft Health, AWS, and Stanford—alongside a Fellowship program connecting graduate students from research universities with healthcare business practice, and an Industry Partnerships program linking portfolio companies with hospitals, universities, and corporations for data access and product development support.

Revenue is realized through venture capital returns from portfolio company exits (acquisitions, IPOs) and distributions, consistent with standard fund economics. The firm is sales-led, sourcing deal flow through direct founder relationships, advisor networks, conference speaking, and ecosystem programs, with distribution channels including direct investment relationships (global), the AccelFit program (Japan-to-US), Advisors in Residence, and industry partnerships. The team is small (1–10 employees), led by Managing Partner Masashi Kiyomine (former Head of Global Life Sciences Venture Investment at Mitsui Global Investment for 13 years) and Co-Founder Tomoko Saeki (trained pharmacist and molecular biologist, MBA from INSEAD), supported by an advisor and fellow bench drawn from Stanford, Microsoft Health, Amazon Web Services, Blue Shield of California, and Showa University Hospital.

Name

Kicker Ventures

Legal name

Kicker Ventures

Website

https://kickerventures.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Kicker Ventures is a Menlo Park venture capital firm investing pre-seed to Series A in healthcare technology with $100K–$1M initial checks. It operates AccelFit—a Japan-to-US program with JETRO and Mayo Clinic Platform—and holds 18 portfolio companies across AI diagnostics, biotech, and digital health.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Venture Capital

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B) (FSANAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists) (FSANAAAD)

Keywords

• Venture capital investing
• Healthcare technology
• Early-stage investment
• Digital health startups
• Pre-seed funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Menlo Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Venture Capital Returns: Kicker Ventures generates returns through equity investments in early-stage healthcare technology companies. As a VC firm, revenue is realized through portfolio company exits (acquisitions, IPOs) and distributions. The firm invests in companies developing novel, transformational technology solutions in healthcare, with initial check sizes of US $100K-$1M, typically leading or syndicating rounds.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kicker Ventures is a venture capital firm that invests in healthcare technology startups from pre-seed to Series A, with initial check sizes typically between $100K and $1M, leading or syndicating rounds. The firm provides capital plus structured support through programs such as AccelFit (US market-entry accelerator for Japanese startups with JETRO and Mayo Clinic Platform), Advisors in Residence, Fellowship, and Industry Partnerships.

Product overview

Kicker Ventures is a venture capital firm, not a technology product company. The firm provides venture capital investment services to healthcare technology companies at Pre-Seed to Series A stages with initial check sizes of $100K-$1M. Its core offering consists of investment services accompanied by support programs including Advisors in Residence, Fellowship, Industry Partnerships, and AccelFit (a US market entry acceleration program for Japanese AI and digital health startups in partnership with JETRO and Mayo Clinic Platform). The portfolio includes 18 portfolio companies spanning digital health, AI-powered diagnostics, biotech, medical devices, and digital therapeutics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AccelFit: A program that accelerates the globalization of Japanese AI and digital health startups expanding into the US market. Partnership with JETRO and Mayo Clinic Platform.

Products and services

• Venture Capital Investment Services Equity investment services for healthcare technology startups at pre-seed through Series A stages, with initial check sizes typically between $100K and $1M, leading or syndicating rounds in companies developing novel, transformational technology solutions to healthcare problems.
• AccelFit Program A three-level acceleration program (LV1: Incept, LV2: Implement, LV3: Realize) that accelerates the globalization of Japanese AI and digital health startups expanding into the US market, offered in partnership with JETRO and Mayo Clinic Platform.
• Advisors in Residence Program A program that brings together top healthcare experts who work with Kicker Ventures to support portfolio companies with practical, actionable solutions to challenges.
• Fellowship Program A program connecting current or recent graduate students from top research universities with the practical world of healthcare business, serving as a bridge between academic research and commercial application.
• Industry Partnerships Program A program connecting the healthcare community through mentorship, community activations, and partnerships with hospitals, universities, and corporations to accelerate startup product development and market fit.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJETRO is a partner in the AccelFit program, which accelerates the globalization of Japanese AI and digital health startups expanding into the US market. JETRO contributes to the program by helping identify and refer qualified Japanese startups to the program.
• Mayo Clinic PlatformcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMayo Clinic Platform is a partner in the AccelFit program, providing access to clinical expertise, data resources, and validation opportunities for Japanese AI and digital health startups entering the US market. The partnership enables startups to leverage Mayo Clinic's ecosystem for product development and market fit.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Joyance Partners: Early-stage VC investing at the intersection of health, wellness, and emerging tech with comparable check sizes. Shares portfolio themes and stage focus with Kicker.
• Obvious Ventures: Mission-driven early-stage VC investing in healthcare, climate, and tech with comparable pre-seed to Series A check sizes and similar ethos around transformative, science-driven founders.
• Section32: Healthcare-exclusive early-stage investor backed by Alphabet's GV founders, focused on pre-seed/seed digital health and biotech. Direct competitor in healthcare vertical specialists category.
• Khosla Ventures: Healthcare and AI-focused early-stage investor with broad pre-seed to Series A activity in digital health, biotech, and AI. Overlaps directly with Kicker's portfolio themes and frequently co-invests or competes for the same founders.
• DCVC (Data Collective): Deep-science and AI-focused early-stage VC with parallel portfolio themes (AI drug discovery, computational biology, healthcare data). Comparable check sizes and stage focus make it a direct co-investor/competitor for many portfolio deals.
• Lux Capital: Early-stage venture firm investing at the intersection of science, technology, and healthcare with comparable check sizes and sector focus on healthcare AI, biotech, and frontier tech. Direct competitor for pre-seed/seed healthcare rounds.

Broad incumbents

• Optum Ventures: Strategic healthcare-focused corporate VC backed by Optum/UnitedHealth, investing across digital health and AI diagnostics. Comparable vertical focus but with much larger fund scale and strategic LP backing.
• Echo Health Ventures: Strategic healthcare VC formed by Cambia Health Solutions and Blue Cross NC, investing across digital health, AI, and care delivery. Vertical-specialist incumbent with stronger balance sheet and strategic LP relationships than Kicker.
• Andreessen Horowitz (a16z bio/health): Mega-VC with a dedicated bio/health fund investing across AI-driven healthcare, biotech, and digital therapeutics. Comparable themes but at much larger check sizes and later stages, often as a follow-on syndicate.
• ARCH Venture Partners: Long-established healthcare and biotech early-stage VC with deep sector expertise and broader fund scale than Kicker. Compares in vertical focus but operates at much larger check sizes and later entry points in some rounds.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments13 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kicker Ventures