Lotte Ventures Japan

What Lotte Ventures Japan does

Lotte Ventures Japan Co., Ltd. (株式会社ロッテベンチャーズ・ジャパン, "LVJ") is the Japan-domiciled Corporate Venture Capital arm of the Lotte Group, established on March 1, 2022, with a JPY 7.5 billion (≈USD 50 million) fund. The firm invests equity into Japanese and select cross-border startups through third-party share allotments, with a publicly stated thesis of backing entrepreneurs pursuing "best-in-class customer experiences" irrespective of strategic overlap with Lotte's existing food and retail businesses. Its stated investment criteria are market-in (customer-centric) business design, expected financial return, and a growth-compatible founder; it explicitly disclaims CVC synergy requirements and emphasizes rapid decision-making.

Core team composition combines former Lotte Group executives and seasoned operator-investors: Chairman Takashi Sawada (ex-Fast Retailing, ex-FamilyMart) and President Takeaki Kokubu (former CVC department head at a major materials/chemicals group), supported by three investors with backgrounds at Lotte Corporation, Deloitte Tohmatsu Venture Support, and an independent Tokyo-focused VC. As of early 2026, LVJ reports 23 portfolio companies spanning food and beverage (RiceWine, Matilda, CRISP, Minna no Shashoku), fashion and lifestyle (HIVE Collective, Social Interior), HR and back-office (Fujia), fitness (LIFE CREATE, which IPO'd on TSE Growth Market in April 2025), fintech and Web3 (24karat, Monicle), voice communication hardware (BONX), agritech (Nippon Mirai Agriculture), dental DX (Dental Prediction), live commerce (Tailor App), child safety monitoring (Adora), gaming devices (AndGAMER), and EdTech (AGILE STUDY).

LVJ operates as a private CVC subsidiary of Lotte Group / Lotte Corporation and does not develop proprietary technology products. Its "service" to portfolio companies is patient equity capital from the JPY 7.5B fund combined with operational support, board participation, and introductions to the Lotte Group's Japan–South Korea–Vietnam–United States footprint. Investment checks are sized individually and not publicly disclosed; revenue is generated through capital gains and exits (with one IPO to date) rather than management fees disclosed externally. Distribution is direct: the firm sources deals through its own network of executives and referrals, runs a five-step process from founder meeting to investment-committee decision, and supports portfolio companies post-investment.

Name

Lotte Ventures Japan

Legal name

LOTTE VENTURES JAPAN CO.,LTD.

Website

https://lotte-vc.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Lotte Ventures Japan (LVJ) is the Tokyo-based Corporate Venture Capital arm of Lotte Group, deploying a JPY 7.5 billion fund into Japanese and select cross-border startups across consumer, food, fintech, fitness, and technology verticals, with 23 portfolio companies and one TSE Growth Market IPO to date.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Venture Capital

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), All Other Financial Investment Activities (52399)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) (FSANAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Joint Venture CVC / Consortium Funds (Multi-corporate) (FSANAHAE)

Keywords

• Venture capital investment
• Corporate venture capital
• Startup equity funding
• Portfolio management support
• Early growth investment

Headquarters

HQ city

Nishi

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Investment Returns and Capital Gains: Lotte Ventures Japan generates returns through equity investments in startups. As a CVC backed by Lotte, they deploy capital from their JPY 7.5 billion fund into portfolio companies in exchange for equity stakes. Returns are realized through exit events such as IPOs, acquisitions, or secondary transactions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Lotte Ventures Japan is a Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) firm that deploys equity capital from a JPY 7.5 billion fund into early-to-growth-stage startups across diverse sectors including food, fitness, fashion, fintech, agritech, and technology. The firm invests through third-party share allotments and provides hands-on operational and strategic support alongside capital to portfolio companies, deliberately not confining itself to traditional CVC synergy frameworks.

Product overview

Lotte Ventures Japan is a Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) firm that operates an investment platform. The company was established in March 2022 with a JPY 7.5 billion fund and has made 23 investments in portfolio companies across diverse sectors including food & beverage, fitness, fashion, fintech, health tech, and technology startups. The firm provides investment and management support to entrepreneurs, focusing on services, products, and technologies that deliver exceptional customer experiences. As a CVC, Lotte Ventures Japan does not offer a traditional SaaS product; its primary offering is investment capital and business support services for startup companies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Lotte Ventures Japan Fund (JPY 7.5 billion)
• Portfolio Company Management Support

Quantifiable outcome

• 23 portfolio companies invested across diverse sectors
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

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.

• HakuhodocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 October 2025Entered capital and business alliance with CoA Nexus, an AI researcher matching platform that raised approximately JPY 300 million in Series A funding.
• NTT Sonority Co., Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 May 2023Capital and business alliance partner for BONX Inc., enabling significant transformation and improved field work environments through voice communication technology.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• JAFCO Group: One of Japan's oldest and largest VC firms, investing across multiple stages and sectors from a Tokyo base. Comparable to LVJ as a major Japanese VC actively deploying into consumer and tech startups and producing IPO-grade portfolio companies.
• SBI Investment: One of Japan's largest venture capital firms, operating as part of SBI Holdings' financial conglomerate. Comparable to LVJ as a multi-stage VC investing across diverse sectors in Japan, including fintech, biotech, and consumer startups, with both balance-sheet capital and external LPs.
• Mitsubishi UFJ Capital: CVC arm of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, one of Japan's largest bank-backed venture investors. Closely comparable as a Japanese conglomerate-affiliated CVC deploying balance-sheet capital into early- and growth-stage startups across diverse sectors.
• CyberAgent Capital: CVC arm of CyberAgent, the Japanese internet media conglomerate, investing broadly in Japanese startups across digital content, fintech, and consumer verticals. Comparable to LVJ as a Japanese CVC that explicitly invests beyond parent synergies and has built a sizable portfolio.
• Dentsu Corporate Venture Capital / DG Incubation: Dentsu Group's CVC arm and venture arm, operating in Japan across multiple verticals including consumer, marketing tech, and media startups. Highly comparable as another large Japanese conglomerate-backed CVC, with similar opportunity to invest broadly across the Japan startup ecosystem rather than narrowly in the parent business.

Direct peers

• World Innovation Lab (WiL): Japan-headquartered, US-connected VC firm making cross-border investments with corporate LPs from Japan and global players. Comparable to LVJ as an open-mandate VC with strong operational expertise, invested in Japanese and US startups across consumer and enterprise.
• ANRI: Tokyo-based early-stage VC focused on Japanese internet, SaaS, and consumer startups. Comparable to LVJ as a Japan VC with concentrated consumer/startup exposure, providing operational support alongside capital and producing founder-friendly brand.
• Global Brain: Japan-headquartered venture capital firm investing broadly in technology startups with strong cross-border reach (US, Asia) and corporate-backed capital sources. Comparable to LVJ as a Japanese VC with multiple LPs and a diversified consumer/enterprise portfolio and a track record of IPO exits.
• Lotte Ventures Korea: Parent CVC arm of Lotte Group in Korea, directly comparable to Lotte Ventures Japan as the most natural global peer - same parent conglomerate, same CVC mandate, same investment philosophy of supporting consumer-centric startups across non-core as well as core Lotte sectors.
• Coral Capital: Japan-focused VC with multi-LP backing including Japanese corporates, investing across consumer and enterprise tech. Comparable to LVJ as an early/growth-stage Japanese VC with operational depth, producing repeat-founders and gaining traction in Japan's cross-border VC ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LOTTEVENTURES

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments11 records

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

Frequently asked questions about Lotte Ventures Japan