What Neighborhood does

株式会社neighborhood (Neighborhood) is a Fukuoka, Japan-based private investment and venture development company founded on January 11, 2022 by co-representatives Ryotaro Yamamoto (formerly CEO of SophiaMedi; prior P&G, Recruit HD, SoftBank Group) and Sota Horiuchi (formerly McKinsey and KKR). The firm operates as a two-person generalist holding company that identifies, co-founds, invests in, and assumes board roles at early-stage ventures across four pillars: renewable energy (Shizen Connect, REPO, Denajie), agriculture (terra, Tanamachi Farm, Neighborhood/Neighborhd mikan), healthcare and welfare (bears, KODAW, beads, /thestory, Desamis, Shizen Connect-related), and community/urban development (KS4E, TSUNAGU, Gift Mall, CGJ, Machi no Mirai, Park-PFI Nagatare Beach Park).

The business model is relationship-driven equity investing with explicit non-exit orientation: Neighborhood explicitly states it does not pursue rapid exits or IRR optimization, preferring long-term holds and modest dividends. Both founders hold formal public-sector advisory positions with Kitakyushu City and the Fukuoka Regional Strategy Promotion Council, providing policy access. Revenue is generated exclusively through investment returns and dividends; no management fees, fund vehicles, or LP capital are disclosed. There are no disclosed funding rounds, no parent entity, and no third-party institutional ownership. Operating geography is Northern Kyushu with extensions to Hokkaido (via Machi no Mirai), and the firm maintains a Japanese-language website publishing founding narratives and portfolio news as its primary marketing channel.

Neighborhood serves not traditional customers but rather portfolio founders and regional communities seeking capital, governance expertise, and network access. Its go-to-market is community-led, sourcing deals through founder networks, portfolio cross-referrals, and personal philosophical alignment rather than competitive deal processes. The firm's competitive positioning rests on the founders' elite corporate backgrounds (SoftBank, KKR, McKinsey, P&G, Recruit) applied to grassroots regional development — a thesis that Japan's demographic decline creates durable demand for community-rooted hard and soft infrastructure.

Name

Neighborhood

Legal name

株式会社neighborhood

Website

https://neighborhd.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Short description

株式会社neighborhood is a Fukuoka-based, two-person private investment and venture development firm founded in 2022 that takes equity stakes and board seats in early-stage regional ventures across renewable energy, agriculture, healthcare, and community development in Northern Kyushu, Japan.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Venture Investment

NAICS

Management of Companies and Enterprises (55), Real Estate Property Managers (53131)

SIC

Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)

akta.pro primary industry

Housing & Neighborhood Services (Local Housing Programs) (BPAIACAJ)

Keywords

• Regional venture capital
• Community development investment
• Renewable energy ventures
• Healthcare venture investing
• Agricultural development investment

Headquarters

HQ city

Fukuoka

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Investments, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Investment Returns and Dividends: Neighborhood generates returns through equity investments in portfolio companies. They explicitly state they do not seek rapid exit through sale - preferring to hold investments long-term while receiving modest dividends. Their focus is on creating sustainable businesses that strengthen regional communities rather than optimizing for financial returns alone.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Neighborhood is an investment and venture development firm that co-founds, equity-invests in, and provides board-level governance and strategic advisory to early-stage ventures in northern Kyushu, Japan, across four pillars: renewable energy, agriculture, healthcare, and community/urban development. The firm takes long-term equity positions without pursuing rapid exits, focuses on building a 'forest ecosystem' of interconnected portfolio companies, and acts as a 'consultation sparring partner' for regional ventures. Both co-founders serve as directors, auditors, or advisors at multiple portfolio companies.

Product overview

Neighborhood (株式会社neighborhood) is a Fukuoka-based community development company founded in January 2022 by co-representatives Ryotaro Yamamoto and Sota Horiuchi. Rather than offering a traditional product, the company operates as an investment and partnership platform focused on building sustainable regional social systems through four core pillars: renewable energy (energy independence via VPP and local solar/wind/geothermal), agriculture (organic farming, regional produce, agricultural tourism), healthcare (home nursing, hospice, palliative care facilities), and community development (park management, area management companies). The company takes a 'neighbor' approach—investing in and supporting ventures long-term without exit strategies, building social capital and relationships to create enduring community ecosystems. Notable portfolio companies include Shizen Connect (VPP energy management), terra (agricultural regional development), bears (medical/welfare real estate development), and KS4E (space technology startup).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Renewable Energy Ventures Equity investment, co-founding, and board-level support for ventures developing renewable energy assets and management systems, including solar, wind, geothermal, and AI-powered Virtual Power Plant (VPP) aggregation. Targets regional energy self-sufficiency in Kyushu and broader Japan.
• Agricultural Development Ventures Equity investment and co-founding support for regional agricultural ventures spanning organic farming, farm stays, agricultural tourism (農泊), harvest festivals, agricultural product distribution, IoT livestock monitoring, and mandarin orange production and export.
• Healthcare and Welfare Ventures Equity investment and board-level support for healthcare, nursing, hospice, palliative care, and medical/welfare real-estate ventures addressing Japan's aging society, end-of-life care, home-visit nursing, and healthcare workforce conditions.
• Community and Urban Development Ventures Equity investment, co-founding, and consortium participation for community and urban development ventures, including Park-PFI beach park development, area management companies, traditional craft subscription services, education NPOs, regional e-commerce platforms, and space-technology startups supporting regional DX.

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple portfolio companies established with both founders serving as board directors

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TSUNAGUcoreOthers · 12 August 2025TSUNAGU is a Kitakyushu-based education startup building 'second education infrastructure' through after-school programs. Co-founder Ryotaro Yamamoto serves as auditor. Focuses on teaching children about regional challenges through quests and programs.
• Gift Mall (ギフトモール)minorOthers · 25 June 2025Gift Mall operates a gift e-commerce platform and local travel experiences service. Co-founder Sota Horiuchi serves as external director. Partnership stems from shared values around regional community building.
• Nagarekou Kaihinkouen Park (長垂海浜公園)minorOthers · 10 September 2024Neighborhood participated in a regional consortium that won priority negotiation rights for developing the Nagarekou beach park in Fukuoka. Plans include restaurants, cafes, community spaces, and event programming.
• Fukuoka Regional Strategy Promotion Council (FDC)minorOthers · 6 August 2024FDC is a public-private think tank focused on Fukuoka's future vision and international competitiveness. Co-founder Sota Horiuchi serves as fellow. FDC serves as a 'Think & Do tank' for Fukuoka's development.
• Desamis (デザミス)minorOthers · 25 June 2024Desamis operates an IoT cloud platform for livestock farmers. Sensors on cattle monitor health and disease. Co-founder Ryotaro Yamamoto serves as external director.
• Denajie (デナジー)minorOthers · 7 February 2024Denajie develops geothermal energy and waste heat utilization for regional decarbonization. Co-founder Sota Horiuchi serves as advisor. Also exploring agricultural applications using geothermal waste heat.
• Shizen ConnectcoreOthers · 11 October 2023Shizen Connect develops an AI-powered energy aggregation management system for VPP (virtual power plant) operations. Co-founder Sota Horiuchi serves as CFO. Connected to parent company Shizen Power.
• Kitakyushu City (北九州市)coreOthers · 28 September 2023Co-founder Ryotaro Yamamoto serves as public-private collaboration director, and co-founder Sota Horiuchi serves as municipal reform promotion officer for Kitakyushu City.
• Jimony (ジモティー)minorOthers · 29 March 2022Jimony operates a local classifieds and community platform. Co-founder Ryotaro Yamamoto previously served as external director, serving until March 2023 when his term expired.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Revamp Corporation: Japanese regional revitalization-focused investment and venture development firm. Operates with a similar thesis of building ecosystems of regional companies addressing Japan's demographic decline, making it the closest direct comparable to Neighborhood's Kyushu-focused community development model.
• 9 Capital: Kitakyushu-based venture capital firm where Neighborhood is an LP and venture partner. Direct peer operating in the same Kyushu regional startup ecosystem with parallel thesis on supporting entrepreneurs in regional cities. Operates accelerators and investment funds, complementing Neighborhood's venture-building approach.
• Local Power (ローカルパワー): Japanese regional development company focused on community-owned renewable energy projects and local revitalization. Directly comparable in the intersection of regional community building and renewable energy investment that Neighborhood also pursues through Shizen Connect and REPO.
• Machi no Mirai (街の未来): Sapporo-based urban development firm focused on wellness, coexistence, and Hokkaido revitalization. Direct regional venture peer with portfolio company relationship with Neighborhood; comparable in mission of revitalizing Japan's regional cities through sports parks, arena developments, and community-centered place-making.
• Social Investment Partners (SIP): Japanese impact investment firm focused on social ventures addressing regional and demographic challenges. Comparable mission of using investment as a tool for community regeneration, though operates more as a fund manager than a venture builder with active board participation.

Broad incumbents

• Kiraboshi Bank (formerly Kiyo Bank) regional VC arm: A regional Japanese bank with venture investment operations focused on supporting local startups and regional economic development. Comparable in its regional-focus and patient-capital approach, but operates as a much larger incumbent financial institution rather than an independent venture builder.
• Shizen Energy / Shizen Connect: Larger Japanese renewable energy developer with operating VPP aggregation business through subsidiary Shizen Connect. Comparable regional energy thesis and Kyushu presence, but operates at significantly larger scale as an established utility-scale developer rather than an early-stage venture.
• JAFCO Group: Largest Japanese venture capital and private equity firm with broad regional investment focus. Comparable in deploying capital into Japanese startups, but operates at much larger scale with traditional exit-driven fund structures rather than Neighborhood's patient, relationship-led approach.

Emerging players

• Renewable Energy Promotion Organization (REPO): Portfolio company of Neighborhood but operates as a stand-alone peer in the renewable energy aggregation space. Focused on local production for local consumption in Japan, with comparable values-aligned regional energy thesis, but limited to energy rather than Neighborhood's broader community development scope.
• Sakanoshita (坂ノ途中): Kyoto-based organic agriculture and sustainable farming venture. Thematically comparable as a regional Japanese company in Neighborhood's agriculture investment pillar, focused on sustainable food systems and rural revitalization, but operates as a single company rather than a diversified holding/builder.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about Neighborhood