Social Investment Partners

What Social Investment Partners does

Social Investment Partners (legally renamed Social Innovation Partners in March 2025) is a Tokyo-based general incorporated association (一般社団法人) established on November 9, 2012, that operates as Japan's first venture philanthropy organization. Its core product is the Japan Venture Philanthropy Fund (JVPF), co-managed with The Nippon Foundation and the Social Innovation and Investment Foundation (SIIF), which had grown to ¥1,087 million in assets as of March 2023 from a ¥100 million initial endowment in March 2013. SIP selects and supports 1-3 social purpose organizations per year with ¥20-50 million of unrestricted funding per project, layered with multi-year management support typically lasting 3-5 years.

SIP's underlying operating methodology is venture philanthropy: applying venture capital and private equity principles - rigorous due diligence including site visits, interviews, logic model assessment, KPI definition, and SROI measurement - to deploy grants, equity, bonds, and convertible bonds against agreed multi-year targets. Beyond capital, SIP contributes strategic consulting, organizational structuring, legal, accounting, and PR support sourced through a curated pro-bono network that includes Clifford Chance, Bain & Company, EY Japan, FleishmanHillard, and Antelope Career Consulting. SIP targets three primary verticals: education and youth employment, childcare and women's workforce participation, and local community revitalization. As of 2024, SIP has additionally been designated by JANPIA as a fund distribution organization under the Dormant Deposits Utilization Act, extending its role to disburse public-interest funds to executing organizations.

Go-to-market is sales-led and proactive: SIP sources candidates from The Nippon Foundation database and its own network, conducts multi-stage screening, and in some cases runs probationary periods exceeding one year before committing. The organization is staffed by a lean leadership team comprising former senior professionals from KKR Capstone, McKinsey, Carlyle, CVC, Wells Fargo, Mitsubishi, and Capital Dynamics, supplemented by board members and advisors with ties to AVPN, EVsP, and the broader global venture philanthropy community. SIP's pricing model is multi-year grant or financing contracts with social purpose organizations (typically NPOs and social enterprises), with project sizes ranging ¥20-50 million and no restrictions on use of funds conditional on meeting impact KPIs.

Name

Social Investment Partners

Legal name

一般社团法人ソーシャル・イノベーション・パートナーズ

Website

https://sipartners.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Social Investment Partners (renamed Social Innovation Partners in March 2025) is a Tokyo-based venture philanthropy organization that co-manages the Japan Venture Philanthropy Fund (JVPF, ¥1,087M AUM) and acts as a JANPIA fund distribution organization, providing ¥20-50M grants plus management support over 3-5 year terms to selected social purpose organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Venture Philanthropy Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Impact Investment & Social Finance Programs (BPADAOAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

SDG / Thematic Sustainable Investment Funds (FSANAJAN), Family Offices & Philanthropic Advisors (Grantmaking) (BPAGAKAD)

Keywords

• Venture philanthropy
• Impact investing
• Social enterprise support
• Nonprofit management consulting
• Grant distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Venture Philanthropy Fund Management: SIP co-manages the Japan Venture Philanthropy Fund (JVPF) with The Nippon Foundation and SIIF. The fund provides grants, equity investments, bonds, and convertible bonds to social purpose organizations. Funding amounts range from ¥20-50 million per project with no restrictions on fund usage, committed over multi-year periods.
2. Dormant Deposit Distribution Services: Selected as a fund distribution organization (資金分配団体) by JANPIA for dormant deposit utilization projects. SIP distributes funds to executing organizations implementing social welfare activities, acting as an intermediary between JANPIA and implementation organizations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Social Investment Partners provides mid-to-long term (typically 3-5 years) financial and managerial support services to selected social purpose organizations. Through the Japan Venture Philanthropy Fund (JVPF) and Dormant Deposits Utilization Program, it deploys ¥20-50 million per project in grants, equity, bonds, or convertible notes with no restrictions on fund usage, complemented by hands-on management consulting, board participation, KPI/SROI performance monitoring, and a pro-bono professional partner network (Clifford Chance, Bain & Company, EY Japan, FleishmanHillard, Antelope Career Consulting).

Product overview

Social Innovation Partners（SIP、旧称Social Investment Partners）は2012年設立の日本で初のベンチャー・フィランソロピー組織. 主力製品として日本ベンチャー・フィランソロピー基金（JVPF）を運営し、社会的事業への資金と経営支援を提供. 2024年度より休眠預金等活用事業の資金分配団体としても活動開始. JVPFは2013年設立時10億円から成長し、現在1,087百万円の基金規模を持つ. 教育活动・子育て支援・地域コミュニティを重点分野とし年間1〜3社程度を選定・支援.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• JVPF (Japan Venture Philanthropy Fund): Japan's first full-scale venture philanthropy fund, providing financial and non-financial support to social purpose organizations

Products and services

• Japan Venture Philanthropy Fund (JVPF) / 日本ベンチャー・フィランソロピー基金 Japan's first full-scale venture philanthropy fund providing financial support (¥20-50M) and non-financial management support to growth/expansion-stage NPOs and social enterprises. Funds are deployed via grants, equity investments, bonds, or convertible bonds with unrestricted use over 3-5 year periods. Pro-bono professional services (legal, consulting, accounting, HR, PR) supplement funding through partner network. As of March 2023, fund amount is ¥1,087 million.
• Dormant Deposits Utilization Program / 休眠預金等活用事業 Program under which SIP distributes dormant deposit funds (allocated via JANPIA) to executing organizations implementing social welfare activities. SIP acts as intermediary between JANPIA and implementation organizations, providing subsidies to executing organizations under the Dormant Deposits Utilization Act framework.

Quantifiable outcome

• 14+ organizations supported since 2013 with total funding exceeding ¥1 billion
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Antelope Career Consulting (アンテロープキャリアコンサルティング)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 August 2024Recruitment agency providing pro-bono career consulting and HR support services to portfolio organizations and joined as new pro-bono partner in August 2024.
• EY JapancoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 December 2018Professional services firm appointed as pro-bono partner providing strategic consulting and professional expertise to support receiving organizations. Part of SIP's network of professional support resources.
• Clifford Chance Law Office (クリフォード チャンス法律事務所)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 June 2017International law firm serving as pro-bono partner providing legal advice and counsel to social purpose organizations in SIP's portfolio.
• Bain & Company (ベイン・アンド・カンパニー)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerStrategy consulting firm providing pro-bono consulting services to portfolio organizations through SIP's professional support network.
• FleishmanHillard Japan (フライシュマン・ヒラード・ジャパン)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPublic affairs consulting firm providing pro-bono PR and communications support to portfolio organizations.
• Asian Venture Philanthropy Network (AVPN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional VP network based in Singapore with 136+ members. SIP board member Hiroshi Nonomiya serves as board member of AVPN. Douglas Miller, founder of European VP Network and AVPN Chairman, serves as SIP advisor.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• New Profit: US-based venture philanthropy organization that provides unrestricted capital, strategic guidance, and capacity-building support to social entrepreneurs. Closely comparable US peer to SIP in operating model combining long-term patient capital with management assistance.
• Acumen: Global pioneer in venture philanthropy and impact investing, providing patient capital and management support to social enterprises addressing poverty. Most direct international comparator to SIP's venture philanthropy methodology combining investment capital with strategic support.
• Calvert Impact Capital: US impact investing nonprofit managing capital for community development and social enterprise financing globally. Comparable to SIP as a mission-driven capital intermediary deploying patient, concessionary capital to social-purpose organizations.
• Social Finance UK: UK-based social finance organization that develops impact investment products and Social Impact Bonds to fund social-purpose services. Comparable to SIP as a social finance advisory and intermediary for mission-driven capital deployment.
• Big Society Capital: UK social investment institution that channels capital to social enterprises and charities through intermediaries. Comparable as a social finance intermediary deploying pooled capital into mission-driven organizations, though structured as a wholesale social-investment wholesaler.
• Bridges Fund Management: UK-based specialist impact investment manager running multiple impact funds across private equity, venture, debt, and property. Comparable to SIP as a dedicated impact investment firm providing risk-adjusted returns alongside measurable social outcomes.
• Social Innovation and Investment Foundation (SIIF): Japanese public-interest foundation that co-manages JVPF alongside SIP and is the larger institutional partner in Japan's social impact ecosystem. Most direct Japanese comparator and operational peer in the venture philanthropy space.
• ETIC (Entrepreneurship for Social Innovation): Japanese nonprofit supporting social entrepreneurs and ventures through incubation, financing, and community-building since 2001. Comparable to SIP as a Japanese social-purpose support organization; SIP board member Hideyuki Inoue is a co-founder of ETIC.
• Social Venture Partners (SVP): Global network of venture philanthropy organizations (including SVP Tokyo, founded by SIP board member Hideyuki Inoue) that pool engaged donor capital and provide multi-year capacity-building support to social purpose nonprofits, directly paralleling SIP's model.

Broad incumbents

• Omidyar Network: Impact investment firm established by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar, operating across venture capital, grantmaking, and policy advocacy globally. Comparable to SIP as a major impact investor with both return-seeking and philanthropic capital, though operating at vastly larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/social-innovation-partners

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

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Social Investment Partners