D2 Garage Japan
D2 Garage Japan is a Sapporo-based seed accelerator and startup investor, founded in 2018 as a joint venture between Digital Garage and The Hokkaido Shimbun Press. It operates Open Network Lab HOKKAIDO, makes direct equity investments in Hokkaido-based startups, and runs corporate open-innovation matchmaking programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersSapporo, Japan
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What D2 Garage Japan does
D2 Garage Japan is a private Japanese seed accelerator and startup investment firm incorporated on July 18, 2018 as a joint venture between Digital Garage, Inc. — operator of Japan's first seed accelerator program, Open Network Lab (launched 2010) — and The Hokkaido Shimbun Press, the dominant regional newspaper. The company's stated mission is to build a startup ecosystem in Hokkaido capable of producing companies that can compete globally, and it operates three interlocking business lines. First, it runs Open Network Lab HOKKAIDO (Onlab HOKKAIDO), a Sapporo-based seed-stage accelerator program that transplants Digital Garage's Open Network Lab methodology to Hokkaido. Second, it makes direct equity investments in seed-stage and beyond startups headquartered in Hokkaido. Third, it serves as secretariat of the STARTUP HOKKAIDO Executive Committee and operates an open-innovation matchmaking service that pairs private corporations with startups.
The company has built a portfolio of approximately 18 startups spanning agritech (Farmnote Holdings, Agri Info Design, komham, Skysense, AmaterZ), environment/marine (mizuhachi), biotechnology and healthcare (HILO, RAINBOW, HELTEQ, miRuws), mobility and drones (Flyers, nanoFreaks/yobimori), sports (SPORTARE/Spornote), hunting/agriculture (Fant, VETELL), personal data (Younode), AI consumer services (Aill), and AI real estate (RESA/Manshitsu Navi). The firm does not develop its own standalone technology product; its economic engine is accelerator cohort operations, equity returns from portfolio exits, and corporate open-innovation fees. It is headquartered at KININARU BLDG 5F, Sapporo, co-located with the TREEBASE facility, and is led by Representative Director Tomoya Sasaki with a board drawn from Digital Garage and Hokkaido Shimbun.
D2 Garage Japan firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- D2 Garage Japan
- Legal name
- 株式会社D2 Garage
- Website
- https://d2garage.jp
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- D2 Garage Japan is a Sapporo-based seed accelerator and startup investor, founded in 2018 as a joint venture between Digital Garage and The Hokkaido Shimbun Press. It operates Open Network Lab HOKKAIDO, makes direct equity investments in Hokkaido-based startups, and runs corporate open-innovation matchmaking programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
D2 Garage Japan industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Startup Accelerator and Venture Investment
- NAICS
- Management of Companies and Enterprises (55111)
- SIC
- Investors, Nec (6799)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Corporate Venture Studios & Incubators (Build/launch ventures) (FSANAHAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Emerging Managers / Seeding Platforms (FSAHAKAI), Emerging Manager / Seeding Platforms (Multi-Manager) (FSANAGAF)
Keywords
Where D2 Garage Japan is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sapporo
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
D2 Garage Japan business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Accelerator Program Operations: Operates Open Network Lab HOKKAIDO accelerator program to nurture seed-stage startups from Hokkaido with global ambitions.
- Startup Investment: Direct investment in seed-stage and beyond startups based in Hokkaido targeting global scale. Returns generated through equity appreciation and exits.
- Open Innovation Consulting: Promotes open innovation projects by matching private companies with startups.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
D2 Garage Japan product offering
Product offeringCore offering
D2 Garage Japan operates the Open Network Lab HOKKAIDO seed-stage accelerator program and makes direct equity investments in Hokkaido-based seed-stage and beyond startups that target global scale. It also promotes open innovation projects by matching private corporations with startups and serves as secretariat for the STARTUP HOKKAIDO Executive Committee, which builds a continuous startup ecosystem in Hokkaido. The company's portfolio spans 18 startups across agritech, biotech, healthcare, mobility, real estate, AI, and other sectors.
Product overview
D2 Garage Japan is a seed accelerator and startup investment firm based in Hokkaido, Japan. The company operates three core business areas: (1) Open Network Lab HOKKAIDO, a seed-stage accelerator program established in 2018 to discover and nurture startups from Hokkaido with global ambitions; (2) direct investment in seed-stage and beyond startups focused on building Hokkaido's startup ecosystem; and (3) open innovation initiatives through the STARTUP HOKKAIDO Executive Committee and private-company/startup matching programs. D2 Garage Japan does not develop its own standalone product; rather, it supports and invests in portfolio companies including Farmnote Holdings (smart agriculture IoT), Agri Info Design (GPS-based farm navigation), Skysense (drone-based crop disease detection), Aill (AI-powered dating service), and RESA (AI-based real estate vacancy prediction), among others.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Open Network Lab HOKKAIDO (Onlab HOKKAIDO): Seed stage startup accelerator program operated by D2 Garage in Hokkaido, based on the Open Network Lab program originally created by Digital Garage in 2010.
- STARTUP HOKKAIDO
Products and services
- Open Network Lab HOKKAIDO (Onlab HOKKAIDO) Seed-stage accelerator program based in Sapporo, Hokkaido for early-stage (seed) startups. Provides program curriculum, mentorship, community access, and runway support based on the Open Network Lab methodology. Targeted at Hokkaido-based seed-stage startups with global ambitions.
- Startup Investment Direct equity investment in seed-stage and beyond startups based in Hokkaido and targeting global scale. Portfolio includes companies in agritech, agricultural ICT, and other sectors. Returns generated through equity appreciation and exits.
- Open Innovation Matching Service Matchmaking service that connects private corporations with startups to execute open innovation projects. Leverages D2 Garage's portfolio and network to support corporate-startup collaboration.
- STARTUP HOKKAIDO Secretariat Operations Operational support as secretariat of the STARTUP HOKKAIDO Executive Committee, a project aimed at building an ecosystem where startups are continuously created in Hokkaido and develop globally.
Companies that use D2 Garage Japan
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
D2 Garage Japan technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
D2 Garage Japan partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- Open Network LabcoreJapan's first seed accelerator program (since 2010) whose expertise and community was transplanted to Hokkaido to create Open Network Lab HOKKAIDO. D2 Garage operates Onlab HOKKAIDO based on this program's methodology.
- STARTUP HOKKAIDO Executive CommitteeflagshipD2 Garage serves as secretariat for the STARTUP HOKKAIDO Executive Committee, a project building an ecosystem where startups are continuously created in Hokkaido and develop globally.
- TREEBASEminorCo-location partner providing workspace facility for D2 Garage headquarters in Sapporo.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
D2 Garage Japan competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Plug and Play Japan: Global accelerator/VC with a major Japan presence running multiple verticals (fintech, health, mobility, brand & retail). Comparable to D2 Garage as a multi-sector accelerator targeting Japanese seed-stage startups, but at much larger scale and broader national/global reach.
- 500 Global Japan: US-origin accelerator running Japanese cohort programs for seed-stage startups, including regional programs. Operates a similar accelerator-plus-investment model to D2 Garage but with significantly larger fund size, global mentor network, and follow-on capital.
Direct peers
- Open Network Lab (Digital Garage): Digital Garage's flagship seed accelerator program in Tokyo, on which D2 Garage's Onlab HOKKAIDO program is directly modeled. Both run cohort-based seed accelerator programs under the same brand and methodology; D2 Garage is essentially the Hokkaido franchise of this parent program.
- DG Incubation: Corporate venture capital arm of Digital Garage, Inc. — D2 Garage's controlling shareholder. Both deploy seed-stage capital into Japanese startups using Digital Garage's network, making DG Incubation the closest in-house peer for investment activity and pipeline overlap.
- Samurai Incubation Fund: One of Japan's longest-running independent seed accelerators, providing equity investment, mentorship, and program support to early-stage Japanese startups. Highly comparable business model to D2 Garage's accelerator + direct investment + open innovation matching structure.
Emerging players
- Beyond Next Ventures: Japan-focused seed/early-stage VC with a strong tilt toward deep tech, biotech, and university spinouts — overlapping meaningfully with D2 Garage's biotech/healthcare portfolio bets (e.g., RAINBOW Hokkaido University spin-off).
- Real Tech Fund (Leave a Nest): Japan-focused growth VC backing deep tech and real-tech startups, many from regional Japan and university spinouts. Comparable to D2 Garage in its mandate to support technology startups from non-Tokyo regions and its multi-vertical seed-stage approach.
Regional players
- 北海道ベンチャーズ / Hokkaido-based regional VC programs: Regional public-sector and quasi-public venture programs operating in Hokkaido (e.g., NOASTEC and affiliated Hokkaido venture initiatives) that compete for the same pool of Hokkaido-based seed-stage startups as D2 Garage and co-fund ecosystem activities.
- Leave a Nest Co., Ltd. Japanese science-driven startup support organization running accelerator programs, deep-tech incubation, and regional ecosystem development — closely analogous to D2 Garage's mission of nurturing startup ecosystems outside Tokyo, particularly through university and corporate partnerships.
Market position
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
D2 Garage Japan social profiles
Digital presenceD2 Garage Japan financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
D2 Garage Japan leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
D2 Garage Japan funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
D2 Garage Japan M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments8 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about D2 Garage Japan
What does D2 Garage Japan do?
D2 Garage Japan operates the Open Network Lab HOKKAIDO seed-stage accelerator program and makes direct equity investments in Hokkaido-based seed-stage and beyond startups that target global scale. It also promotes open innovation projects by matching private corporations with startups and serves as secretariat for the STARTUP HOKKAIDO Executive Committee, which builds a continuous startup ecosystem in Hokkaido. The company's portfolio spans 18 startups across agritech, biotech, healthcare, mobility, real estate, AI, and other sectors.
Is D2 Garage Japan a public or private company?
D2 Garage Japan is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was D2 Garage Japan founded?
D2 Garage Japan was founded in 2018.
Where is D2 Garage Japan based?
D2 Garage Japan is headquartered in Sapporo, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does D2 Garage Japan make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Accelerator Program Operations are the primary driver. The others are startup Investment and open Innovation Consulting.
Who are D2 Garage Japan's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Plug and Play Japan and 500 Global Japan. Direct peers are Open Network Lab (Digital Garage), DG Incubation and Samurai Incubation Fund. Emerging players are Beyond Next Ventures and Real Tech Fund (Leave a Nest). Regional players are 北海道ベンチャーズ / Hokkaido-based regional VC programs and Leave a Nest Co., Ltd..
Does D2 Garage Japan have an API?
No public API is recorded for D2 Garage Japan.
What industry is D2 Garage Japan in?
D2 Garage Japan's product category is Startup Accelerator and Venture Investment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAHAC, Corporate Venture Studios & Incubators (Build/launch ventures), with a secondary code of FSAHAKAI, Emerging Managers / Seeding Platforms. Its NAICS code is 55111 and its SIC code is 6799.