Report: Japanese stealth investor ANRI announces new fund for young entrepreneurs, targets $20M

Anri Sama, a significant investor in the Japanese startup ecosystem, announced the opening of a new US$20 million fund today. The new fund will also focus on tech companies led by young entrepreneurs. It was reported that Anri will focus on seed and series A rounds. Companies can expect to receive between US$50,000 and US$1 million.

Samata is notorious for avoiding the press and rarely sharing information about his investments. Even his website is essentially a blank slate, simply directing visitors to a general contact email. Typical of his unconventional style, today’s news was not delivered via press release but rather by TechCrunch JP reporter Yuhei Iwamoto, a longtime friend of Samata’s.

TechCrunch JP reports that Anri has raised approximately US$5 million to reach the first close of the fund. First close typically indicates that a private equity manager, in this case Anri, is allowed to begin investing. Anri wants to have a $20 million fund and individuals with millions to burn are still welcome to invest in his operation. Possibly to entice investors, Anri revealed some of the successful forays he made with his previous fund. It is a who’s who of Japanese tech companies including, Coiney, Crowdworks, and Raskul.

See: Rakuten launches a $100M fund for startups