One of the most important changes taking place today in Japan’s startup ecosystem is the recent emergence of successful entrepreneurs who have decided to investing in and mentor the next generation of startup founders.
Successful founders commonly do this in the West where former founders form the bedrock of many seed and angel investment communities. However, this is still a very new phenomenon in Japan.
Most successful founders of Japanese companies remain at the head of their company for life, and the venture capital community is dominated by men who have spent their career in banking and finance. In fact, the investment committee of some Japanese VCs do not even include members with founding experience.
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This is all starting to change in Japan, and it’s clearly a change for the better. In this episode, Ikuo Hiraishi identifies some of the key investors in this space, and he talks about his own transition from serial entrepreneur to early-stage investor. He also explains the benefits and challenges of running a venture capital firm as if it were a startup.
For more on startups in Japan visit Disrupting Japan.
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