JAFCO Group

JAFCO Group Co., Ltd. is the oldest and largest venture capital firm in Japan, established in April 1973 as Japan Associated Finance Co. Ltd with initial capital of 500 million yen. Headquartered in the Toranomon district of Minato-ku, Tokyo, JAFCO is publicly listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (8595.T) and maintains regional offices in Chubu, Kansai, and Kyushu. The firm has established over 100 investment funds with total committed capital exceeding 1 trillion yen — approximately $6.8 billion. With 109 professionals across venture capital, buyout, business development, and fund management, JAFCO operates in Japan, Asia, and the United States. The firm leads rounds across its portfolio and invests from pre-founding through later stages. JAFCO has made 4,247 investments resulting in an extraordinary 1,041 IPOs — one of the highest IPO track records of any venture capital firm globally. Investment focus spans business services, software, healthcare, SaaS, manufacturing, life sciences, e-commerce, IoT, AI, and smart cities. Notable portfolio companies include Cyberdyne (maker of the HAL robotic suit), Sansan (business card management software), freee (cloud accounting, IPO exit), and UUUM (YouTube multi-channel network). JAFCO is also launching a new $678 million fund focused on Japanese startups in AI, space, and nuclear fusion. JAFCO's investment philosophy combines deep sector expertise with a long-term partnership approach, built over five decades of backing Japanese entrepreneurs across every market cycle. A former US subsidiary, JAFCO Ventures in Palo Alto, later became independent as Icon Ventures, and JAFCO Asia manages approximately $3 billion in assets with 27 team members — reflecting the firm's sustained commitment to cultivating innovation ecosystems beyond Japan.