Marubeni Ventures

Marubeni Ventures is the corporate venture capital arm of Marubeni Corporation, one of Japan's major integrated trading and investment conglomerates. Founded in 2019 and based in Tokyo's Chiyoda City, the firm invests across a wide range of sectors without limiting itself to specific industries, drawing on the Marubeni Group's global network, operational know-how, and industry expertise to generate strategic value for portfolio companies beyond capital alone. The team of five — including one partner — operates across Japan and the United States, primarily targeting Series A rounds with a preference for minority stakes. The portfolio comprises 18 investments across AI, e-commerce, hardware and robotics, fintech, and food technology. The headline holding is GrubMarket, a tech-enabled food delivery and distribution company that achieved unicorn status in 2021; Marubeni participated in its $60 million Series D in October 2020 alongside BlackRock and GGV Capital. Other portfolio companies include Floadia (semiconductor flash memory IP, founded by former Renesas engineers), D-ID (AI-powered privacy and video solutions), noin (Japanese cosmetics e-commerce), LPixel (AI decision and risk analysis, most recent investment June 2025), LinkWiz (industrial robot automation), Bumper International (automotive fintech), and River. Marubeni Ventures creates value by opening Marubeni's global distribution channels to portfolio companies, facilitating partnerships with Marubeni business units, and supporting proof-of-concept deployments that leverage the conglomerate's existing customer relationships across energy, food, infrastructure, and industrial markets. This access to one of Japan's largest trading networks represents a meaningful advantage for startups seeking commercial traction in Asia-Pacific and beyond.