NTT DOCOMO Ventures

NTT DOCOMO Ventures is the corporate venture capital arm of NTT DOCOMO and the broader NTT Group, established in 2008 and headquartered in Tokyo with an additional team based in Silicon Valley. One of the largest and longest-running corporate venture funds in Japan, the firm's mission is to unite startups with the NTT Group — connecting shared talent and passion to deliver business collaborations across AI, telecommunications, content platforms, battery and power, security, big data, devices, and cloud infrastructure. The firm leads rounds and has invested across incubation, early, mid, and later pre-IPO stages, with typical cheques of $2 million to $3 million targeting minority stakes of approximately 20 percent or less. Across its 17-year history, NTT DOCOMO Ventures has invested in approximately 157 companies with between 18 and 55 portfolio companies reaching IPO or listing. The firm operates four successive funds: Fund I at JPY 15 billion (2008), Fund II at JPY 10 billion (2014), Fund III at JPY 20 billion (2018), and the DOCOMO Innovation Fund IV at JPY 15 billion, approximately $143 million, established January 2026. Current leadership is Yuko Sasahara as President, CEO, and Chief Culture Officer, and Jun Yasumoto as COO. Notable AI-era portfolio companies include ElevenLabs, the US voice AI unicorn; Ayar Labs, a silicon photonics unicorn; Wasabi, a cloud storage company; and AI model Inc., the firm's first Japanese lead-investor position in February 2024. A strategic Southeast Asia push is underway via Synexia Ventures, the NTT Group's first dedicated Southeast Asia investment vehicle, launched in November 2025. NTT DOCOMO Ventures' scale — spanning deep corporate relationships across one of the world's largest telecom groups — positions it as a credible bridge for portfolio companies seeking access to enterprise distribution channels across Japan and the broader Asia-Pacific region.