Why We’re Building Japan Angel Hub …
Japan is becoming an angel investor’s haven – but it wasn’t always that way.
Before COVID, many small Japanese startups were stuck in slow decline. If they needed funding, their only real option was a lenient IPO on the Tokyo Stock Exchange – even if they weren’t ready. Angel investors? Almost nonexistent. Early-stage capital? Scarce.
But something shifted.
The rise of inbound tourism, the social media boom, and a growing appetite for innovation – especially in deep tech and AI – have reshaped the landscape. Startups now move faster. Founders are bolder. Capital is flowing.
Unicorns like Sakana AI, SmartHR, Preferred Networks, and Mercari are leading the way. Events like Sushi Tech, IVS, and Take Off Tokyo are drawing global eyes. Accelerators like Techstars Japan and Antler are backing new founders. M&A activity is on the rise.
But there’s still a missing link: early-stage angel investors who understand the market, bring experience, and want to invest with purpose.
That’s where we come in.
I started my career in financial planning – but quickly found myself drawn to the messier, faster-moving world of investment products. Eventually, that path led me to Japan, where I helped build financial literacy content in English, and worked with investment bankers and management consultants on corporate communication and cultural skills …
Then, I worked with my first startup founder on an international pitch (that company later IPO’d to beyond US$1B).
That moment changed everything.
Since then, I’ve mentored over 100 early-stage founders, worked with VCs like ANRI and CyberAgent Capital, coached pitch teams, and built my own ventures too. I’ve seen the startup scene in Japan evolve from cautious to courageous and now almost contagious!.
But one thing hasn’t changed enough:
🚫 It’s still hard for early-stage founders to get capital
🚫 Angels are few and far between
🚫 Global investors don’t know how to plug in
So we’re building Japan Angel Hub – a peer-led community helping new global investors start angel investing in Japan with confidence, clarity, and connection.
This isn’t a hype train.
It’s a long-term play to build real infrastructure for Japan’s early-stage ecosystem – starting with education, deal access, and a support network.
🌏 My vision goes beyond Japan. I believe in building a borderless network of global angels – but first, we start here.
If you’re angel-curious, Japan-curious, or startup-obsessed – I’d invite you to follow our page and join us too.
We’re welcoming founding members into our free Facebook group:
👉 https://www.facebook.com/groups/angelinestinginjapan
Inside, you’ll get:
✅ A free Japan Angel Hub Investor Scorecard
✅ Access to peer support and curated startup insights
✅ First look at what’s coming next
Japan’s startup wave is rising.
Let’s ride it – together.
(Not financial advice. Just real community for people who care about backing innovation in 🇯🇵)
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