16 angels and networks back Tokyo startups in 2026. Japan's angel tax break now rewards reinvesting. Mercari and LINE founders write cheques, and micro-VCs fill the rest.
Tokyo's angel scene is small but growing fast. Founder-angels now back the next wave.
Japan's angel tax break rewards reinvesting. The 2023 rules boosted individual angels.
Most early money flows through micro-VCs. Coral, ANRI, and East seed founders.
Most first cheques stay small here. They fund you before any VC will look.
Accelerators and crowdfunding fill the gaps. They give new founders a first cheque.
Angels move fast and skip the slow fund process. Ellty keeps your data room ready when they ask.
| Type | Check size | Sector focus | Website | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taizo Son | Individual / founder-angel | US$100K-$500K | Edtech, deep tech, web3 | mistletoe.co |
| Hiroshi Mikitani | Individual / founder-angel | US$200K-$1M+ | B2B software, media, health | global.rakuten.com |
| Kazuma Ieiri | Individual / founder-angel | US$20K-$200K | Consumer, crowdfunding, social | now.vc |
| Yusuke Asakura | Individual / founder-angel | US$35K-$200K | Software, consumer, fintech | |
| Shintaro Yamada | Individual / founder-angel | US$35K-$200K | Marketplaces, consumer | about.mercari.com |
| Akira Morikawa | Individual / founder-angel | US$20K-$130K | Video, media, commerce | profile |
| Skyland Ventures | Angel-stage seed micro-VC | US$50K-$500K | Web3, crypto, consumer | skyland.vc |
| Coral Capital | Seed micro-VC | US$100K-$1M | Sector-agnostic, SaaS | coralcap.co |
| Genesia Ventures | Seed micro-VC | US$0.1M-$5M | Software, fintech, consumer | genesiaventures.com |
| ANRI | Seed micro-VC | US$70K-$700K | Deep tech, university spinouts | anri.vc |
| Incubate Fund | Seed micro-VC | US$200K-$1M | Sector-agnostic seed | incubatefund.com |
| East Ventures | Seed micro-VC (Japan + SEA) | US$100K-$2M | Consumer, fintech, software | east.vc |
| FUNDINNO | Angel / equity-crowdfunding platform | Per backer | Broad early-stage | fundinno.com |
| Open Network Lab | Accelerator + seed | US$35K-$200K | Seed software, consumer | onlab.jp |
| Plug and Play Japan | Accelerator + venture | Seed-scale | Fintech, mobility, health | plugandplaytech.com |
| 01Booster | Accelerator-VC | Up to US$70K | Corporate, deep tech, seed | 01booster.com |
Keep your data room ready for fast angels
Angels decide in days, not months. Ellty logs every view so you know who is serious.
Start free 14-day trialWhat an angel investor backs
An angel backs you with personal money early on. Most write the first outside cheque you raise.
Founder-angels back what they once built. A clean data room for startups speeds it up.
They decide in weeks, not the months funds take. A clean sales enablement motion helps you here.
They bet on you more than your metrics. A clear story matters most this early.
Ellty gives each angel one trackable link to your room. You see who opened your deck before they reply.
Just in the past year, the number of university-based startups increased by about 800, reaching a record 5,074 in 2024.
16 Tokyo angel investors
1. Taizo Son
Taizo Son founded GungHo and runs Mistletoe.
Recent Activity: Backs edtech, deep tech, and web3 as an active angel
Sector Focus: Edtech, deep tech, web3
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, seed
Check Size: US$100K-$500K
Location: Tokyo / Singapore (active in Japan)
Website: mistletoe.co
2. Hiroshi Mikitani
Hiroshi Mikitani is the founder and CEO of Rakuten.
Recent Activity: A founder-angel backing B2B software and health
Sector Focus: B2B software, media, health
Stage Focus: Seed, early
Check Size: US$200K-$1M+
Location: Tokyo
Website: global.rakuten.com
3. Kazuma Ieiri
Kazuma Ieiri founded BASE and CAMPFIRE in Tokyo.
Recent Activity: Runs the NOW seed fund and angel-backs consumer startups
Sector Focus: Consumer, crowdfunding, social
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, seed
Check Size: US$20K-$200K
Location: Tokyo
Website: now.vc
4. Yusuke Asakura
Yusuke Asakura is an ex-mixi CEO and pre-seed angel.
Recent Activity: A GP at Animal Spirits backing pre-seed founders
LinkedIn: Yusuke Asakura LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Software, consumer, fintech
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, seed
Check Size: US$35K-$200K
Location: Tokyo
Website: linkedin.com/in/yusukeasakura
5. Shintaro Yamada
Shintaro Yamada is the founder and CEO of Mercari.
Recent Activity: An active angel backing marketplaces and consumer
Sector Focus: Marketplaces, consumer
Stage Focus: Seed
Check Size: US$35K-$200K
Location: Tokyo
Website: about.mercari.com
6. Akira Morikawa
Akira Morikawa is the ex-LINE CEO and C Channel founder.
Recent Activity: A founder-angel backing video, media, and commerce
Sector Focus: Video, media, commerce
Stage Focus: Seed, early
Check Size: US$20K-$130K
Location: Tokyo
Website: en.svjp.org
Share one link with every angel and fund
Ellty shows when Taizo Son or Coral opens your deck. Follow up with each angel at the right time.
Start free 14-day trial7. Skyland Ventures
Skyland is a Tokyo angel-stage seed and web3 fund.
Recent Activity: Backed 120+ startups, now heavy in web3 and crypto
Sector Focus: Web3, crypto, consumer
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, seed
Check Size: US$50K-$500K
Location: Tokyo
Website: skyland.vc
8. Coral Capital
Coral is one of Japan's leading independent seed funds.
Recent Activity: Closed a Rs 25B fourth fund for seed-stage bets
LinkedIn: Coral Capital LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Sector-agnostic, SaaS
Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
Check Size: US$100K-$1M
Location: Tokyo
Website: coralcap.co
9. Genesia Ventures
Genesia is a Tokyo seed fund across Japan and Asia.
Recent Activity: Closed a US$113M fourth fund for seed deals
LinkedIn: Genesia Ventures LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Software, fintech, consumer
Stage Focus: Seed
Check Size: US$0.1M-$5M
Location: Tokyo (+ SEA)
Website: genesiaventures.com
10. ANRI
ANRI is a Tokyo seed fund for deep tech and spinouts.
Recent Activity: Backs university-origin deep tech at seed
LinkedIn: ANRI LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Deep tech, university spinouts
Stage Focus: Seed
Check Size: US$70K-$700K
Location: Tokyo
Website: anri.vc
11. Incubate Fund
Incubate Fund is one of Japan's largest seed funds.
Recent Activity: A hands-on lead investor at the seed stage
LinkedIn: Incubate Fund LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Sector-agnostic seed
Stage Focus: Seed
Check Size: US$200K-$1M
Location: Tokyo
Website: incubatefund.com
12. East Ventures
East Ventures is a prolific seed fund across Asia.
Recent Activity: An early Mercari backer and active seed investor
LinkedIn: East Ventures LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Consumer, fintech, software
Stage Focus: Seed
Check Size: US$100K-$2M
Location: Tokyo (+ SEA)
Website: east.vc
13. FUNDINNO
FUNDINNO is Japan's largest equity-crowdfunding platform.
Recent Activity: Matches startups with angel-style individual backers
Sector Focus: Broad early-stage
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, seed
Check Size: Per backer
Location: Tokyo
Website: fundinno.com
14. Open Network Lab
Onlab is Japan's first seed accelerator, with cheques.
Recent Activity: Backed 150+ startups since 2010 with seed equity
Sector Focus: Seed software, consumer
Stage Focus: Seed
Check Size: US$35K-$200K
Location: Tokyo
Website: onlab.jp
15. Plug and Play Japan
Plug and Play Japan runs a corporate-matching accelerator.
Recent Activity: Closed a Rs 6.15B fund and runs accelerator programs
Sector Focus: Fintech, mobility, health
Stage Focus: Seed
Check Size: Seed-scale
Location: Tokyo
Website: plugandplaytech.com
16. 01Booster
01Booster is a Tokyo accelerator that writes seed cheques.
Recent Activity: Runs corporate and deep-tech accelerator programs
Sector Focus: Corporate, deep tech, seed
Stage Focus: Seed
Check Size: Up to US$70K
Location: Tokyo
Website: 01booster.com
Japan's angel tax pulls in capital
Japan's angel tax cuts tax for backing startups. The 2023 update added a bigger break.
You can roll gains into new startups now. That pulls more individuals into angel deals.
More exited founders now reinvest. The tax break makes that easy.
Even first-time angels can start small. The rules lower the entry bar.
Your cap table and SAFEs must stay clean. Lock files behind tight granular permissions.
Learn the due diligence red flags early. Ellty logs who opened each file and when.
The founder-angel flywheel
Mercari, LINE, and gumi minted big exits. Those founders now angel invest here.
Taizo Son and Kazuma Ieiri back early teams. Japan wants 100 unicorns by 2027.
An operator-angel opens real doors. Their intros pull in the next backer.
One name on your cap table draws more. Social proof compounds fast here.
Keep angels warm with strong investor relations. Update them before each new round.
Know the due diligence timeline before you start. Ellty logs every file each angel opens.
From angel to seed round
An angel cheque should bridge you to a seed round. Each stage wants a bigger proof point from you.
Micro-VCs like Coral often lead the next round. Angels move faster on small cheques.
Stack angel cheques into one round. Each yes pulls the next one in.
Show steady growth between cheques. Momentum is what unlocks the seed.
Later rounds can draw private equity too. Growth funds back proven traction.
Ellty tracks who opened each file and exactly when. You can follow up at the right moment every time.
How to pitch a Tokyo angel investor
Lead with traction and a clear, simple ask.
- 1.Lead with real traction and a clear ask.Angels back the founder and early proof, so open with what is working now.
- 2.Show exactly why now and why you.Angels bet on timing and the team, so prove you are the right founder today.
- 3.Name the milestone this cheque buys.Angels want a plan, so show what the money unlocks before the seed round.
- 4.Share one Ellty link to your whole data room.Skip scattered email attachments and track who opens which files in real time.
- 5.Follow up the same day an angel digs in.Ellty flags the moment they open your deck, so you reach out while interest is high.
How Ellty helps you land an angel investor in Tokyo
You've shortlisted your Tokyo angels already. Set up a data room before the first call.
- 1.Upload your metrics, cap table, and deck.Set access per angel or per fund.
- 2.Share one trackable link with each angel.Each angel gets its own tracked link.
- 3.Watch opens and follow up at the right time.Use Ellty analytics to time each nudge.
Tokyo angel investor questions
- Taizo Son and Kazuma Ieiri invest here. Micro-VCs like Coral lead seed rounds.
- Cheques run US$20K to US$1M in 2026 here. Micro-VCs pool larger rounds than angels.
- Yes, and 2023 made it bigger. You can roll gains into new startups.
- It is growing fast on policy support. The angel layer stays thin though.
- Real traction and a clean cap table. A clear path from angel to seed round.
- Before your very first angel meeting. Track who opens your deck and files.
