Earlier this month, SKB.vc partner Tobias Mathiasen was invited to join JETRO’s global VC delegation to Kansai, representing the Katalysen family. This program, part of the Kansai Startup Mashups initiative, aimed to connect global venture capitalists and corporate venture capital firms with Japan’s cutting-edge deeptech ecosystem.
The delegation brought together leading global investors, including firms such as Ag Funder (Singapore/US), Blue Vision Capital (Canada), Green European Tech (Germany), Leaps by Bayer (Singapore/Germany), Main Sequence Ventures (Australia), Illumina Ventures (US), and Investible (Singapore/Australia). These investors, representing a variety of sectors from foodtech and cleantech to genomics and sustainable technologies, visited key innovation hubs across Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe. They engaged with promising early-stage startups and deeptech companies in healthcare, climate tech, and other emerging fields.
Reflecting on the experience, Tobias shared:
“One year, five visits, and hundreds of meetings later, I am convinced that Japan is producing some of the world’s highest quality ‘idea seeds.’ The potential here is immense, and I believe that, by launching a Japan-based early-stage venture developer, we can help these startups unlock their world-class potential and present it to global investors. I’m excited to spend a significant portion of 2024 on the ground in Japan, forging partnerships to help bring these innovative ideas to life.”
