UTokyo IPC’s Academic Startup Acceleration Fund (“ASA Fund”) Welcomes New Limited Partners and Announces Final Closing
PrintUTokyo Innovation Platform Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo; President & CEO: Kosuke Ueda; hereinafter “UTokyo IPC”) is pleased to announce that the Academic Startup Acceleration Fund Investment Limited Partnership (“ASA Fund”), established in 2024 and managed by UTokyo IPC, has completed its final closing with the addition of three new Limited Partners: Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corporation (Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Hiroshi Kubota), The Jonan Shinkin Bank (Head Office: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; Chairman: Minoru Hayashi), and The Yamanashi Chuo Bank, Ltd. (Head Office: Kofu City, Yamanashi Prefecture; President: Yoshiaki Furuya).
The total capital commitments across all university-affiliated VC funds backed by the ASA Fund now exceed JPY 80 billion. Through continued investments in venture capital funds that support university-originated startups, the ASA Fund will further promote the growth and expansion of Japan’s academic startup ecosystem.
Supporting Academia-Originated Startups and Building a Global Deep-Tech Ecosystem
The ASA Fund is a Fund-of-Funds (FoF) established by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government to accelerate the growth of Japan’s deep-tech ecosystem originating from universities and research institutions, and is operated by UTokyo IPC.
By providing capital to university-affiliated VC funds that invest in startups arising from academic research—not only from those in metropolises but from varieties of universities—the ASA Fund aims to foster commercialization of high-potential technologies and strengthen Japan’s innovation ecosystem.
This final closing was made possible through the commitment of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, private-sector partners with extensive industrial networks, and the University of Tokyo. UTokyo IPC will continue working to support the growth of existing portfolio funds and share insights toward new fund formation, thereby contributing to the advancement of the deep-tech ecosystem.
Investing in Regional Universities and Emerging VC Firms to Expand Deep-Tech Innovation Nationwide
Supporting the global expansion of deep-tech startups is essential to building a robust innovation ecosystem. At the same time, fostering commercialization of high-quality academic seeds across Japan requires strengthening support structures for university-originated startups on a nationwide scale.
To address these needs, the ASA Fund invests not only in VCs with strong track records in cross-border investments and international scaling support, but also in global players such as Vertex Ventures Japan Fund I, part of the Temasek Group. These investments help expand international networks accessible to Japanese startups.
The Fund also invests in funds established by regional and emerging VC firms, including Vision Incubate Co. Ltd., the venture capital fully owned by Kanazawa University, as well as One Innovators, Inc. and Red Capital Co., Ltd.. Through these initiatives, the ASA Fund seeks to expand a diverse ecosystem that spans regions and deep-tech domains.
Across all VC funds supported by the ASA Fund, capital commitments now exceed JPY 80 billion, with portfolio startups spanning non-metropolitan regions of Japan and international locations. Investment areas range widely—from drug discovery and healthcare to AI, environmental technologies, semiconductors, space, and chemical engineering—reflecting the Fund’s mission to support diverse deep-tech ventures originating from academia.
In June 2025, UTokyo IPC will host “ASA Connect Day,” bringing together LPs, VC partners, and portfolio startups. The event will facilitate sharing of networks and resources, strengthen mutual understanding, and further accelerate ecosystem-wide collaboration.
Going forward, the ASA Fund will continue to broaden its support for venture capital firms driving the advancement of deep-tech fields in Japan and beyond.
UTokyo IPC’s Commitment to Strengthening Japan’s Global Competitiveness
UTokyo IPC will continue deepening collaboration across academia, government, industry, and overseas partners. Through the creation and growth of world-class academic startups—including future global unicorns—we aim to elevate Japan’s university-originated startup ecosystem to top global standards and contribute to enhancing Japan’s industrial competitiveness.
About UTokyo Innovation Platform Co., Ltd. (UTokyo IPC)
UTokyo IPC works to strengthen Japan’s industrial competitiveness through the creation of globally competitive startups and ecosystem development in close collaboration with universities, corporations, venture capital firms, and government entities.
Established in 2016 as a wholly owned subsidiary of the University of Tokyo, UTokyo IPC leverages the university’s long-standing entrepreneurial environment. Under a public-private venture investment initiative , UTokyo IPC has invested in over 80 university-related startups and private VC funds through two investment vehicles. In parallel, UTokyo IPC supports commercialization of research seeds, entrepreneur-in-residence (EIR) programs, and operates Japan’s largest university co-hosted startup support program “1stRound,” as well as talent development initiatives such as “DeepTech Dive.” These integrated activities enable end-to-end support—from company creation to scale-up capital provisioning.
In 2024, following public selection by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, UTokyo IPC launched the Academic Startup Acceleration (ASA) Fund to accelerate deep-tech startup creation through domestic and international collaboration.
Company Overview
Business: Investment management and ecosystem development for academia-related startups
Established: January 2016
Shareholder: The University of Tokyo (100%)
Address: Entrepreneur Lab 261, South Research Building, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo
President & CEO: Kosuke Ueda
URL: https://www.utokyo-ipc.co.jp/
Contact
UTokyo Innovation Platform Co., Ltd.
Entrepreneur Lab 261, South Research Building, The University of Tokyo
7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo
TEL: 03-3830-0200 / FAX: 03-3830-0183
Email: info2@utokyo-ipc.co.jp
Contact: Kawai