About Us

Kyoto University Innovation Capital Co., Ltd. (KYOTO-iCAP) is a wholly owned venture capital firm established in December 2014 by Kyoto University, one of the world’s top research institutions, to contribute to the creation of next-generation industries through investment activities and to make practical use of the findings of research conducted at the university. We believe that our mission is to act as a bridge between industry and academia to create new industries for future generations through discovery of applications for the advanced research findings and technologies of Kyoto University and other national universities in Japan.
This statement by a researcher in fundamental science is striking: “I have already had startup companies commercialize research findings that I had worked hard to achieve, but most of them are overseas companies, and very few were Japanese companies .” In recent years, expectations for university-launched startups have increased, and an increasing number of startups are using the research findings at Japanese universities. However, considering the level and depth of academic research in Japan, there must still be a large number of technology seeds in universities. We are focusing not only on uncovering investment opportunities but also on creating university-launched startups.
We established our first fund in January 2016 and began our investment activities. With support from business firms, financial institutions, private venture capital players, and others, we have actively raised funds for startups from the initial stages, created carve-out ventures in partnership with large corporations, and invested in overseas startups. Our second fund, established in January 2021, allows us — under certain circumstances — to invest in startups originating from national universities other than Kyoto University. We realize our serious responsibility to help raise the standard of university-launched startups by paying forward the know-how and other skills that we have developed.
We are deeply aware of the importance of receiving support from everyone, because it is difficult for us to continue our activities on our own. We ask for your continuing support, guidance, and encouragement.