"FIRST CVC" holds a bi-monthly meetup event called "CVC Office Hour" where startups can meet CVCs!

Startups often express concerns such as "I don't know where to meet CVCs or business companies," and "It's hard to arrange meetings if we haven't decided on collaboration topics." The lack of opportunities to meet is one of the barriers to open innovation in Japan.

As Japan's largest CVC community, FIRST CVC aims to solve this issue by organizing a meetup series where startups and CVCs can casually meet before seriously discussing collaboration or investment. This is the purpose behind the "CVC Office Hour" event.

This is a unique networking event where several CVC capitalists and startup founders gather in a friendly, small-scale setting to discuss collaboration opportunities.

This time, we featured "AI-focused CVCs," and on September 27, 2023, 12 CVCs and 14 Deep Tech startups gathered to engage in lively discussions about collaboration.

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【Participating CVC Capitalists】

Aflac Ventures Japan
TIS Inc.
Hakuhodo DY Ventures
Oricon Inc.
Cybozu Inc.
Mitsubishi UFJ Capital
GMO Payment Gateway Inc.
FFG Venture Business Partners
Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc.
TEL Venture Capital, Inc.
Toppan Printing Co., Ltd.

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【Participating Startups】

Paytner Inc.
400F Inc.
Kuzen Inc.
Lang-8 Inc.
Orange Inc.
Watashiha Inc.
Kinkaku Inc.
Picon Inc.
Ajira Inc.
207 Inc.
Bit Quark Inc.
EmotivE Inc.
FingerVision Inc.
Grafar Inc.

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The venue for the event was generously provided by "Tokyu Corporation" at the Shibuya Open Innovation Facility "SOIL (Shibuya Open Innovation Lab)." This lab, specializing in "social implementation," provided a perfect environment for discussions between CVCs and startups. We would like to express our sincere thanks to Tokyu for their support.

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Event Report

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In the "Office Hour" format, discussions not only took place between CVCs and startups but also among CVCs themselves and between startups, leading to in-depth conversations. This report provides an overview of the event and feedback from participants.

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‍The program for the event was as follows:

• Part 1 - Large Corporations x Startups Roundtable Session
• Part 2 - Networking

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Part 1 - Large Corporations x Startups Roundtable Session

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We were joined by many CVCs and startups for this session. Participants were divided into four tables, each with four CVCs and four startups, and engaged in discussions.

Given the focus on AI startups and the CVCs interested in them, participants shared the latest technologies from various industries and fields, leading to discussions on potential business synergies.

There were engaging conversations in areas such as AI startups supporting chat tools, robot control in food factories, and fintech startups. The AI field, which is gaining attention, was a major focus for these discussions.

Throughout the discussions, there were talks about the development and future prospects beyond the current target markets, showcasing the unique nature of the Office Hour format where the focus is not solely on finance.

Additionally, there were moments where CVCs suggested simple AI solutions to replace manual processes within business systems, paving the way for future meetings.

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Part 2 - Networking

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After the first part, we entered a one-hour networking session.

As an opportunity to speak with multiple AI-focused startups at once, there were lively discussions from the CVC capitalists about topics that hadn’t been fully explored in the first session.

There were also exciting side conversations between startups and between CVC capitalists.

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Feedback from Participating CVCs

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FFG Venture Business Partners, Inc.
Mr. Miriho Ohara

This was a meaningful event where we were able to meet entrepreneurs that we wouldn't usually encounter, especially with a focus on AI! Since one of our supported companies was also participating, it was a great opportunity to connect them with VC/CVC representatives. I’ll be participating again!

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Aflac Ventures Japan, Inc.
Mr. Motohito Kudo

At this Office Hour, after the startup pitches, being able to discuss with multiple people helped us discover synergy possibilities that we wouldn’t normally have thought of.

For example, an AI startup focused on manufacturing/logistics processes could potentially evolve into creating a digital twin for insurance company operations and processes, allowing for more efficient response to disruptions or disasters. It was a very valuable discussion.

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Feedback from Participating Startups

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Watashiha Inc.
CEO Daisuke Takenouchi

I participated at the invitation of several shareholders.
Though I was a bit uncertain as it was a new event, I’m glad I joined as I was able to meet with several CVCs.
I viewed this event more as a sales opportunity rather than a finance-focused one, and it looks like it will lead to a meeting with a large company running a community at one of its group subsidiaries.

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Paytner Inc.
CEO and President Yu Sakai

Although I participated with a finance focus, I had the opportunity to engage with many CVCs and business companies, making it a great opportunity.
In particular, we were able to discuss new collaborations with business companies in related fields.

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Kuzen Inc.
CEO Shogo Ota

This was a refreshing event where I felt a sense of relaxed collaboration that I hadn’t experienced before.
I feel like we could establish long-term relationships, and I hope to reach out when we need finance in the future. I would love to participate again.

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A big thank you to all the CVCs and startups who participated!

We will continue to set themes and host these events to create more collaboration synergies and ensure clarity for startups. Stay tuned for upcoming events!

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↓↓↓ To apply, please use the form below ↓↓↓

Startups: https://zfrmz.com/BoBasvRmrSzpb3rQqRfj

CVCs: https://zfrmz.com/m0JBSku5WYiHSFod5UfM

*Please note that some sessions may already be full.

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