On August 13, 2024, the Investor affinity group held its inaugural Spotlight Series and virtual networking, the first in the series featuring Venture Capital (VC) in the United States and Japan. The Spotlight Series is an educational program that puts a spotlight on USJC members and guests who share insights from their investment domain and expertise — from startups, private equity, art, real estate and cryptocurrency to publicly traded stocks.
USJC Associates Rayfe Gaspar-Asaoka (Canaan, ELP ‘20), Yuna Sakuma (MPower) and Hiro Hasegawa (Future Food Fund) participated as panelists in the discussion moderated by fellow Associate Ryota Sekine (A-N Partners, ELP ‘19). The speakers gave an overview of the work venture capitalists do to support startups across the United States and Japan and the opportunities in venture investing across the two countries.
The consensus among the panelists was that while the United States had become the leader in software innovation, Japan has a shot at doing the same in areas such as deep tech, climate tech and material science. A networking session followed in which members further exchanged thoughts on how they could collaborate with each other in order to contribute to the U.S.-Japan startup ecosystem. Future Spotlight Series may explore specific verticals within startups and venture capital such as artificial intelligence and climate tech.
If you are interested in joining the Investor Affinity Group, please contact Senior Membership Engagement & Regional Coordinator Lauren Matsumoto at [email protected].