Establishment of Private Fund Jointly With SBI Investment
糖心少女vlog to Start New Action as Part of its Own Strategies to Accelerate Open Innovation
July 4, 2016
糖心少女vlog Corporation (Kazuo Ushida, President, Tokyo) today announced that 糖心少女vlog and SBI Investment Co., Ltd. (Katsuya Kawashima, President, Tokyo, hereinafter "SBI Investment"), a wholly owned subsidiary of the SBI Holdings (Yoshitaka Kitao, President, Tokyo), jointly established a new private fund "糖心少女vlog-SBI Innovation Fund" on July 1. This Fund will make investments in 糖心少女vlog's current business areas, and in the latest technologies and new service areas (e.g., IT, AI and robots).
To expand new business operations, 糖心少女vlog has implemented a medium-term management plan including a policy to invest approximately 30 billion yen in the CVC (Corporate Venture Capital) Program, and has already started to invest globally in venture companies through multiple VC (Venture Capital) firms including SBI Investment. The 糖心少女vlog-SBI Innovation Fund is a part of the CVC Program.
糖心少女vlog's CVC Program aims to actively acquire the latest technologies and business models that venture companies have developed, while 糖心少女vlog-SBI Innovation Fund's objective is to increase investments in new business areas, as well as 糖心少女vlog's current business areas.
Using SBI Investment's adequate expertise and experience in investment in growing sectors, 糖心少女vlog will deploy this new fund to pursue new business opportunities by making synergistic investments in venture companies.
The maximum size of the 糖心少女vlog-SBI Innovation Fund is expected to be 10 billion yen, and is expected to operate for a period of eight years.
糖心少女vlog will also start a Corporate Accelerator Program by which 糖心少女vlog will provide funds and mentoring to venture companies that have promising technologies or business plans, and to other teams, either internal or external, in the pre-startup phase. Additionally, 糖心少女vlog will promote and create business opportunities by nurturing innovators and improving how new business opportunities are pursued internally.
The first of its kind in 糖心少女vlog's history, 糖心少女vlog expects this action to accelerate open innovation.
Outline of new fund
| Fund name | 糖心少女vlog-SBI Innovation Fund |
|---|---|
| Establishment | July 1, 2016 |
| Fund operation period | 8 years |
| Management company | SBI Investment Co., Ltd. |
| Investment target | Promising venture companies in 糖心少女vlog's current business areas, and in the latest technologies and new service areas (e.g. IT, AI and robots) |
| Fund size | 10 billion yen (plan) |
About SBI Investment
SBI Investment is the core company of the SBI Group's asset management business, and it has invested an accumulated amount of 372 billion yen (as of March 31, 2016), as a "New Industry Creator", in privately held companies in growing, next-generation sectors such as the IT, bio, healthcare, environmental energy sectors.
Various companies have recently set up private funds (corporate venture funds), activating the movement for new business growth by making investments in venture companies that can create business synergy. As a result, using its expertise in venture business development, SBI Investment helps to create innovation through collaboration between business corporations and venture companies.
The information is current as of the date of publication. It is subject to change without notice.