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Boost Run
Rikiya Onishi established Boost Run Inc. in 2013 after his operational tenure at a Japanese internet firm.
Boost Run
Rikiya Onishi established Boost Run Inc. in 2013 after his operational tenure at a Japanese internet firm. The Tokyo-based venture firm launched with a focus on seed and Series A rounds in enterprise software and deep tech, sectors where Onishi believed Japanese institutional capital was structurally under-deployed relative to Silicon Valley cohorts. Boost Run closed its first fund in 2014, followed by a second vehicle in 2016 that continued the concentrated-portfolio thesis. The firm targets three to five investments annually in enterprise SaaS, AI/ML applications, and mobility infrastructure. Deal architecture favors priced equity rounds with board representation — Boost Run typically co-invests alongside domestic corporate venture arms rather than leading rounds alone. Portfolio exits include the mobility-data platform Navitime Japan's acquisition by KDDI and the gaming-analytics provider purchased by DeNA, both early positions from the first fund cycle. Geographic emphasis remains Japan's Tokyo-Osaka corridor, with selective exposure to Singapore-based startups building for the Japanese enterprise market. Boost Run runs a lean partnership structure, with Onishi maintaining final investment committee authority alongside one additional partner. The firm does not publicly disclose total committed capital. A third fund launched in 2019 continued the concentrated deployment model. May 2024: Onishi announced the firm would begin accepting select limited partner co-investment rights alongside its primary fund commitments, formalizing a structure that had operated on an ad hoc basis for its largest domestic institutional backers (per public record, 2024). The firm's structural posture differs from Japan's large generalist venture funds — Boost Run maintains a deliberately sub-scale fund size to align with its board-seat strategy, avoiding the asset-gathering incentives that push peers toward portfolio dilution. This architecture permits the firm to spend more than 40 percent of its active investment period on portfolio acceleration rather than sourcing new deals. Succession remains concentrated in Onishi, with no public plan for generational transfer of the investment committee.
General information
Firm type
Asset Manager
Year founded
2013
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
Asia
Country
Japan
City
Tokyo
Corporate office
Tokyo, Japan
Principals
Rikiya Onishi
Founder and General Partner
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Boost Run?
Rikiya Onishi, the founder and General Partner, maintains final investment committee authority. A second partner contributes to sourcing and diligence, but the firm's concentrated portfolio thesis — fewer than five deals per year — centralizes capital allocation with Onishi. This governance aligns with the firm's board-seat strategy, where Onishi personally represents Boost Run on portfolio company boards.
How does Boost Run source proprietary deal flow?
The firm relies on Onishi's operator network and relationships with Japanese corporate venture arms. Boost Run typically co-invests alongside corporate VCs rather than competing for auction-led rounds. Its domestic institutional LP base — which includes Japanese pension funds and family offices — occasionally surfaces pre-emptive opportunities through their own portfolio company relationships.
Does Boost Run participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?
Boost Run executes direct equity investments, primarily priced seed and Series A rounds, and does not operate as a fund-of-funds. The 2024 introduction of LP co-investment rights formalized a structure where the firm's largest backers can deploy additional capital alongside the primary fund into specific portfolio companies, but Boost Run itself does not invest in external venture funds.
What investment stages does Boost Run typically target?
Seed and Series A rounds form the core mandate, with initial check sizes calibrated for board-seat positions at the earliest institutional entry point. The firm occasionally participates in follow-on Series B rounds for its highest-conviction portfolio companies, but late-stage growth equity falls outside its strategy.
Which sectors does Boost Run explicitly invest in?
Enterprise software, AI/ML applications, mobility infrastructure, and digital health constitute the firm's active focus. The mobility-data platform Navitime Japan and a gaming-analytics provider — both first-fund positions later acquired by KDDI and DeNA, respectively — illustrate the firm's preference for B2B technical platforms with clear enterprise buyer adoption paths.
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