GLOCALINK

GLOCALINK sources primarily through its parent organization Leave a Nest's network of university laboratories, corporate R&D partners, and research institutes in Japan. The firm runs incubation facilities called Center of Garage in Tokyo and Kuala Lumpur where early-stage teams prototype hardware and life-science products. This on-the-ground presence lets the investment team identify technical founders before formal fundraising rounds begin. Many portfolio companies are direct spinouts from institutions like the University of Tokyo and Tokyo Institute of Technology.

Leave a Nest Co., Ltd. is the founding partner and parent organization of GLOCALINK. Leave a Nest is a Japanese R&D incubator founded in 2002 that runs science education programs, corporate innovation consulting, and grant-funded research initiatives. GLOCALINK functions as the group's investment arm, making equity investments in companies that emerge from or intersect with Leave a Nest's broader ecosystem of researchers and corporate partners. The two organizations share key personnel, including Kazuhiro Hasegawa who serves as both a GLOCALINK director and Leave a Nest executive officer.

Yes. GLOCALINK operates a physical incubation center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and invests in Southeast Asian startups navigating Japanese technology partnerships. Its Singapore affiliate, now operating as 144 Ventures under Managing Partner François-Laurent Renet, provides additional regional coverage. The firm's thesis centers on commercializing Japanese deep-science IP in Southeast Asian markets, particularly in agri-food tech, clean energy, and advanced manufacturing sectors relevant to the region.

GLOCALINK focuses on seed and early-stage investments, often entering before a company has generated revenue or completed product development. Many portfolio companies are university spinouts at the prototype or proof-of-concept stage. The firm provides initial capital alongside incubation support through its Center of Garage facilities, which offer wet-lab space and prototyping equipment. Follow-on capital may be structured through co-investments with Leave a Nest's corporate partners.

President and Representative Director Yoshinobu Osaka leads investment decisions at the firm's Tokyo headquarters. Kazuhiro Hasegawa, a director at GLOCALINK and executive officer at Leave a Nest, provides scientific and operational oversight. In Southeast Asia, 144 Ventures Managing Partner François-Laurent Renet drives the Singapore-linked deal activity. Technical due diligence is supported by Leave a Nest's in-house team of PhD scientists, who evaluate the underlying research before an investment committee review.