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NOW
NOW is a Japanese venture firm that invests alongside entrepreneurs as partners on the path to success, not merely as capital providers. The firm aims to be...
NOW
NOW is a Japanese venture firm that invests alongside entrepreneurs as partners on the path to success, not merely as capital providers. The firm aims to be true companions whom founders respect and rely on more than anyone else, joining them in pursuing unseen futures.
General information
Firm type
Private Equity
Year founded
2017
Location
Region
Asia
Country
Japan
City
Tokyo
Corporate office
Tokyo, Japan
Principals
Kazutaka Ieiri
Co-Founder
Daisuke Kajitani
Co-Founder
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at NOW?
Co-founders Kazutaka Ieiri and Daisuke Kajitani lead the firm. Ieiri brings a track record as a repeat founder who took paperboy&co. public and co-founded BASE; Kajitani adds institutional discipline from his prior roles at Mizuho Securities and Shinsei Corporate Investment. Day-to-day sourcing and evaluation draw on both their networks.
How does NOW source proprietary deal flow?
The firm's pipeline runs through Ieiri's extensive operator community — built across Pepabo, Campfire, BASE, and his angel portfolio — supplemented by Kajitani's financial-institution referrals. This hybrid model surfaces founders before they reach broader institutional processes, often at the pre-seed and seed stages.
Which sectors does NOW explicitly avoid?
The portfolio shows no positions in hard-tech deep-science, semiconductor hardware, or traditional heavy industry. The firm's pattern strongly favors capital-light digital platforms and services, though it will selectively back hardware-enabled consumer brands where digital distribution is the core differentiator.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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