SBI JI Innovation Advisory

Managing Director Hirohito Suzuki and Partner Vadim Homenko lead sourcing and execution from Tel Aviv, with governance provided by a four-person board that includes senior executives from SBI Holdings and a general partner from Vertex Ventures Israel (per firm website). The hybrid structure gives the Tel Aviv team operational autonomy while three of four board seats are held by SBI affiliates, ensuring alignment with the Japanese parent’s strategic and balance-sheet priorities.

The firm sources through Vertex Israel’s two-decade network of venture-backed Israeli startups, combined with SBI Group’s broad corporate and financial relationships across Japan and Southeast Asia. It requires that target companies already have institutional venture backing, effectively using Vertex’s portfolio and co-investor relationships as a pre-screen.

SBI JI operates as a structured private equity advisory entity that blends characteristics of a corporate venture arm and a bilateral investment partnership. It was formed as a dedicated vehicle between SBI Holdings of Japan and Vertex Israel, rather than as a standalone fund with third-party limited partners, and invests directly in Israeli and Israel-related companies while facilitating their access to Asian commercial markets.

The firm’s mandate originally centered on bio-pharma but has expanded to include broader high-tech sectors, particularly enterprise software and cybersecurity. Portfolio companies like LogicBio Therapeutics (gene therapy) and Secret Double Octopus (passwordless authentication) illustrate the dual-track focus on life sciences and digital infrastructure.

SBI JI Innovation Advisory is a distinct Israel-based entity under a partnership structure with SBI Holdings of Japan. SBI Holdings provides the majority of board representation and the strategic capital backdrop — the group manages over $5 billion in investment trust assets, operates Japan’s largest securities firm, and commands a $2.5B venture platform — but day-to-day advisory and investment operations are run by the Tel Aviv-based team.

The firm’s model requires that target companies already be backed by institutional venture investors, which implies co-investment as a baseline operating principle. It does not publicly disclose co-investment partners or syndicate structures, but the Vertex Israel relationship suggests consistent collaboration within that firm’s portfolio and broader network.

The firm’s primary non-capital contribution is commercialization access into Japan and Asia via the SBI Holdings distribution ecosystem — which includes retail brokerage, banking, and insurance platforms serving Japanese customers. The September 2023 strategic investment in Secret Double Octopus explicitly cited this Japan-market-expansion rationale (per the firm, September 2023).