# Zenrin Future Partners

Zenrin Future Partners is a Corporate Venture Capital based in Tokyo, Japan.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Corporate Venture Capital
- **Headquarters:** Tokyo, Japan
- **Region:** Asia
- **Address:** 1-1-1 Nishikanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- **Founded:** 2021
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** www.zenrin-fp.co.jp

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

Founded in 2021, Zenrin Future Partners is a venture capital arm of Zenrin based in Tokyo, Japan. The firm seeks to invest in the technology sector, with a focus on MaaS, smart cities, mobility, and real estate.

## Sectors

- Enterprise Software
- Mobility & Transportation
- PropTech
- AI/ML
- SpaceTech

## People

- Masami Matsuo — President and Representative Director
- Takehiko Suzuki — Senior Managing Director
- Minoru Matsuyama — Representative Director, Senior Managing Director

## Questions

### Who runs investment decisions at Zenrin Future Partners?

President and Representative Director Masami Matsuo leads the investment team. Before joining Zenrin, Matsuo worked in investment operations at Yasuda Life Insurance and later oversaw corporate functions including legal and management planning at Zenrin. Senior Managing Director Takehiko Suzuki, a former Mizuho Bank venture capital and compliance professional, serves as the second-ranking investment officer. Day-to-day deal execution is handled by a small team that includes partners with backgrounds in regional banking, securities analysis, and central bank policy.

### How is Zenrin Future Partners related to Zenrin Co., Ltd.?

Zenrin Future Partners is a 100% owned subsidiary of Zenrin Co., Ltd., the listed Japanese map publisher. It was established in January 2021 to consolidate startup investment activity that was previously conducted through the parent company's various divisions. The parent's corporate strategy explicitly names the CVC as the vehicle through which Zenrin will couple its map data and location intelligence with emerging technologies from venture-backed companies.

### What type of startups does Zenrin Future Partners target?

Investments cluster around companies whose products can consume, enrich, or distribute map and location data. The disclosed portfolio includes Turing (autonomous driving AI), Luup (micromobility sharing), Laboro.AI (custom AI consulting), New Space Intelligence (satellite imagery analytics), and fulldepth (underwater drone inspection). Deal announcements reference both domestic Japanese startups and, occasionally, companies with cross-border expansion plans.

### How does Zenrin Future Partners define strategic synergy for its investments?

The firm's published investment policy states that it seeks ventures where the startup's technology and Zenrin's management resources—specifically map data, location intelligence, and corporate distribution—can be fused to create new forms of value. This is a narrower mandate than a pure financial-return CVC. Portfolio companies gain operational support and access to Zenrin's customer base in exchange for serving as vehicles for the parent's digital transformation.

### What is the team composition of Zenrin Future Partners?

As listed on the firm's website, the team includes President Masami Matsuo, Senior Managing Director Takehiko Suzuki, Representative Director Minoru Matsuyama, Partners Kazuhiro Kawanabe and Toshinori Katsuki, Principal Hiroki Tachibana, and Managers Nao Takagi and Hideyuki Fujisawa. Fujisawa previously served as a director at Zenrin itself, while Tachibana joined after stints at the Bank of Japan and a consulting firm, reflecting a deliberate blend of corporate insiders and external investment talent.

## Related profiles

- [Zeno Ventures](https://altss.com/profile/zeno-ventures)
- [ZenStone Venture Capital](https://altss.com/profile/zenstone-venture-capital)

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Last updated: 2026-05-29T18:38:02.054Z

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