Our Approach

We focus on seed and Series A startups. We are sector agnostic, interested in industry-changing technology and innovation. We spend time to fully understand opportunities and business plans. Once we invest, we commit to maximizing startup success with meaningful support. We have invested in over 100 companies in both the U.S. and Japan in a wide range of sectors such as Mobility, Fintech, IoT, VR, Commerce, and Healthcare.

We also have Japan’s leading corporations as Limited Partners. In addition to providing investment opportunities, we connect them to startups and help develop new businesses together.

If you are interested in working with us, warm introductions are encouraged.

All Consumer Enterprise US Japan

Featured

  • Natural Fiber Welding
  • mmhmm
  • Osso VR
  • Zippin
  • Ambient.ai
  • May Mobility
  • GrubMarket
  • ThirdLOVE
  • Lob
  • Vacan
  • Scentbird
  • Noom

IPO

  • FAST ACCOUNTING
  • Photosynth
  • ExaWizards
  • M&A

  • IOTAS
  • Prodigy
  • Skip
  • Civil Maps
  • Origin
  • Second Measure
  • Apto
  • Chariot
  • Pantry
  • Focus Motion
  • Panna
  • Vidpresso
  • Boostable
  • Love With Food
  • Placemeter
  • Binpress
  • Aarki
  • Represent
  • Kidaptive
  • Chobolabs
  • Portfolio

  • TMRW Sports
  • Titan Content
  • Bandit
  • Tradespace
  • Campus Ink
  • Spiral.AI
  • Olio Labs
  • Stellar Sleep
  • Fever
  • Project Admission
  • Tappp
  • Boom Entertainment
  • 222
  • Truewind
  • Bloomo
  • SUN METALON
  • amptalk
  • Arcturus
  • CompScience
  • Array Labs
  • Fynn
  • Fursure
  • Hedgehog MedTech
  • Zero Acre Farms
  • Bobidi
  • Boomy
  • Algal Bio
  • Unlace
  • TYPICA
  • Dr. Treat
  • atena
  • Titan Space
  • Marvin
  • SUPWAT
  • Pillar
  • Bipsee
  • Sequential Skin
  • Cake
  • MindPortal
  • LegionFarm
  • FOODCODE
  • Smart Hospital
  • EMPOWERLY
  • LUUP
  • TeraWatt
  • Misapplied Sciences
  • CarIQ
  • P-Mind
  • Moved
  • DeepMotion
  • Coast App
  • Glowing
  • Owny
  • LemonBox
  • Miles
  • Realtime Robotics
  • BRCK
  • Dashbot
  • Fellow AI
  • RevolutionCredit
  • LiveLike
  • Rad
  • Any.do
  • Maestro
  • LeadGenius
  • Spire
  • Vio

IPO'd Voices

Photosynth

EXAWIZARDS

Fast Accounting

Founders' Voices

Learn how we help portfolio founders find key partners, enter the Japanese market, recruit talent, gain PR, and raise capital.

Yumi Kawata

Yumi Kawata
CEO at Hedgehog MedTech

Scrum Ventures is an investor with a strong sense of integrity and leadership. From the first time I met with Partner Mr. Kuroda, I felt his range of knowledge, network, speed of response, and respect and sincerity for entrepreneurs. I was pleasantly surprised how he deepened his understanding of our specialized area of business that includes medical knowledge. Since the founding of our company, we have been faced with a series of important and difficult decisions, and I feel that being able to work with Scrum that I can trust has been a key factor in determining our growth. Scrum Ventures is one of the investors that I confidently recommend to entrepreneurs around me.

Ryoma Inose

Ryoma Inose
President and CEO at amptalk

We are careful when we consider investments and talk in depth with potential investors when considering a partnership. For our Series A financing, the questions I received from Scrum's Partner, Mr. Kuroda, gave me a sense that he has an entrepreneur's mind and is trustworthy. After the investment, he has become the first person I can talk to if I have any questions or concerns, so I was not mistaken in my judgment. Scrum Ventures, with its unique network in the U.S. and with corporations, has differentiated itself from other VC firms. I highly recommend them.

Keitaro Mori

Keitaro Mori
President and CEO at Fast Accounting

The support we have received from everyone at Scrum Ventures has been invaluable. It is not just the investment we received but looking back, without the support from Mr. Haruta and others, our business would have been much more difficult to grow. Whenever we had a problem, they immediately set up meetings for us and gave us advice that we could apply to the business. It is because of Scrum's support that we have been able to come this far.

Ryosuke Nishiyama

Ryosuke Nishiyama
CEO at FOODCODE

From introducing us to Japanese corporations as potential partners to finding new startup technology, Scrum has been very inspiring by providing what we need for our business growth. When we needed additional funding, Scrum worked with us to create an equity story, and they have been very helpful in our decision making process. We even had a Scrum member work with our team to sell our Tokyo Mix Curry! Thank you, Scrum Ventures, for everything you do.

Amane Kimura

Amane Kimura
CEO at Algal Bio

The relationship with investors is an important factor for startups as it can influence how successfully a business grows. Scrum Ventures has a proven track record in both the U.S. and Japanese markets, has raised our profile from a global perspective, and has advised on business strategy, capital policy, and human resources. Scrum Ventures is a great partner, coach, and mentor, and is indispensable to us.

Kamal Mistry

Kamal Mistry
CEO at Arcturus

We've greatly enjoyed working with the Scrum team and value their industry relationships and expertise in the Japanese market. In a very short time, they've demonstrated their commitment to our growth and see them playing an unquestionably valuable role in forging relationships with key customers across the sports and entertainment space.

Josh Butler

Josh Butler
Founder at CompScience

The Scrum Ventures team has been super strategic for us from the start. They get our business and have made countless solid connections to large clients and relevant founders. We've legitimately seen a boost in our pipeline from the interest that their corporate partners are showing in our business. If you are looking at the Japanese market, strongly consider partnering with them!

Luke Haverhals

Luke Haverhals
Founder & CEO at Natural Fiber Welding

Michael Yan found our company and led Scrum Ventures’ investment into Natural Fiber Welding (NFW). Since then, the Scrum team has been an outstanding and trusted partner as NFW has traversed from being a ‘startup’ to being a ‘growth’ company. Scrum has rolled up their sleeves to walk alongside me, and the team and has been a trusted ear to listen and a voice that shares wise counsel and advisement.

Jeff Nobbs

Jeff Nobbs
CEO & Co-Founder at Zero Acre Farms

We at Zero Acre Farms are incredibly happy to be part of the Scrum family. We love the Scrum team's passion for the food tech space, and their Japanese relationships give us a strong foothold as we look to expand internationally in the future and diversify our investor base. During their due diligence, we were impressed with their speed, efficiency, a depth. Since the investment, we have appreciated Scrum's interest in helping us achieve our goals and their introductions to firms that will accelerate our growth.

Edwin Olson

Edwin Olson
CEO, Founder at May Mobility

Scrum Ventures invested in May Mobility in our seed stage round almost three years ago and the team has been great to work with ever since. They've been there when we've wanted introductions, advice on working with companies and partners in Japan, or just to talk through the things going on at our company. One thing I particularly appreciate about Scrum is their many years of experience and expertise -- a new experience for me is a familiar experience for them!

Jasen Lew

Jasen Lew
CEO at Glowing

Scrum is one of the best investors I've had the fortune and pleasure working with. My partner and I met Tak through YCombinator, and the experience from then to now has been fantastic. The entire team is caring and supportive. They are proactive investors, yet not too much as to disrupt business, and consistently offer to guide and help overcome any challenges (even rolling up their sleeves to help with research and introductions). Beyond highly recommending, I would say if a company has the opportunity to work with Scrum, it will be a decision that will continually reap benefits during the life of the business.

Ko Ishiyama

Ko Ishiyama
Founder at ExaWizards Inc.

I discovered and have been following Scrum Ventures from when I previously worked at an AI research center in Silicon Valley. Now at Exawizards, Scrum Ventures provides us with business support, customer introductions, event and PR help, and introductions to partners through their large network in the United States. By far, Scrum Ventures is our most important partner.

Takanobu Kawano

Takanobu Kawano
CEO at Vacan, Inc.

After meeting Makoto Haruta, Partner at Scrum Ventures, I immediately felt that working with them would help me create a strong business and team. A key reason I decided to accept their investment was how they took the time to really understand Vacan. Beginning with Tak Miyata, General Partner, I could tell the Scrum Ventures team valued Vacan as much as I did and I could trust them. Scrum Ventures continues to support me with business planning, KPI creation, series A fundraising, hiring, PR, and more. Hiroki Tanaka, Venture Partner, even joined our offsite discussions and works closely with us for Vacan’s growth.

In Gudo

In Gudo
Representative Director at P-Mind

We were impressed by how the Scrum team evaluated our business model and assessed the risk-return in detail before making the decision to invest. Even after investment, they continue to support us with advice and insights to help our business. With their deep understanding of entrepreneurship, I highly recommend Scrum Ventures to any startups looking for funding.

Andre Lorenceau

Andre Lorenceau
Founder & CEO at LiveLike

Scrum Ventures is definitely one of my favorite investors. Not only did they believe in us from the start and helped us close our round, they were frequently prompt and clear in dealing with us which is the most anyone can ask from the fundraising process. Scrum Ventures stayed engaged, inviting me to present to executives at Japanese corporations and introducing me to key investors in Japan. Scrum Ventures is key when we need help in the region. I definitely will be coming back to knock on their door should I ever start another company.

Tony Mugavero

Tony Mugavero
CEO at Rad

Scrum Ventures has been an incredible partner to work with, and helpful in not only thinking through product and business strategy but also working together on growing our presence internationally in Japan and beyond. They are engaged in the process of building great businesses, which we really enjoy, and the connections and insight they bring to the table add substantial value beyond just capital. We could not be luckier to have them as investors and partners.

Peter Howard

Peter Howard
CEO at Realtime Robotics

The team at Scrum Ventures has been truly fantastic to work with. Starting with their speedy comprehension in our introductory meeting 7 months ago, through introducing us to stellar co-investors 6 months ago, to opening doors to anchor customers 5 months ago, they have been pleasant, supportive, efficient, and highly effective. They are a hugely productive asset to have on your team!

Scrum Ventures is a seed-stage venture firm investing across a range of industries in the U.S. and Japan. Based in San Francisco with extensive experience and networks in both Silicon Valley and Japan, Scrum Ventures accelerates portfolio companies with global opportunities and helps corporations innovate. Scrum Studio is a platform that connects global corporations with startups.