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Delight Ventures is a Tokyo-based venture capital firm that invests in early-stage startups operating across the financial services, energy, and biotechnology sectors. Operating as a hybrid corporate-independent fund, the firm is primarily backed by the Japanese internet company DeNA as its core limited partner while maintaining autonomous investment decision-making. The organization currently manages a portfolio that consists of one closed fund and two active funds that opened to the market in March and April 2023. Alongside its core equity investments, the firm operates a Venture Builder program that actively recruits DeNA employees as entrepreneurs and facilitates strategic partnerships between its portfolio companies and DeNA business units. The firm's leadership team includes partners Kentaro Nagahara, Naoya Shibahara, and Nishida Kosuke. Delight Ventures was founded in July 2019 by co-founder and managing partner Dai Watanabe.
Key people at Delight Ventures.
Delight Ventures is an independent venture capital firm founded by Tomoko Namba, who also founded DeNA, and the firm works closely with DeNA.
Delight Ventures is an independent venture capital firm founded by Tomoko Namba, who also founded DeNA, and the firm works closely with DeNA.
Delight Ventures is an independent venture capital firm that commenced operations in 2019. Headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan, the firm was founded by Tomoko Namba, an entrepreneur known for founding DeNA. Its establishment aimed to contribute to the venture ecosystem by providing capital and support to nascent companies.
The firm's investment strategy is concentrated on early-stage startups, specifically targeting pre-seed and seed rounds. Delight Ventures manages a JPY10B fund, which it deploys into promising ventures primarily within the Japanese market. This focus allows the firm to engage deeply with the local startup landscape.
A core aspect of Delight Ventures' mission is to thoroughly reduce the hurdles faced by entrepreneurs in Japan. The firm seeks to simplify the path for new businesses, offering support that extends beyond financial investment to help founders navigate the complexities of startup growth.
While independent, Delight Ventures maintains a close working relationship with DeNA. This collaboration enables the firm to potentially leverage additional resources and expertise for its portfolio companies. It also provides useful information for startups, aspiring entrepreneurs, and investors through its newsletter.
Delight Ventures aims to identify and back companies that are addressing significant challenges. Its investment scope includes supporting businesses that are solving problems, with a particular interest in areas such as Revenue Intelligence SaaS products, among other sectors.
Key people at Delight Ventures.
Delight Ventures has 15 tracked investments across 12 companies. The latest tracked deal is $4.3M Pre-Series A in CUSTA in March 2026.
