Innovation Network Corporation of Japan

Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ) is a public-private partnership based in Tokyo, Japan, established to promote open innovation, invest in startups and ventures, and support the creation of next-generation businesses. Operating with an overall investment capacity of ¥2 trillion, the entity focuses on enhancing the commercialization of promising technologies and reorganizing large companies to improve competitiveness. As of March 2016, INCJ employed 117 individuals and was structured with Investment and Value Creation teams. Notable leadership included CEO Kimikazu Nomi and later Chairman & CEO Toshiyuki Shiga, with early COO Haruyasu Asakura. Its portfolio includes investments like the Nissan-Hitachi forklift merger, which formed UniCarriers Holdings. INCJ was founded in July 2009 by the Japanese government and major corporations, with no individual founders named, and operates as a temporary 15-year entity.