JR East Startup

JR East Startup is a corporate venture capital firm based in Tokyo, Japan, wholly owned by East Japan Railway Company (JR East), that invests in and collaborates with startups to integrate new technologies with JR East's extensive railway assets for rapid commercialization and social implementation. The firm strategically leverages stations and networks as touchpoints for new businesses across sectors such as advertising, retail, e-commerce, and logistics, with a focus on accelerating ventures utilizing rail infrastructure and exploring collaborations in Southeast Asia. In April 2023, it established the subsidiary JR East Local Startup LLC, which made its inaugural investment in haccoba craft sake brewery in June 2023. Additionally, the firm selected HelloWorld for its Spring Startup Program in 2023 to operate an "International Train." The organization is led by CEO Yutaka Shibata, with Tomonori Akutsu having played a key role in its establishment in February 2018.