Teppei Tsutsui

Teppei Tsutsui is the Managing Partner of GFR Fund, an early-stage venture capital firm based in Tokyo, Japan. He currently oversees more than $50 million in assets under management and directs a portfolio of over 20 companies, including notable investments like the news aggregator SmartNews. In January 2026, he announced a new $30 million fund specifically targeting Japanese artificial intelligence startups, following a recent lead investment in the AI robotics company Groove X. Before leading GFR Fund, Tsutsui worked as an early-stage investor at Mitsubishi UFJ Capital and held multiple corporate strategy and business development roles after earning his degree from Keio University. His current investment focus remains primarily centered on bridging traditional Japanese industries with emerging global technologies by backing seed and Series A founders across the deep tech, SaaS, hardware, and fintech sectors.