THE BRIDGE

tag Beyond Next Ventures

DeepTech hub launched in Okinawa, offering over $4M to startups from around the globe

SHARE:

The Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) and Beyond Next Ventures announced today that they have reached a partnership aiming to strengthen investments in and building an innovation ecosystem of DeepTech startups in Okinawa. Following the partnership, the two parties are launching the OIST-BNV Innovation Hub, or OBI-Hub for short. It aims to provide DeepTech startups from around the world with investment opportunities and other services to implement their innovations into society. OIST will provide technology, a network of industry experts, and on-campus incubation facilities, while BNV will provide funding and hands-on support for startups. Applications for joining the platform will be accepted online starting on June 1. OBI-Hub plans to invest up to 500 million yen ($4.6 million US) in qualified startups over the next two years. Founded back in 2016, BNV is a Tokyo-based VC firm focused on startups on life sciences and technology seeds. The firm runs the BRAVE acceleration program as well as the Beyond BioLAB TOKYO shared lab in Nihonbashi, Tokyo. OIST operates an on-campus accelerator and incubator called iSquare, also collaborating with the Okinawa Startup Program, a startup support program run by local enterprises in Okinawa. BNV joined the seed round of an…

The Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST)
Image credit: OIST

The Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) and Beyond Next Ventures announced today that they have reached a partnership aiming to strengthen investments in and building an innovation ecosystem of DeepTech startups in Okinawa. Following the partnership, the two parties are launching the OIST-BNV Innovation Hub, or OBI-Hub for short. It aims to provide DeepTech startups from around the world with investment opportunities and other services to implement their innovations into society.

OIST will provide technology, a network of industry experts, and on-campus incubation facilities, while BNV will provide funding and hands-on support for startups. Applications for joining the platform will be accepted online starting on June 1. OBI-Hub plans to invest up to 500 million yen ($4.6 million US) in qualified startups over the next two years.

Founded back in 2016, BNV is a Tokyo-based VC firm focused on startups on life sciences and technology seeds. The firm runs the BRAVE acceleration program as well as the Beyond BioLAB TOKYO shared lab in Nihonbashi, Tokyo. OIST operates an on-campus accelerator and incubator called iSquare, also collaborating with the Okinawa Startup Program, a startup support program run by local enterprises in Okinawa. BNV joined the seed round of an OIST startup EF Polymer last month.

Japanese life science startup accelerator to launch shared wet lab in central Tokyo

SHARE:

Japan’s life science VC fund / accelerator Beyond Next Ventures (BNV), community builder Link-J and realty concern Mitsui Fudosan (TSE:8801) have announced that they will jointly launch a shared wet lab called Beyond BioLAB TOKYO in the basement of Nihonbashi Life Science Building in Tokyo. The facilities will be officially opened on February 1st, 2019, with operations and maintenance being handled in toto by BNV. Blockbuster Tokyo, the biopharma-focused startup accelerator run by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, has selected 21 startups for the ongoing second batch, almost half of these startups seen using this floor as office venue. The Demo Day for the second batch is set for March 27th, 2019. BNV recently announced the launch of its second fund. The fund’s size is yet to be disclosed but BNV’s Ito says it will surpass the $50 million first fund. He also said 15 out of all 23 startups that secured investment from the first fund are related to medicine or healthcare. Ito emphasized the promising future of Beyond BioLAB TOKYO and the importance of city-based share labs for cultivation of life science startups, citing examples of San Francisco-based IndieBio (managed by SOSV) or Biolabs managing shared wet labs in…

L to R: Tsuyoshi Ito (CEO, Beyond Next Ventures), Takashi Ueda (Managing Executive Officer, Mitsui Fudosan) and Akihiko Soyama (Executive Director, LINK-J)
Image credit: Masaru Ikeda

Japan’s life science VC fund / accelerator Beyond Next Ventures (BNV), community builder Link-J and realty concern Mitsui Fudosan (TSE:8801) have announced that they will jointly launch a shared wet lab called Beyond BioLAB TOKYO in the basement of Nihonbashi Life Science Building in Tokyo.

The facilities will be officially opened on February 1st, 2019, with operations and maintenance being handled in toto by BNV. Blockbuster Tokyo, the biopharma-focused startup accelerator run by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, has selected 21 startups for the ongoing second batch, almost half of these startups seen using this floor as office venue. The Demo Day for the second batch is set for March 27th, 2019.

Beyond BioLAB TOKYO
Image credit: Beyond Next Ventures

BNV recently announced the launch of its second fund. The fund’s size is yet to be disclosed but BNV’s Ito says it will surpass the $50 million first fund. He also said 15 out of all 23 startups that secured investment from the first fund are related to medicine or healthcare.

Ito emphasized the promising future of Beyond BioLAB TOKYO and the importance of city-based share labs for cultivation of life science startups, citing examples of San Francisco-based IndieBio (managed by SOSV) or Biolabs managing shared wet labs in seven US cities.

See also:

Translated by Taijiro Takeda
Edited by “Tex” Pomeroy, Masaru Ikeda