Antler Japan

07/04/2026

🚀 The 4-week workshop phase at Antler Japan has officially kicked off!

This week, we welcomed an incredible group of driven founders to our Tokyo office. The energy in the room is palpable as they begin refining their ideas and searching for the perfect co-founder to build the next global success story. Some of our founders have even flown in from New York, Hong Kong, Tunisia, and beyond — a true testament to the global ambition this cohort carries.

Our current cohort brings together a diverse range of expertise, with founders tackling challenges across: 🌍 Carbon Removal 🔒 Cybersecurity 🤖 Agricultural Robotics / PhysicalAI 🏢 Real Estate 📺 Digital Signage 🧠 AI Agents 👻 Phandom 👨‍⚕️ Maletech and more.

But the cohort isn't complete yet. We are actively looking for exceptional individuals to join these founders and build category-defining companies.

If you haven't joined the workshops yet, this is your chance. We are specifically looking for: 💻 Tech Expertise: Full-stack development, AI, robotics engineering, and hydrogen. 📊 Business Expertise (Japan Market): Agriculture, cybersecurity, safety-critical embedded systems, manufacturing, consumer apps and GTM.

Join us at our exclusive Co-Founder CONNECT event on April 10th to meet these founders in person. This is a unique opportunity to connect with global talent and take the first step toward building a startup together.

📅 Date: Friday, April 10th
📍 Location: Chuo City, Tokyo (Register for exact address)
👉 Secure your spot here: https://luma.com/t5r9k1pl

Check out the group photo from our first day below! 👇



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🚀 Antler Japanの4週間にわたるワークショップが本格始動しました！

今週、東京オフィスに多様なバックグラウンドを持つ起業家たちが集結しました。ニューヨーク、香港、チュニジアなど海外から参加するメンバーもおり、グローバルな熱気に包まれています。

現在、以下の領域で挑戦する起業家たちが、共に世界を変える共同創業者を探しています：
🌍 炭素除去 | 🔒 サイバーセキュリティ | 🤖 農業ロボット・フィジカルAI | 🏢 不動産 x VR | 📺 デジタルサイネージ | 🧠 AIエージェント | 👻 アニメファン | 👨‍⚕️男性ヘルステック

【 #共同創業者 募集中】
私たちは、彼らと共に次世代のスタートアップを創る、以下の専門性を持つ方を求めています：
💻 #テクノロジー領域: フルスタック開発、AI、ロボティクス、水素技術
📊 #ビジネス領域（日本市場）:農業、サイバーセキュリティ、セーフティクリティカルな組込みシステム、製造業

4月10日（金）に開催される「Co-Founder CONNECT」イベントで、彼らと直接交流しませんか？グローバルな才能と出会い、起業への第一歩を踏み出す絶好の機会です。

📅 日時: 4月10日（金）
📍 場所: 東京都中央区（詳細は登録後にご案内）
👉 参加登録はこちら: https://luma.com/t5r9k1pl

#スタートアップ #起業 #共同創業者 #ベンチャーキャピタル

▶︎▶︎スタートアップに強い興味・関心のあるビジネスプロフェッショナルの皆さん！ 共同創業者を探している起業家のための特別なマッチングイベントを開催します。これまでの経験やスキルを活かし、スタートアッ.....

01/04/2026

🚀 We're doubling down on accelerating the next generation of founders in Japan | 次世代の起業家支援をさらに加速 🚀

(Japanese follows English)

The energy coming out of Japan's startup ecosystem right now is incredible. At Antler, we are doubling down on our commitment to back the most driven founders from day zero to greatness.

Here is how we are expanding our impact in Tokyo and how you can get involved:

🔥 1. The Next Inception Residency (Starts May 11)
Building something great? Join us to condense 6 months of progress into 6 weeks. Work alongside exceptional outliers, get direct mentorship from experienced partners, and secure up to $400k in initial Antler commitment.
👉 Apply now: www.antler.co/japan

🤝 2. Co-Founder Matching & Ideation Workshop
Looking for the right co-founder? Driven founders with strong domain, business, or technical expertise will spend 4 weeks at the Antler office refining ideas with our expert team and finding the perfect match to build the next global success story.
👉 Secure your spot via our website or reach out directly!

💼 3. We Are Hiring: Investment Associate/Manager (Tokyo)
We are looking for a driven team member (2-4+ years experience in startups/VC/consulting) with a strong local network to lead our scouting operations and identify outlier founders.
👉 Apply here: https://antler.applytojob.com/apply/C1mB5dN2Wq/Investment-AssociateManager-Tokyo----

🎓 4. Open for Interns
Want to work directly with great founders and get a front-row seat to early-stage venture capital? If you think you have what it takes, reach out to us!

日本のスタートアップエコシステムから生まれる熱気は、今まさに素晴らしい高まりを見せています。Antlerは、最も意欲的な起業家を創業初日からグローバルな成功へと導くため、日本での支援体制をさらに強化しています。

東京における私たちの最新の取り組みと、募集中のプログラムをお知らせします：

🔥 1. 次期 Inception Residency（5月11日スタート）
偉大な事業を創り上げようとしている起業家の皆様へ。Antlerのプログラムに参加し、通常6ヶ月かかる進捗を6週間に凝縮しませんか？優秀な起業家たちと共に事業を構築し、経験豊富なパートナーからの直接的なメンタリングを受け、最大40万ドルの初期投資を獲得するチャンスです。
👉 詳細・ご応募はこちら: www.antler.co/japan

🤝 2. 共同創業者マッチング＆アイディエーション・ワークショップ
最適な共同創業者をお探しですか？ビジネス、テクノロジー、または特定の専門領域に強みを持つ意欲的な起業家が集まり、Antlerオフィスで4週間を共に過ごします。専門家チームからのフィードバックを通じてアイデアを磨き上げ、世界で勝てる事業を共に創る共同創業者を見つけましょう。
👉 ウェブサイトからご応募いただくか、直接ご連絡ください！

💼 3. 採用情報：インベストメント アソシエイト/マネージャー（東京）
スタートアップの発掘を牽引し、傑出した起業家を見出す意欲的な新メンバー（スタートアップ/VC/コンサル等での経験2〜4年以上、強力なローカルネットワークをお持ちの方）を募集しています。
👉 詳細・ご応募はこちら: https://antler.applytojob.com/apply/C1mB5dN2Wq/Investment-AssociateManager-Tokyo----

🎓 4. インターンシップ募集
素晴らしい起業家たちと直接働き、アーリーステージVCの最前線を体験しませんか？熱意とポテンシャルをお持ちの方からのご連絡をお待ちしています！

#スタートアップ #起業 #ベンチャーキャピタル #採用情報

Apply to Investment Associate/Manager - Tokyo / スタートアップ インベストメント アソシエイト/マネージャー - 東京 at Antler in Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.

25/03/2026

We’re hiring in Tokyo! 🇯🇵 Join the world’s most active early-stage investor.
【東京オフィス採用】・世界最大級のアーリーステージVCで働きませんか？🇯🇵

日本語訳を英語の以下に記載しています。

At Antler, we believe that exceptional founders can come from anywhere. We are strengthening our efforts in Japan to support more incredible Japanese founders, and we need another passionate team member to help us do it!

We’re looking for an Investment Associate/Manager to join our Tokyo office. You’ll be at the forefront of innovation, identifying outlier founders, building our local community, and driving our scouting operations.

If you have 2-4+ years of experience in the startup/VC space, a strong local network, and a drive to back the next generation of category-defining companies, this is for you.

Know someone perfect for the role? Tag them below! 👇
Ready to apply? Click here: https://antler.applytojob.com/apply/C1mB5dN2Wq/Investment-AssociateManager-Tokyo----?source=FACE

Antlerは「優れた起業家はあらゆる場所から生まれる」と信じています。現在、日本の素晴らしい起業家をより強力に支援するため、日本での活動を拡大しており、共に挑戦する新しいチームメンバーを募集しています！

東京オフィスにて、インベストメント アソシエイト / マネージャーを採用中です。最前線で傑出した起業家を発掘し、ローカルコミュニティを構築し、スカウティング活動を牽引していただきます。

スタートアップやVC、コンサル等での経験（2〜4年以上）があり、日本のエコシステムに明るく、次世代の企業創出を支援したいという熱意をお持ちの方をお待ちしています。

ぴったりな方がいれば、ぜひコメント欄でタグ付けして教えてください！👇
詳細・ご応募はこちらから： https://antler.applytojob.com/apply/C1mB5dN2Wq/Investment-AssociateManager-Tokyo----?source=FACE

Apply to Investment Associate/Manager - Tokyo / スタートアップ インベストメント アソシエイト/マネージャー - 東京 at Antler in Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.

27/01/2026

It’s out in the open: we’ve just announced ¥240 Million investment across 10 Japanese startups in 2025. And we’re already committed to a higher initial investment for Japan entering 2026.

Here are the 10 companies we’ve decided to back - the top 0.5 percent of the applicants who have demonstrated the ability to go further, faster.

👉Refined Robotics Inc. – Creating tougher, up to 25x more energy-efficient last-mile delivery robots using wheel-legged hybrid technology to navigate complex terrains.
👉Avete Inc. – Saving construction companies from fatalities and costly liabilities by improving site safety and productivity through AI-powered real-time monitoring and hazard detection.
👉LOGISTICAL Inc. – Building an AI platform that optimizes shared transportation in the logistics space, reducing empty runs to lower costs, emissions, and prevent driver shortages.
👉Xenos Labs – Building a comprehensive observability platform for monitoring LLM costs, latency, and quality in production.
👉TokumaLabs Inc. – Enabling high-value legal professionals to fully focus on revenue generating tasks through a platform that automates time intelligence in the legal technology space.
👉KanjuTech Inc. – Improving machine-human interactions for autonomous systems using an adaptive AI that mimics the brain with 100x less data and energy, allowing for real-time on-premise training of physical AI.
👉Snappy Compliance – Freeing robotics companies from regulatory headaches by automating compliance processes through an AI powered compliance platform.
👉Smart Tissues – Providing faster healing and better outcomes to chronic wounds through an advanced biomaterial solution that offers a unique combination of enhanced tissue regeneration and antibacterial protection.
👉Rubi Labs – Tackling financial crime threats through “Lapis” - a faster, smarter intelligence layer for AML/CTF that unifies fragmented KYC, detects anomalies, and predicts risks hidden inside transaction data.
👉Novana – Transforming school accreditation into real-time quality improvement through the power of AI, helping education leaders to focus on what truly drives learning.

We are hosting an exclusive Investor Demo Day on February 13 to connect founders with active investors in the region.

📌Investors, register here to secure your seat at the table:
https://luma.com/tlo9wmq5

For new founders who are keen to join the Antler network:

👉Applications are now open for 2026, with a refined six-week Inception Residency model that comes with higher early capital.

Apply now to start with us on May 11.
https://www.antler.co/japan

30/12/2025

2025 was a defining year for Antler Japan — and we’re just getting started!

As we close out an exceptional year, we’re thrilled to welcome Kaito Nozawa and Satomi Hoshi to the Antler Japan team. Kaito joins us with extensive experience in open innovation from his time at Plug and Play, while Satomi brings a proven track record of supporting founders across both the startup and corporate sectors.

Having welcomed over 150 founders from 31+ nationalities into our residencies this year, we have tripled our portfolio companies, now supporting more than 20. That energy culminated in the completion of JPN5, where we invested in the top 1% of applicants aiming to create era-defining global companies.

We’ve witnessed incredible momentum across robotics, physical AI, logistics, construction, legal&compliance, sports, biotech, and edtech. One of our portfolio companies used their robotics products to deliver lunches on Y Combinator’s Demo Day. Another company launched pilots with a major Central Asian electricity producer, with 60+ sites ready to scale post-PoC.

We have significantly expanded our ecosystem footprint through a partnership with JETRO, jointly empowering 100 AI and DeepTech founders to realize their global ambitions through the J-StarX Local to Global Success Course.
And we’re carrying that powerful momentum straight into the year ahead:

📍Spring 2026 : An exclusive look at our portfolio companies and their progress. Stay tuned for more details in January.

📍Antler Inception: Our next spring is just around the corner. Even more optimized content, perks, and investment conditions to provide an even stronger foundation for your startup journey. Keep your eyes peeled for the application launch.

Register Your Interest: If you are thinking about taking your startup to the next level and want to go , , don’t wait for the official launch. Reach out to us now:
👉 here: https://www.antler.co/apply

As our activities in Japan continue to grow, we are also looking for additional members to join our team in the new year. If you are passionate about finding and working with great founders, please reach out.

Wishing our founders, investors, and partners a wonderful holiday season — and an even stronger year ahead. 🌅



【2025年総括：Antler Japanの飛躍と未来】

2025年はAntler Japanにとって飛躍の一年となりました。

31以上の国々から150名以上の起業家をレジデンシーに迎え、
ポートフォリオ企業数は3倍増の20社以上にまで拡大。
今月には数々のエントリーの中から上位1%の起業家とともに第5期（JPN5）を完遂しました。

ロボティクス、フィジカルAI、ロジスティクス、建設、法務・コンプライアンス、スポーツ、バイオテック、エドテックなどの画期的なスタートアップを支えたことを嬉しく思います。

そして、2026年にはさらなる飛躍に向けた活動を予定しています。

📍2026年春 ：ポートフォリオ企業を厳選した投資家の皆様に公開します。続報にご期待ください。

📍Antler Inception：内容や条件をさらに充実させた第6期 #プログラムの募集情報をもうじき公開します。

Application受付中：AntlerJapanと共にご自身のスタートアップを加速させたい方は、公式募集開始を待たずにぜひご登録ください。
👉こちらから ：https://www.antler.co/apply

日本での活動拡大に伴い、私たちのチームに加わってくれるメンバーも探しています。
優秀な起業家と共に働くことに情熱をお持ちの方は、ぜひご連絡ください。

2026年も、起業家とともに全力で駆け抜けます。
それでは、素晴らしい年末年始をお過ごしください！🎍

23/10/2025

🚀 Exclusive: Co-Founder CONNECT – Antler Residency in Japan 5
🚀 共同創業者交流会「Co-Founder CONNECT」– Antler Residency in Japan 5
(Japanese follows English text / 日本語は下部に続きます)

Are you looking to build a startup, find a co-founder, or exchange ideas with other ambitious founders?

Join us this Friday, 17:00–19:30, at the Antler Japan Office for our next Co-Founder CONNECT!

You’ll meet dozens of amazing founders — from our current Residency and beyond — including engineers, researchers, product builders, and business leaders all passionate about creating the next wave of innovation from Japan.

💡 What to expect:
Casual networking with founders & builders
Opportunities to find co-founders or collaborators
Insights into the Antler Residency & how we support founders from Day Zero

📍 Venue: Antler Japan Office
FinGATE KAYABA 3F 303, 1 Chome-8-1 Nihonbashikayabacho, Chuo City, Tokyo 103-0025

🕐 Time: 17:00–19:30

📅 Date: This Friday, October 24

🔗 Register here: https://luma.com/4n6n50d4

Whether you already have an idea or are still exploring what to build, this is a great chance to connect, learn, and get inspired.
Let’s connect the next generation of Japan’s startup builders.
Join us and be part of the movement!


スタートアップを立ち上げたい方、共同創業者を探している方、
または新しいアイデアを議論したい方へ！

今週金曜日の 17:00〜19:30 に、Antler Japanオフィスにて
「Co-Founder CONNECT – Antler Residency in Japan 5」を開催します！

今回のイベントでは、Antler Residencyに参加中の起業家だけでなく、
外部から参加するエンジニア、研究者、ビジネスリーダーなど、
数十名の熱意ある創業者たちと直接つながることができます。

💡 イベント内容:
・起業家・ビルダーとのカジュアルなネットワーキング
・共同創業者やコラボレーターを探すチャンス
・Antler Residencyの紹介とDay Zeroからの支援についての共有

📍 会場： Antler Japanオフィス
FinGATE KAYABA 3F 303, 1丁目8-1 日本橋茅場町, 中央区, 東京 103-0025

🕐 時間： 17:00〜19:30

📅 日時： 今週金曜日（10月24日）

🔗 参加登録はこちら： https://luma.com/4n6n50d4

アイデアがある方も、これから起業を考え始めた方も大歓迎です。
創業仲間と出会い、新しい一歩を踏み出す絶好の機会です！

▶︎▶︎スタートアップに強い興味・関心のあるビジネスプロフェッショナルの皆さん！ 共同創業者を探している起業家のための特別なマッチングイベントを開催します。これまでの経験やスキルを活かし、スタートアッ.....

03/10/2025

Happy Friday, everyone 🍺 !
And otsukaresama desu Week1, founders！

Our Residency is made up of founders from many different backgrounds. Some joined as existing teams, others came in as solo founders. What they all share is the drive to solve meaningful problems—and the search for co-founders with complementary skills and a shared vision.

They are looking for:

▶Business operators who are native to Japan and understand local practices
▶Full-stack builders & engineers in AI, ML, and LLM
▶Marketers with growth-hacking experience

According to surveys conducted between 2020 and 2025, overall job satisfaction in Japan has consistently remained low, with many workers reporting frustration. Among the various reasons for workplace dissatisfaction, the lack of career growth opportunities stands out as one of the biggest factors.

Ask yourself:
Are you truly satisfied with where you are now?
Or do you feel an almost obsessive drive to solve problems—armed with past achievements that prove you can tackle difficult challenges—and wonder what it would be like to start from scratch, building with like-minded partners by your side?

Starting alone is hard. It can be isolating, and time is never on your side. But here, you don’t have to do it alone. Your co-founders are waiting.

Come and join us!
https://luma.com/7qdp2wba

03/10/2025

On the final Friday of Week 1 in the Fall 2025 Residency!

We wrapped up a week full of first encounters, Master Classes, team challenges, sessions led by our leadership team, office hours, and sprint sessions. 10 weeks may sound long, but they will fly by, our founders are set to sharpen and validate their scalable ideas, moving toward Track Out, Pre-IC, and the IC.

Having been selected into Antler, they are already outliers. It takes relentless drive, high aspiration, and the courage to leave stability behind to build from Day Zero. Here, they don’t just start companies, they build momentum: problem discovery, early traction, and their first check, with a clear path from pre-seed to scale. Surrounded by exceptional peers and guided by partners who have been founders themselves, they have the chance to go further, faster. This cohort represents 84 entrepreneurs from 31 nationalities—driven, ambitious, and ready to tackle the world’s toughest problems, starting in Japan.

Starting next Friday, we’ll be hosting a series of special events where you can experience this community first-hand.

Come meet these exceptional founders!

Register here:
https://luma.com/7qdp2wba

30/09/2025

Batch 5 has officially kicked off!

We received close to 1,000 applications from across Japan and around the world. From this incredibly talented pool, 84 exceptional founders were selected to join the program, making this our largest cohort ever!

Representing 31 nationalities and averaging 11 years of professional experience, this diverse group demonstrates how Japan is becoming a global magnet for exceptional talent. Their ventures span a wide range of sectors, tackling major challenges in areas such as HealthTech, FinTech, PropTech, Robotics, DeepTech, Agentic AI, and beyond.

▶︎▶︎ Key stats:
📊45% are business leaders with expertise in strategy, business development, and finance
💻 39% are full stack engineers with deep technical expertise
🤖 13% are domain experts in AI/ML/LLM or DeepTech
🚀54% have startup experience, including serial founders with VC funding and exits
🌸17% are female founders

▶︎▶︎ Founder highlights include:
💪 Repeat founder who exited a management platform for Amazon 3rd-party sellers, scaling to 3,000+ business accounts and managing $1B+ in products

🧭Strategy leader turned CSO at an AI & robotics startup in Tokyo, where he led a ¥1.7B fundraising round

👩‍🔬Female founder with a PhD in Bioengineering, bringing experience across both pharma and academia, developing next-gen wound care products balancing faster healing with antibacterial protection

🛒 Seasoned product manager who contributed to building the world’s most used smart shopping cart—scaled from 0 to 200 stores, with the parent company IPO’ing at ¥263B

💸 Former CFO at a leading fintech startup, he raised $120M, scaled volume from $3M to $1B, and enabled the launch of a blockchain payments platform

To celebrate the launch of Batch 5, we are hosting a series of exclusive Co-Founder Matching Events. These are designed for entrepreneurs seeking co-founders, and for business professionals, engineers, and domain experts interested in joining Antler Residency.

This is your chance to meet exceptional founders building the next generation of category-defining companies.

Register now:
https://luma.com/7qdp2wba

30/09/2025

Welcome to our Residency in Japan!
Batch 5 has officially kicked off 💯

Connect with exceptional founders from six continents and build category defining companies together, starting right here in Tokyo!

We’re hosting a series of exclusive events starting next Friday.
Sign up and come meet our founders!
https://luma.com/7qdp2wba

26/09/2025

Only 3 days left until Batch 5 kicks off 💥 !

We’re expecting more than 80 founders to join this cohort, and yesterday some of them gathered for our Kickoff Gathering.

Meeting founders in person after the scouting is always a highlight and we love how intros are a mix of passionate sharing startup ideas and effortless humor, this natural flow is just perfect.

Prost 🍺 !