JAFCO Group Co., Ltd.

JAFCO Group Co., Ltd. (Tokyo Stock Exchange: 8595) is Japan's oldest and largest venture capital company, established in April 1973 under the name Japan Associated Finance Co., Ltd. as a joint venture among Nomura Securities, Nippon Life Insurance, and Sanwa Bank, and headquartered in the Toranomon district of Minato-ku, Tokyo. The firm operates two primary investment strategies: venture investment in seed and early-stage companies with growth potential, and buyout investment in primarily small and mid-sized Japanese companies seeking renewed growth. Since its founding, JAFCO has raised total capital commitments exceeding 1 trillion yen across its Japan and overseas funds and has facilitated over 1,000 portfolio company IPOs across nearly 3,000 investments. The firm's international activities include Icon Ventures (formerly Jafco Ventures), a U.S. subsidiary established in 2003 and based in Palo Alto focused on early and growth-stage technology investments, and JAFCO Asia, targeting early to growth-stage tech companies across Asia. JAFCO Group was renamed from JAFCO Co., Ltd. in October 2020.