About Inspire
Inspire is a venture capital firm founded in 2000. It is primarily based out of Minato City, Japan. As of Oct 2026, Inspire is an active investor, having invested in 28 companies, with 3 new investments in the last 12 months. It primarily invests in Series A round in Japan based startups. Its investments are spread across a wide range of sectors from Retail to Consumer and Enterprise Applications. Most recently it participated in the $***** Series A round of Kinish Overall, Inspire portfolio has seen 5 IPOs including key companies like ABEJA, Kringle Pharma and Euglena. A lot of funds co-invest with Inspire, with names like CTBC Bank sharing a substantial percentage of its portfolio. Inspire has team of 3 people including 2 partners.Key Metrics
Team Members
Portfolio Locations
Rounds of Entry
Series B, Series A & 3 more
Portfolio IPOs
Portfolio Soonicorns
Deals in last 12 months
Inspire's List of Top Investments
Inspire has a portfolio of 28 companies. Their most notable investments are in Grooves and Kamereo.Their portfolio spans across Japan, United States, Malaysia and 2 more locations. They have invested in Retail, Consumer, Enterprise Applications and 13 other sectors, across stages such as Series B, Series A and 3 more. Here is the list of top investments by Inspire:
1. Oishii
Indoor vertical farming company specializing in premium berries and tomatoes. They focus on pesticide-free, nutrient-rich produce grown in perfectly designed indoor environments. Their offerings include a variety of berries and tomatoes, all Non-GMO Project Verified and always in season. They emphasize sustainability and reducing food waste, partnering to offer "perfectly imperfect" produce. They use innovative farming techniques to deliver hyper-local, perfectly ripe fruits and vegetables. They are committed to transparency and quality, aiming to bring the farm of the future to consumers today. They offer recipes and partnerships, and their products are available in select stores. They are focused on social impact by reducing food waste and promoting sustainable agriculture.
Key facts about Oishii
2. ABEJA
Provider of digital platforms, AI solutions, and DX support services. The company delivers digital platforms that transform core business processes for sustained revenue growth. It offers software for continuous and stable operation of DX processes. The business also provides retail analytics services based on customer behavior data. Additionally, it supports business implementation of large language models and AI ethics consultation.
Key facts about ABEJA
- Founded Year: 2012
- Location: Minato City (Japan)
- Stage: Public
- Total Funding till date: $45.5M
- Employee Count: 125 as on Sep 30, 2026
- Investors: Salesforce Ventures, Deep Learning and 19 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series C, Dec 04, 2018, $*****
- Highlight: Public
Kringle Pharma, a spin-off from the Osaka University, is developing recombinant protein drugs for treating neuro, renal and oncology disorders. The company has developed NK4 (intramolecular fragment) with antagonist activity towards hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) which has a role in the regeneration and repair of various tissues and organs. The company developed and has cleared phase I trials of recombinant human HGF (KP-100IT) against ALS, along with the phase I/II trials for acute spinal cord injury and US phase 1 trial for acute kidney injury have been completed.
Key facts about Kringle Pharma
- Founded Year: 2001
- Location: Ibaraki (Japan)
- Stage: Public
- Total Funding till date: $32.1M
- Investors: The Gogin Capital, Venture Laboratory Investment and 19 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series B, Apr 08, 2020, $*****
- Highlight: Public
4. Fancy
Get rewarded for paying rent with cashback and credit benefits. This is a rewards app built for renters, offering cashback on everyday purchases, including rent payments. It's a subscription service that turns your biggest monthly expense into actual cash back, providing perks and rewards for on-time rent payments. Users can secure cashback, enjoy rewards on brands and experiences, and ensure rent payments are reported to build credit. Join the waitlist to secure your spot and experience the renter's revolution. It is a B2C tech company offering a SaaS platform with a focus on financial benefits and rewards.
Key facts about Fancy
- Founded Year: 2009
- Location: New York City (United States)
- Annual Revenue: $0 - $1M as on Dec 31, 2019
- Valuation: $*****
- Stage: Series D
- Total Funding till date: $121M
- Employee Count: 140 as on Sep 30, 2026
- Investors: Allen & Company, Raptor Group and 16 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series D, Feb 10, 2015, $*****
- Highlight: Editors' Pick
5. SORABITO
Online rental platform for the construction equipment and machinery. It provides a cloud-based equipment rental app for the construction industry.
Key facts about SORABITO
Inspire's Year-on-Year Investment Trends
Inspire has invested in 28 companies over the last 15 years, with an average of 1 new investment annually in the last 10 years. In 2025, it made 1 investment, while as of Oct 2026, it has made 3 investments in this year. Its most recent first time investment was in Kinish and most recent follow-on round was in TheLorry.Year | No. of Investments | ||
|---|---|---|---|
1st Round | Follow-on | Total | |
2026 (YTD) | 3 | 0 | 3 |
2025 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
2024 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2022 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2020 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
2019 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
2018 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Inspire's Investments by Stage
Inspire has made 5 investments in Series B stage with an average round size of $31.5M, 4 investments in Series A stage with an average round size of $3.1M, 2 investments in Seed stage with an average round size of $1.96M, 1 investment in Series C stage with an average round size of $2.99M and 1 investment in Unattributed stage.Stage of entry | No. of Investments |
|---|---|
Series B | 5 |
Series A | 4 |
Seed | 2 |
Series C | 1 |
Unattributed | 1 |
Note: We have considered here, only first round of investments
Inspire's Investments by Sector
Inspire has a diverse portfolio, with companies operating in the Consumer, Retail, Food and Agriculture Tech, Enterprise Applications and Food and Agriculture. Notably, it has invested in 15 Tech companies, 12 Enterprise (B2B) companies, 10 Consumer (B2C) companies and at least 6 companies focusing on Software.Sector | No. of Investments |
|---|---|
Consumer | 5 |
Retail | 4 |
Food and Agriculture Tech | 3 |
Enterprise Applications | 2 |
Food and Agriculture | 2 |
Others | 14 |
Note: We have considered here, only first round of investments
Inspire's Investments by Geography
Inspire has made most investments in Japan (9), followed by Malaysia where it has made 2 investments.Country | No. of Investments |
|---|---|
Japan | 9 |
Malaysia | 2 |
United States | 1 |
Vietnam | 1 |
Note: We have considered here, only first round of investments
Inspire's recent investments
Inspire has made 3 investments in 2026 so far. Kinish and イグアルファン株式会社 are the latest among them.Here are the most recent investments by Inspire:
Filter this listDate | Company | Location | Round Details | Round Amount | Co-Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Oct 20, 2026 | Japan | Series A | 2208 | [+3] | |
Jan 16, 2026 | Japan | Seed | 1810 | ||
Jan 06, 2026 | Japan | Series A | 5591 | - | |
Apr 23, 2025 | Japan | Series A | 9353 | ||
Nov 13, 2024 | Vietnam | Series B | 5447 | [+3] |
IPOs and Publicly Listed companies in Inspire's Portfolio
5 of Inspire's portfolio companies have become public. ABEJA got listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE), in Jun 2023 at marketcap of $85.3M and Kringle Pharma got listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) at marketcap of $5.6M.Here are Inspire's portfolio companies that went public:
Company | IPO Date | First Invested on | First Round of Investment | Round Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Jun 13, 2023 | Jul 25, 2016 | Series B | 4680 | |
Dec 28, 2020 | - | - | 2613 | |
Sep 20, 2019 | - | - | 8515 | |
Mar 24, 2015 | - | - | 7387 | |
Dec 20, 2012 | - | - | 5055 |
Team profile of Inspire
Inspire has a team of 3 members including 2 Partners. Inspire's team does not sit on the board of any company as of now.Co-investors of Inspire
Over the past 15 years, 117 investors have co-invested in Inspire's portfolio companies. This includes funds and angels.
- Invested before Inspire: Mitsubishi UFJ Capital, JFC and 55 others have invested in rounds before Inspire. There are 2 companies where Mitsubishi UFJ Capital has invested before Inspire and 2 companies where JFC has invested before Inspire.
- Top Co-investors of Inspire: 35 investors entered a company along with Inspire. These include investors like CTBC Bank (1 company).
- Invested after Inspire: A total of 25 investors have invested in Inspire's portfolio after their investments. Top Investors include Resilience Reserve (1 company), Sparks Asset Management (1 company) and Carbon EX (1 company).
Recent News related to Inspire
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Kinish raises ¥490 million in Series A led by Shimadzu, Obayashi, etc.THE BRIDGE•Oct 21, 2026•Shimadzu, Obayashi, Shimadzu, Inspire
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SUPWAT Raises Approximately 200 Million Yen in Pre-Series A RoundStartup Log•Jan 06, 2026•Inspire, SUPWAT
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Vietnam's Kamereo Secures $7.8m Series B Funding To Accelerate GrowthTechNode•Dec 09, 2024•Kamereo, Sumitomo, SMBC Asia Rising Fund, Mitsubishi UFJ Capital and 3 others
