About UTEC
UTEC is a venture capital firm founded in 2004. It is primarily based out of Tokyo, Japan. As of Jul 2026, UTEC is an active investor, having invested in 134 companies, with 8 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 High Tech to Life Sciences and Enterprise Applications. Most recently it participated in the $***** Series B round of KUZEN Overall, UTEC portfolio has seen 20 IPOs and 11 acquisitions including key companies like 908 Devices, Autonomous Control Systems Laboratory and MediciNova. A lot of funds co-invest with UTEC, with names like SMBC Venture Capital sharing a substantial percentage of its portfolio. UTEC has team of 30 people including 10 partners.Key Metrics
Team Members
Portfolio Count
Portfolio Sectors
Portfolio Locations
Rounds of Entry
Series A, Seed & 2 more
Portfolio Acquisitions
Portfolio Soonicorns
Deals in last 12 months
UTEC's List of Top Investments
UTEC has a portfolio of 134 companies. Their most notable investments are in Startbahn and X Mile.Their portfolio spans across Japan, United States, Singapore and 4 more locations. They have invested in High Tech, Life Sciences, Enterprise Applications and 28 other sectors, across stages such as Series A, Seed and 2 more. Here is the list of top investments by UTEC:1. 908 Devices
Manufacturer of detection device for chemical analysis using mass spectrometry. It offers battery-operated, handheld, chemical detection tools, and personal analyzers for biologists and chemists. It develops its products using mass spectrometry technology that is used in chemical analysis laboratories for applications, such as safety and security, food science, biotechnology, clinical diagnostics, and controlling industrial processes.
Key facts about 908 Devices
- Founded Year: 2012
- Location: Boston (United States)
- Annual Revenue: $50M - $100M as on Dec 31, 2025
- Stage: Public
- Total Funding till date: $68.2M
- Employee Count: 210 as on Jun 30, 2026
- Investors: Tao Capital Partners, Casdin Capital and 10 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series E, Apr 26, 2019, $*****
- Highlight: Public
Autonomous driving platforms and intelligent vehicle systems. It focuses on creating scalable technologies for self-driving cars using open-source software and hardware integration. The company supports mobility and logistics applications by offering platforms that enable automated vehicle control and deployment.
Key facts about Tier4 Robotics
- Founded Year: 2015
- Location: Tokyo (Japan)
- Stage: Series B
- Total Funding till date: $279M
- Employee Count: 295 as on Jun 30, 2026
- Investors: Quanta Computer, Mirai Creation Fund and 13 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series B, Jun 16, 2024, $*****
- Highlight: Editors' Pick
3. E-plane
Developer of electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft for urban air mobility. This company designs and manufactures electric air taxis intended to alleviate traffic congestion. The aircraft are designed for intra-city travel, offering a faster, quieter, and more sustainable alternative to traditional transportation methods. The focus is on creating a safe and efficient aerial mobility solution for both passengers and cargo.
Key facts about E-plane
- Founded Year: 2019
- Location: Chennai (India)
- Annual Revenue: 0 - ₹10 Cr as on Mar 31, 2025
- Valuation: $*****
- Stage: Series B
- Total Funding till date: $21.5M
- Employee Count: 135 as on Aug 31, 2025
- Investors: 3one4 Capital, LetsVenture and 77 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series B, Oct 29, 2024, $*****
- Highlight: Editors' Pick
4. Tricog
Provider of AI-enabled platform for remote cardiac diagnosis and management. The platform offers solutions for clinics, hospitals, diagnostics centers, and public health organizations. It facilitates timely and accurate electrocardiogram interpretation, workflow digitization, and integration with existing laboratory information systems. The platform aims to improve access to cardiac care and reduce mortality rates.
Key facts about Tricog
- Founded Year: 2014
- Location: Bengaluru (India)
- Annual Revenue: ₹50 - ₹100 Cr as on Mar 31, 2025
- Valuation: $*****
- Stage: Series B
- Total Funding till date: $30M
- Employee Count: 362 as on Jun 30, 2026
- Investors: Blume Venture, Aflac Ventures and 28 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series B, Apr 20, 2023, $*****
- Highlight: Editors' Pick
5. ImmunoSCAPE
immunoSCAPE offers specialized services for biomarker and target identification through its unique high-dimensional immune profiling platform. Founded as a spin-off from the lab of Dr Evan Newell at Singapore Immunology Network, A*STAR, the company uses its expertise in immunology and mass cytometry to measure alterations of immune cells and T-cell specificity in specific and helps in optimizing the early phase R&D pipeline for oncology and infectious diseases.Their proprietary technology leverages the power of mass cytometry (Cytometry by Time of Flight), T-Cell antigen discovery and cell profiling techniques and related data analysis tools. Their services for immunotherapy development include surrogate marker ID, disease status and progression determination and prediction, discovery of novel targets and biomarkers, and efficacy assessment in preclinical and clinical stages.
Key facts about ImmunoSCAPE
UTEC's Year-on-Year Investment Trends
UTEC has invested in 134 companies over the last 22 years, with an average of 7 new investments annually in the last 10 years. In 2025, it made 15 investments, while as of Jul 2026, it has made 9 investments in this year. Its most recent first time investment was in Calaris and most recent follow-on round was in KUZEN.Year | No. of Investments | ||
|---|---|---|---|
1st Round | Follow-on | Total | |
2026 (YTD) | 3 | 6 | 9 |
2025 | 10 | 5 | 15 |
2024 | 5 | 5 | 10 |
2023 | 8 | 8 | 16 |
2022 | 10 | 3 | 13 |
2021 | 12 | 4 | 16 |
2020 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
2019 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
2018 | 11 | 2 | 13 |
2017 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
UTEC's Investments by Stage
UTEC has made 48 investments in Series A stage with an average round size of $7.53M, 27 investments in Seed stage with an average round size of $8.49M, 13 investments in Series B stage with an average round size of $24.8M and 4 investments in Series C stage with an average round size of $20.2M.Stage of entry | No. of Investments |
|---|---|
Series A | 48 |
Seed | 27 |
Series B | 13 |
Series C | 4 |
Note: We have considered here, only first round of investments
UTEC's Investments by Sector
UTEC has a diverse portfolio, with companies operating in the High Tech, Enterprise Applications, Life Sciences, Consumer and Industrial Goods and Manufacturing. Notably, it has invested in 102 Tech companies, 96 Enterprise (B2B) companies, 55 Software companies and at least 27 companies focusing on Tech hardware.Sector | No. of Investments |
|---|---|
High Tech | 37 |
Enterprise Applications | 28 |
Life Sciences | 23 |
Consumer | 9 |
Industrial Goods and Manufacturing | 8 |
Others | 95 |
Note: We have considered here, only first round of investments
UTEC's Investments by Geography
UTEC has made most investments in Japan (63), followed by United States where it has made 16 investments.Country | No. of Investments |
|---|---|
Japan | 63 |
United States | 16 |
India | 5 |
Singapore | 4 |
United Kingdom | 3 |
Others | 2 |
Note: We have considered here, only first round of investments
UTEC's recent investments
UTEC has made 9 investments in 2026 so far. KUZEN and ALGO ARTIS are the latest among them.Here are the most recent investments by UTEC:
Filter this listDate | Company | Location | Round Details | Round Amount | Co-Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jul 07, 2026 | Japan | Series B | 6970 | [+5] | |
Jun 09, 2026 | Japan | Series B | 8646 | [+3] | |
Jun 01, 2026 | Japan | Seed | 7510 | ||
Jun 01, 2026 | Japan | Series B | 3585 | ||
May 18, 2026 | United States | Seed | 6853 |
IPOs and Publicly Listed companies in UTEC's Portfolio
20 of UTEC's portfolio companies have become public. ZenmuTech got listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TYO), in Mar 2025 at marketcap of $11.2M and ELEMENTS got listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) at marketcap of $24M.Here are UTEC's portfolio companies that went public:
Company | IPO Date | First Invested on | First Round of Investment | Round Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mar 27, 2025 | Apr 14, 2016 | Seed | 5526 | |
Dec 27, 2022 | - | - | 3941 | |
Dec 01, 2022 | Jan 23, 2013 | Series A | 6456 | |
Jun 24, 2022 | - | - | 7817 | |
Dec 29, 2021 | - | - | 7201 |
Acquired companies in UTEC's Portfolio
11 companies from UTEC's portfolio have been acquired. The most recent acquisition was Aidemy Japan in Aug 2025 by Accenture for $*****.Here are UTEC's portfolio companies that got acquired most recently:
Company | Acquisition Date | First Invested on | First Round of Investment | Round Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Aug 14, 2025 | Nov 01, 2017 | Seed | 4510 | |
Apr 02, 2025 | Apr 16, 2020 | Series A | 1916 | |
Jan 04, 2023 | Apr 08, 2019 | Series A | 3235 | |
May 31, 2022 | Nov 21, 2014 | Series A | 7991 | |
Nov 02, 2021 | Jan 28, 2021 | Seed | 5655 |
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Team profile of UTEC
UTEC has a team of 30 members including 10 Partners, 3 Venture Partners and 6 Principals located in Japan, United States and 2 more locations. UTEC's team sits on the board of 2 companies.Here is a list of top team members in UTEC:
Name | Designation | Location | Board Memberships | Contact Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Partner | Tokyo | - | - | |
Partner | Tokyo | - | ||
Partner | Detroit | - | ||
Partner | - | - | - | |
Partner | Tokyo | - | ||
Partner | Tokyo | |||
Partner | Japan | - | ||
Partner | Johns Island | - | - | |
Partner | Schertz | - | ||
Partner | Kazakhstan | - | - | |
Venture Partner | Tokyo | - | - |
Co-investors of UTEC
Over the past 22 years, 592 investors have co-invested in UTEC's portfolio companies. This includes funds and angels.
- Invested before UTEC: Blume Venture, Ukri and 151 others have invested in rounds before UTEC. There are 3 companies where Blume Venture has invested before UTEC and 2 companies where Ukri has invested before UTEC.
- Top Co-investors of UTEC: 181 investors entered a company along with UTEC. These include investors like SMBC Venture Capital (5 companies).
- Invested after UTEC: A total of 258 investors have invested in UTEC's portfolio after their investments. Top Investors include SBI Investment (4 companies), Daiwa Corporate Investment (4 companies) and Japan Post Capital (3 companies).
Recent News related to UTEC
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KUZEN Raises 1.63 Billion Yen in Series B Funding RoundStartup Log•Jul 07, 2026•Saga Capital & Consulting, KUZEN, UTEC, Sumisho Venture Partners
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Violet Therapeutics Secures $4.75M Seed Extension Led by Lifespan Vision VenturesMassinvestor•May 18, 2026•Violet Therapeutics, Mass General Brigham, Lifespan Vision Ventures, Ono Venture Investment and 2 others
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Adapt Raises $10M Seed to Become the AI Computer for BusinessAiThority•Jan 30, 2026•Headline, Activant Capital, Adapt, Cox Exponential and 2 others
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Celaid Therapeutics Secures $7.2 Million in Series B Financing RoundPR Newswire•Oct 07, 2025•Celaid Therapeutics, AGC, Amed, Osaka University Venture Capital and 1 other
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ROMS Conducts a Total of Approximately 1.3 Billion Yen in FundingStartup Log•Sep 08, 2025•Spiral Capital, Monoful Venture Partners, Bricks Fund Tokyo, ROMS and 2 others
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NovAccel Raises ¥720 Million for Superconducting Electron Accelerator DevelopmentStartup Log•Aug 04, 2025•UTEC, NovAccel
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Alumnote raises 760 million yen in Series A to expand university donations and career platformTHE BRIDGE•Jul 23, 2025•Alumnote, ITV, UTEC
