Top 44 Accelerators and Incubators in Japan (2026)
Japan's startup ecosystem is supported by a mix of venture capital firms and incubators. CyberAgent Capital has made nearly 300 investments and 50 exits, while NTT DOCOMO Ventures has achieved over 40 exits from its portfolio.
Other active investors include Samurai Incubate, which has funded over 180 companies. The programs available offer founders different kinds of support for growing their business.
Below is our list of the best 44 accelerators and incubators in Japan.
Failory's Top 10 Picks
CyberAgent Capital provides venture funding for startups specializing in internet businesses, digital transformation, and business software. With a portfolio of nearly 300 investments, they have a strong history of helping digital-first companies scale and achieve successful exits.
| Year Founded | 2006 |
| Founders | Hirofumi Kondo |
| Nº of Investments | 288 |
| Nº of Exits | 50 |
As the venture capital arm of the NTT DOCOMO GROUP, NTT DOCOMO Ventures provides strategic funding to innovative startups across technology sectors like AI, FinTech, and IoT. They partner with promising B2B and B2C companies to create new services and expand business opportunities within the global telecommunications landscape.
| Year Founded | 2008 |
| Founders | — |
| Nº of Investments | 168 |
| Nº of Exits | 41 |
Samurai Incubate provides seed-stage investment for startups primarily in Japan and Africa. Beyond just capital, they offer deep, hands-on support in core business areas like management, marketing, sales, and HR to foster growth.
| Year Founded | 2008 |
| Founders | Hayato Ikegami, Kentaro Sakakibara |
| Nº of Investments | 181 |
| Nº of Exits | 13 |
| Program Type | Online |
Born from the University of Tokyo, UTokyo Innovation Platform provides investment capital to help commercialize groundbreaking academic research. They support startups from early to later stages across a wide range of sectors including life sciences, robotics, and AI, bridging the gap between the lab and the market.
| Year Founded | 2016 |
| Founders | Katsuhiko Oizumi |
| Nº of Investments | 73 |
| Nº of Exits | 9 |
5. KSP
KSP operates the Kanagawa Science Park with a mission to build new industries from the ground up. They primarily support companies in sectors like HRtech and real estate, providing the physical space and resources needed to innovate and grow.
| Year Founded | 1986 |
| Founders | Kiichi Kubota |
| Nº of Investments | 39 |
| Nº of Exits | 6 |
This venture capital fund acts as a "Seed Maker" by providing crucial early-stage investments to startups across a wide range of tech industries, from Web3 to AI. Guided by a philosophy of "Unlearning," they help founders challenge conventions and build their companies from the ground up.
| Year Founded | 2012 |
| Founders | Yoshihiko Kinoshita, Max Kinoshita |
| Nº of Investments | 106 |
| Nº of Exits | 5 |
This Japanese venture capital firm acts as an incubator for pre-seed and seed-stage startups with the goal of creating new industries. They provide founders with essential early-stage funding and hands-on management support to help build their companies from the ground up.
| Year Founded | 2019 |
| Founders | Takashi Yamanaka |
| Nº of Investments | 35 |
| Nº of Exits | 5 |
As one of Japan's pioneering seed accelerators, Open Network Lab backs early-stage startups with mentorship and crucial overseas funding. They focus on nurturing companies in emerging sectors like AI, HealthTech, and Mobility to help them scale globally.
| Year Founded | 2010 |
| Founders | Fumihiko Ishimaru |
| Nº of Investments | 40 |
| Nº of Exits | 4 |
| Program Type | On-Site |
| Duration (Weeks) | 14 |
Beyond Next Ventures champions deep-tech innovation by investing in and incubating early-stage startups in fields like life sciences, healthcare, and AI. The firm combines venture capital with a hands-on incubation program, aiming to transform complex technologies from research seeds into globally impactful companies.
| Year Founded | 2014 |
| Founders | Tsuyoshi Ito, Tsuyoshi Ito |
| Nº of Investments | 116 |
| Nº of Exits | 3 |
10. SunBridge
SunBridge provides venture capital and hands-on support to help US-based enterprise software startups successfully enter the Japanese market. They have a proven track record, having helped launch the Japanese subsidiaries of major companies like Salesforce and Concur.
| Year Founded | 2012 |
| Founders | Allen Miner |
| Nº of Investments | 13 |
| Nº of Exits | 3 |
34 Additional Japan Accelerators and Incubators Worth Applying To
The programs we've highlighted are just a starting point. Collectively, the accelerators below have backed over 500 startups and guided nearly 20 to an exit. There are many more organizations doing great work for founders across the country. Here’s a look at the rest of the programs helping founders in Japan.
| Accelerator/Incubator | Year Founded | Nº Investments | Nº Exits |
|---|---|---|---|
 Nikkei | 1876 | 12 | 3 |
 Deepcore | 2005 | 97 | 2 |
 Japan startup support Association | 2016 | 22 | 2 |
 ENEOS Innovation Partners | 2019 | 19 | 2 |
 MOVIDA JAPAN | 2009 | 6 | 2 |
 ABBALab - Atom to Bit, Bit to Atom | 2013 | 27 | 1 |
 DG Incubation | 2010 | 25 | 1 |
 G-STARTUP | 2019 | 53 | 1 |
 StartupGoGo | 2014 | 5 | 1 |
 Project Ninja | — | 18 | 1 |
 Hitotoki Incubator | 2014 | 7 | 1 |
 Hitomedia | 2006 | 4 | 1 |
 GOB Incubation Partners | 2011 | 3 | 1 |
 Asahi Media Lab Ventures | 2017 | 36 | — |
 Lifetime Ventures | 2017 | 66 | — |
 W inc. | — | 8 | — |
 NodeRise Capital | 2020 | 4 | — |
 Todai Fund | 2018 | 2 | — |
 Quantum Leaps Capital Partners | 2018 | 2 | — |
 EMURGO | 2017 | 26 | — |
 TECHFUND | 2014 | — | — |
 GX Incubate | 2016 | 5 | — |
 AgVenture Lab | — | 5 | — |
 Yanmar Ventures | 2021 | 8 | — |
 Vision Incubate | 2023 | 3 | — |
 Shochiku Ventures | 2022 | 8 | — |
 01booster | 2012 | 22 | — |
 inclusion japan | 2011 | 23 | — |
 Japan Energy Fund | 2019 | 13 | — |
 Aflac Ventures Japan | 2019 | 5 | — |
 fermata | 2019 | 1 | — |
 01Booster | 2012 | 2 | — |
 XVC | 2019 | 4 | — |
 Next Innovation | 2011 | 4 | — |
