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The Full List of 13 Unicorn Startups in Tokyo (2026)

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Tokyo is home to 13 unicorn startups, with companies active in media, finance, and artificial intelligence. The most valuable among them is the messaging application Kakao Japan, with a valuation of $7B.

The city's tech scene also features rapid growth from newcomers like Sakana AI, which achieved a $2B valuation just one year after its founding.

Below is the full list of 13 Tokyo unicorn startups at this time.

Top 10 Most Valuable Tokyo Unicorns

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Kakao Japan develops and operates mobile applications, including the KakaoTalk messenger and the Piccoma digital comics platform. They are known for providing both communication tools and a massive library of entertainment content like webtoons and novels to the Japanese market.

Valuation$7B
Year Founded2011
Founders
Funding Amount$651.6M
Company SizeLean Team (11-50)
Last Funding StatusPrivate Equity
Top InvestorsKakao Corp, Podotree, Anchor Equity Partners, Yahoo! Japan

Rakuten Securities runs a major online securities platform focused on individual investors. They offer a full suite of financial products, from domestic and foreign stock trading to investment trusts and FX services.

Valuation$3B
Year Founded1999
Founders
Funding Amount¥80B
Company SizeLarge Team (251-1,000)
Last Funding Status
Top InvestorsMizuho Financial Group

Sakana AI develops generative foundation models that create novel text, images, code, and other multimedia content. Their work explores new AI architectures inspired by collective intelligence, drawing from natural systems like evolution and schools of fish.

Valuation$2B (Joined June 2024)
Year Founded2023
FoundersDavid Ha, Llion Jones, Ren Ito
Funding Amount$100M
Company SizeLean Team (11-50)
Last Funding StatusSeries A
Top Investors500 Global, NVIDIA, Basis Set Ventures, Lux Capital, Khosla Ventures

SmartNews offers a news discovery app that uses AI to find and organize stories from a wide array of publishers. The platform is designed to help users find quality journalism and break free from personalized filter bubbles.

Valuation$2B (Joined August 2019)
Year Founded2012
FoundersKaisei Hamamoto, Ken Suzuki
Funding Amount$410.3M
Company SizeLarge Team (251-1,000)
Last Funding StatusSeries F
Top InvestorsSMBC Venture Capital, Dentsu, JIC Venture Growth Investments, Globis Capital Partners, Atomico

HashKey Group offers a full suite of financial services for the digital asset economy. The group provides institutional clients with services ranging from asset management to consulting on blockchain infrastructure.

Valuation$2B
Year Founded2018
Founders
Funding Amount$130M
Company SizeMid-Size Team (51-250)
Last Funding StatusVenture Round
Top InvestorsGaorong Capital, OKX Ventures

Preferred Networks develops real-world applications for deep learning, robotics, and other advanced technologies. They are recognized for their work in diverse fields, from biotechnology and industrial automation to personal robotics.

Valuation$2B (Joined May 2018)
Year Founded2014
FoundersDaisuke Okanohara, Morikawa Hiroyuki, Nishitoba Jiro, Toru Nishikawa
Funding Amount¥44.6B
Company SizeLarge Team (251-1,000)
Last Funding StatusCorporate Round
Top InvestorsMizuho Bank, MUFG Bank, Toyota Motor, Mitsubishi Corporation, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation

SmartHR develops a cloud-based HR platform designed to automate administrative tasks for Japanese businesses. Their system centralizes everything from employee onboarding to year-end tax adjustments, simplifying complex labor procedures.

Valuation$2B (Joined June 2021)
Year Founded2013
FoundersKensuke Naito, Shoji Miyata
Funding Amount¥42.6B
Company SizeMajor Organization (1,001-5,000)
Last Funding StatusSeries E
Top InvestorsLight Street Capital, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts Japan, East Ventures, World Innovation Lab, Coral Capital

JOLED manufactures and sells medium-sized, high-resolution OLED displays created with a proprietary printing method. Their technology enables the efficient production of panels for specialized uses, including medical monitors and automotive displays.

Valuation$2B
Year Founded2015
FoundersIshibashi Tadashi
Funding Amount¥92.5B
Company SizeLarge Team (251-1,000)
Last Funding StatusCorporate Round
Top InvestorsSony, Denso, Toyota Tsusho, Sumitomo Chemical, Panasonic

Opn develops a full-featured payment management platform that delivers fintech solutions to both individuals and companies. They are known for their one-stop payment products and services that support blockchain and crypto transactions.

Valuation$1B (Joined May 2022)
Year Founded2013
FoundersJun Hasegawa
Funding Amount$260.4M
Company SizeLarge Team (251-1,000)
Last Funding StatusSeries C
Top InvestorsSMBC Venture Capital, SBI Investment, JIC Venture Growth Investments, Global Brain Corporation, 500 Global

Playco builds instant play games that let people connect and play together without any downloads. They create seamless, social gaming experiences designed to reach billions of players on any device.

Valuation$1B (Joined September 2020)
Year Founded2020
FoundersJustin Waldron, Michael Carter, Takeshi Otsuka, Teddy Cross
Funding Amount$143.5M
Company SizeMid-Size Team (51-250)
Last Funding StatusCorporate Round
Top InvestorsSV Angel, Sequoia Capital, Caffeinated Capital, Meta, Sozo Ventures

The Remaining 3 Unicorns Founded in Tokyo

Tokyo's most valuable unicorns are just one part of a much bigger story. Other founders are building billion-dollar companies across the city, often just out of the spotlight.

They are tackling big challenges in areas from manufacturing to mobility and the environment, raising nearly ¥40 billion to do it. Here’s a look at the other startups that make Tokyo’s scene so exciting.

Unicorn StartupMain IndustryYear FoundedAmount RaisedValuation
GO logo GOMobility1977¥14B$1B
TBM logo TBMManufacturing2011¥22.6B$1B
Clean Planet logo Clean PlanetEnvironment2012¥2B$1B

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