US and Japanese VCs launch fund for AI, space startups

A joint venture between U.S. and Japanese venture capital firms and research institutes is set to launch a fund this year to cultivate deep tech startups in Japan. The initiative, involving Global Innovation Labs (GIL) and Z Venture Capital, aims to bring Silicon Valley technology to Japanese companies and support their global expansion in fields such as artificial intelligence, space, and defense.

GIL was established by SRI International, a research institution with ties to Stanford University. The fund's objective is to nurture early-stage Japanese startups and facilitate their international growth.

Separately, Geodesic Capital has announced a $250 million fund focused on the US-Japan alliance and startups in space and deep tech. This fund is designed to back early-stage U.S. startups in national security sectors like AI, space, and cybersecurity, and will actively assist them in scaling into Japan, providing regulatory, talent, and partnership support. Geodesic Capital has a track record since 2015, having raised nearly $1 billion across multiple funds.