ONE Innovators, Inc.
May 30, 2024
“ONE Innovators, Inc., an independent venture capital company based in Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, announced today that it has established a venture capital fund specializing in the carbon neutral area, ONE Carbon Neutral 1 Limited Partnership (hereinafter referred to as “ONE 1 Fund”). The ONE 1 Fund aims to support innovation that will be implemented in society by around 2035 with the power of technology, with the aim of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.”
In order for countries, including Japan, to achieve carbon neutrality in 2050, innovation is essential to overcome various gaps. Innovation in the carbon neutral domain starts from start-ups that will be the driving force of technology, and then emerges through collaboration among research institutes such as universities, operating companies aiming for carbon neutrality in the industry, financial institutions that provide cross-industry financial solutions, and policy makers responsible for creating new rules. Carbon neutrality in 2050 will be realized by scaling up innovation that will be implemented in society from 2030 to 2040 toward 2050.
Even before the “carbon neutral” and “deep tech” were coined, the investment team of the ONE 1 Fund has been challenging to realize innovation by startups in the carbon neutral area through the positions of venture capital, startups, operating companies, and government agencies.
The challenge of ONE Innovators was shared and responded by Japan Green Investment Corp. for Carbon Neutrality, which is working to decarbonize through an all-Japan effort; UTokyo Innovation Platform Co., Ltd. which aims to develop an academia-related start-up ecosystem; Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd, which aims for carbon neutrality in the real estate industry and Japanese industry as a whole; Fuyo General Lease Co., Ltd., which continues to take on challenges in new areas beyond the framework of leasing; and Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corporation, which seeks to create a ‘safe and enriching society’. The primary offering was completed. The total amount of the fund is expected to be around JPY 10 billion.
The ONE 1 Fund will invest and provide medium – to long-term accompanied support with Japanese start-ups in their seed and early stage as well as overseas start-ups that work in partnership with Japanese companies in seven investment areas: 1) Decarbonization of the electricity networks, 2) Decarbonization of mobility, 3) Decarbonization of thermal utilization, 4) Negative emission technologies, 5) Region-led decarbonization, 6) Utilization of digital transformation (DX) for decarbonization and 7) Industry-specific decarbonization.
ONE Innovators will work together with entrepreneurs, researchers, operating companies, financial institutions, and policymakers to contribute to the realization of carbon neutrality by 2050 through innovation from Japan.