ZUNZUNSTARTUPS
To mark the final close for Fund 3 and BuyMed's Series B news release, I sat down with Jamille Tran from The Business Times, who reads and supports my recent daily blog posts, and based on those, to share my further thoughts with her.
First, we do not slow down or speed up our investment pace because of a weak yen, a gloomy market, or a lower startup valuation prospect, since as always we are disciplined investors with a defined set of investment principles.
Second, I believe that growth must originate from compelling products and services that customers are willing to pay for even with a tightened budget. Thus, today is the time when companies have substance beckon and become more appealing. This explains the recent oversubscribed Series B funding round of BuyMed, and our oversubscribed Fund 3 when initially targeted to raise 12B yen but could close at 15B yen.
We would like to invest in startups that are tackling issues falling under six key categories – a circular economy; a prosperous lifestyle; equal access to information and opportunity; knowledge; coexistence and symbiosis; and a healthy society. We believe that core values – with proper consideration to positive social impact – will serve as a North Star to help companies make the right decisions in this ever-changing business environment.
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