Headline Asia in 2024!

With the year coming to a close, we’re thrilled to reflect on the highlights that defined 2024 at Headline Asia.

Here’s a look at what we’ve accomplished together:

We proudly announced Fund 5, targeting ¥27.5 billion JPY (~$180 million USD), to support early-stage startups across Japan and APAC.

Full coverage by Nikkei here.

PORTFOLIO NEWS OF 2024

Seed Round:

• Pi-xcels : Raised $2.7M to advance NFC tech for digital solutions. (Axios, Tech in Asia) 👥: Daniel Lim, Zhen Rong Chua, Yi Hao Tan

Pre-Series A:

• TRADOM Inc. : Raised ¥413M (USD $2.7M)to modernize trading tools. (PRTimes) 👥: Shin Sakane, Junichi Kayamoto,
• infobox,Inc. : Raised ¥660M (USD $4.5M) to optimize data management. (PR Times) 👥: Kaito Hiranuma

Series A:

• STRACT, Inc. : Raised ¥1 Billion to deliver AI solutions for businesses. (PRTimes) 👥: Hikaru Ito, Yamada Kaho, Toru Tsunoda
• GMI Cloud : Raised $82M for cloud and GPU solutions. (TechCrunch, Tech in Asia, Business Wire ) 👥: Alex Yeh, Tim Chen, William Shen
• newmo : Raised $106M to accelerate nationwide expansion. (PRTimes) 👥: Naoki Aoyagi

Series B:

• Buy&Ship : Raised $16M to expand cross-border e-commerce logistics.. (Tech in Asia, Deal Street Asia, KrAsia) 👥: Sheldon Li

Series C:

• 株式会社IVRy : Raised $19.3M to enhance its AI-driven SaaS solutions for businesses. 👥: Ryoga Okunishi

Series D:

• Tyme Group ( SAVii ): Raised $250M, hitting a $1.5B valuation, to extend digital banking services in underserved markets. (TechCrunch, Financial Times, Bloomberg.) 👥: Tjaart van der Walt

HEADLINE ASIA CONTENT

Each week, our team shared portfolio journeys, expert insights, and emerging innovators picks.

Highlighting our Founders‘ Journeys

• Akira Michael Takahashi - Co-Founder and CFO of forest inc.
• Sheldon Li - Founder of Buy&Ship
• Kuo Chan Tseng - COO of Authme
• Naoki Aoyagi - Founder of newmo
• Gerardo Salandra - Founder of respond.io

Highlighting our Experts Voices

• Empowering Japan’s Startup Ecosystem
• Inside Asia's Shifting Venture Capital Landscape
• East Asia’s Startup Playbook

Events in Review

From Japan to Southeast Asia, our events empowered founders and investors with insights and connections. Here’s a snapshot of our standout events:

• IVS2024 KYOTO: Japan’s Leading Tech Conference

With 12.5k+ attendees, 800 speakers, and 230 sessions, IVS2024 cemented its status as Japan's top innovation platform. From our AGM to the groundbreaking EmpowerHER stage and global delegations from Taiwan and Korea, the event showcased how startups can thrive through collaboration and innovation. Congratulations to RENATUS ROBOTICS Inc. , the LAUNCHPAD winner revolutionizing e-commerce fulfillment.

• LAUNCHPAD SEED 2024 Winter

Elcyo Co., Ltd. took first place with their self-adjusting glasses, addressing global vision challenges.

• Exploring M&A and AI Trends at IVS Beta

At IVS Beta, we delved into scaling through M&A and AI, with insights from GMI Cloud , Kiwibot , and Fabfoods, focusing on navigating US expansion and enterprise AI strategies.

• From Check to Partnership at IVS Beta

Our panel explored life post-funding, emphasizing collaboration, board dynamics, and balancing founder autonomy with investor expectations. Panelists included Jason Chih Hsuan Lu , Andy Kuo, Jason Huang, and Kate L. .

From pitch contests to workshops, we’re proud to support startups driving industry change. See you at IVS KYOTO 2025 for even greater milestones!

IN OTHER NEWS - Headliners in the press

Forbes

• Jenfi named in the "Forbes Asia 100 to Watch 2024" list.
• Intellect CEO Theodoric Chew spoke at the "Forbes Asia 100 to Watch Forum."
• Featured LUCA Japan Co., Ltd. (CEO Keiko Sydenham) in an article.
• Recognized Akio T. as a top VC shaping markets in Japan.

Nikkei

• Covered our Fund 5 fundraise, targeting ¥27.5B for early-stage startups in Asia.
• Interviewed www.BuyandShip.Today (Founder Sheldon Li ) on US monetary policy's impact.

PitchBook

• Highlighted insights from our own Thomas Jeng and Jackson Loo on APAC fintech.

CNN

• Bokksu ’s Danny Taing shared his mission to globalize Japanese snack culture.

Bloomberg

• Our own Nancy Xiao discussed Headline Growth and $865M funding for investments.

Thank you for being part of our journey. We’re grateful for our founders, investors, and friends who inspire us daily. Here's to a joyful holiday season and an exciting year ahead in 2025!

Warm regards,

The Headline Asia Team