Business Rental move-in cost instalment service Smooth raises $4m in Series C first close
Smooth, which lets Japanese tenants pay rental move-in costs in instalments, has raised $4m in a Series C first close backed by state fund JIC.
funding
Business 
Business Nudge, issuer of credit cards for Japan’s oshikatsu fan economy, raises $9m
Nudge, which issues credit cards for Japan's oshikatsu fan economy, has raised $9m through a mix of asset, debt and equity financing, including from Morgan Stanley and Resona Bank.
Technology EUV photon, which evaluates light for semiconductor-manufacturing exposure equipment, raises $5m in seed round
Kyushu University spinout EUV photon raises $5m in seed funding to expand EUV irradiation and evaluation services, reducing Japan's reliance on overseas facilities.
Technology BEAM Technologies, aiming to manufacture semiconductor crystals in space, raises $1.4m in seed round
RIKEN spinout BEAM Technologies raises $1.4m to grow semiconductor crystals in microgravity, signing LEO manufacturing MOUs with Resonac and others.
Technology ElevationSpace, developer of a re-entry-capsule satellite, raises $40m in Series B round
Japanese re-entry-satellite startup ElevationSpace has raised $40m in Series B funding, accelerating its "Aoba" mission and post-ISS space plans.
Technology Three-wheeled EV maker Lean Mobility raises $5m in pre-Series A round
Lean Mobility, a Japan-Taiwan EV startup, has raised ¥800m in a pre-Series A round to fund mass production of its three-wheeled Lean3 microcar in Tainan.
Business Yoyogi Animation Group raises $18m to develop entertainment IP
Yoyogi Animation Group has raised $18m in equity funding to develop next-generation entertainment IP.
Technology Space BD, which handled launch integration for last week’s H3 rocket, raises $22m in Series C round
Space BD raises $22m in additional Series C funding, days after providing Japan's first commercial rideshare slots on JAXA's sixth H3 rocket launch from Tanegashima.
Technology BMI Developer LIFESCAPES Raises $4 Million
LIFESCAPES, a Keio University spinout developing non-invasive brain-machine interface technology, has raised ¥600 million (about $4 million) to fund overseas expansion into ASEAN markets, a clinical trial of its therapeutic BMI device, and next-generation business development.
Technology Blossom Energy, Set to Mass-Produce Its Graphite Thermal Storage Boiler, Raises USD 2 Million
Blossom Energy, a startup developing graphite thermal storage boilers and high-temperature gas reactors, has raised 300 million yen (roughly USD 2 million). The company plans to begin mass production of its G-TES boiler in late 2026.