Fenox Venture Capital, an international venture capital firm with headquarters in San Jose, CA, and Sega Sammy Holdings, a Japanese general entertainment company group engaged in a range of businesses, including digital games, amusement machines, toys, animation production and resort facility development, have jointly launched a $20m venture capital fund.
The new vehicle will invest in advanced technologies globally.
The purpose of the fund, for which Fenox Venture Capital acts as General Partner, is to contribute to Sega Sammy’s innovation and growth by investing in startups with the potential for strategic synergy with Sega Sammy’s businesses. The Fenox model is to pursue strategic value through partnerships with startups, and financial return for its corporate Limited Partners, while providing growth capital and business development opportunities for its portfolio companies.
The two companies began their partnership three years ago when Fenox became General Partner of a new private fund designed to fulfill the corporate venture capital function for Sega Sammy.
Over the years, Fenox has invested in several companies in the United States, Japan and elsewhere on behalf of Sega Sammy.
Investments include:
– Affectiva, which is an emotion recognition AI software from MIT;
– X.ai, which offers an AI personal assistant that helps with scheduling;
– QC Ware, which provides quantum computer software for the next generation of enterprise computing; and
– D-ID, an Israel startup that graduated from the well-known incubator Y Combinator.
In addition, Fenox and Sega Sammy are collaborating on a new co-working space in Tokyo, established at the new office of Sumitomo Real Estate in Osaki Garden Tower. The building has been the headquarters of Sega Sammy Group and Fenox Japan since September 2018. The co-working space is intended to expand the reach and impact of Fenox and Sega Sammy in the Japanese startup ecosystem.
FinSMEs
31/10/2018