Waseda University today formed a new investment arm called Waseda University Impact Capital (WIC), which will raise a fund focused on deep tech within the humanities and social sciences.
WIC is expected to raise the capital this year, though neither a target amount nor a detailed timeline have been disclosed.
The fund will specifically focus on startups capable of advancing social wellbeing in what WIC has dubbed “deep humanity”. It will pursue both financial returns and social impact.
Challenges of particular interest to the fund will be educational inequality, limited access to healthcare, regional decline and demographic ageing, and mental health challenges.
The university previously set up Waseda University Ventures in 2022, which backs early-stage spinouts from Waseda and other institutions around the world if they are looking to tap into Waseda’s expertise.
