East Asia
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Hokkaido University formally launches ¥3bn Green Frontier Fund
Hokkaido University partnered with 15th Rock in March 2024 to create the Green Frontier Fund. LPs as of the first close include corporates and public investors.
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When lateness is a critical advantage
South Korea’s science and technology institutes are reshaping the local ecosystem.
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Wadi Jeddah readies $10m fund launch
King Abdulaziz University’s commercialisation arm plans to launch a venture fund by early 2027 to invest in local spinouts and startups.
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DGIST launches first fund with ₩2bn
The fund launch comes just four months after DGIST changed its leadership structure to co-CEOs and announced plans for a fund.
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National Tsing Hua University launches NT$1bn NTHU Future Fund
National Tsing Hua University has partnered with Top Taiwan Venture Capital to launch the spinout investment fund.
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Tohoku University Venture Partners launches third fund
The THVP3 Fund has a target size of ¥6 billion, though this could be extended to ¥10 billion if investor interest is high.
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SNU Technology Holdings raises ₩5.1bn fund
Seoul National University Technology Holdings has raised a new fund that it will co-manage with accelerator Seoul Frontier Investment.
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Mok Seung-hwan joins South Korea’s Ministry of SMEs and Startups
Mok Seung-hwan has been the chief executive officer of Seoul National University Technology Holdings since 2020.
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UNIST is accredited as a VC firm, now able to raise large funds
Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology’s UNIST Technology Holdings has already been selected as the manager of a ₩12 billion fund.
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Alumni Ventures expands into Japan with UTokyo IPC-backed fund
UTokyo Innovation Platform has partnered with Alumni Ventures to launch the Alumni Ventures Japan+US Bridge Fund.
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Kobe University Capital launches ¥6bn fund backed by UTokyo IPC
UTokyo Innovation Platform’s ASA Fund is now a limited partner in the KUC2 Fund, which will not just invest but also build spinouts from scratch.
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HIC Fund I bets ¥1.19bn on Hiroshima spinouts
Hiroshima’s university ecosystem receives a ¥1.19 billion boost from the HIC Fund I, managed by Hiroshima Incubation & Capital, to nurture local spinouts.
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University of Hong Kong launches second spinout investment fund this month, Gobi–HKU Fund I
HKU has established the Gobi-HKU Fund I, merely a week after reaching a first close for the FutureTech Stars-HKU Venture LP Fund.
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Kyoto University Innovation Capital launches ¥20bn Fund III
The fund has already attracted a host of LPs, including corporates like Astellas Pharma, Tokyu Land, and Shimadzu.
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University of Hong Kong achieves first close for HK$300m fund
The FutureTech Stars-HKU Venture LP Fund is the result of a partnership between the university and the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ CAS Star.
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DGIST Technology Holdings appoints Choi Moon-jong as co-CEO, plans fund launches
The Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology’s commercialisation arm has changed its leadership structure to two CEOs.
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Waseda University lays groundwork for impact venture capital fund
Waseda University Impact Capital will focus on the humanities and social sciences, and will operate alongside existing Waseda University Ventures.
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Apuri BioVenture launches to build spinouts
The Chinese firm will focus on building ventures around university research with seasoned operators rather than relying on faculty founders.
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Kangwon National University receives state capital for new fund
Kangwon National University Technology Holding, the Korean institution’s commercialisation arm, will work with Trigger Investment Partners.
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Fudan University launches two funds, worth a combined $242m
The Chinese university has set up a CN¥1 billion fund and a $100 million vehicle in order to significantly bolster its innovation ecosystem.
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UTokyo IPC closes the ASA Fund, backs Red 1 Healthcare
UTokyo Innovation Platform has achieved a final close of its Academic Startup Acceleration Fund, and concurrently made an LP investment in the Red 1 Healthcare fund.
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University of the Philippines Los Baños restructures innovation infrastructure
Haerold Dean Z. Layaoen will lead the new Office of the Vice Chancellor for Innovation and Enterprise Management at the University of the Philippines Los Baños.
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Editorial: Sanae Takaichi’s election win risks impeding Japan’s spinout ambitions
The new Japanese prime minister’s anti-immigrant rhetoric risks cutting off Japanese university spinouts from global talent and markets.
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Hong Kong University of Science and Technology launches new fund
The Gobi-Redbird Innovation Fund has secured the backing of the government-owned Hong Kong Investment Corporation.
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Malaysia puts spinout focus into state budget
Among the initiatives is a fund and a policy to allow faculty members to take a year-long sabbatical to commercialise their research.
