NordicNinja VC Limited
NordicNinja establishes second fund specializing in “sustainability x digital” field in northern Europe, completes first close at
approximately 20 billion yen
……
NordicNinja VC is pleased to announce that a new fund, “NordicNinja Fund II SCSp” (hereinafter referred to as “Nordic Fund No. 2”), has been established, specializing in startup investment in the
“sustainability x digital” field in Northern Europe. Masu.
In addition to the first investors, Omron Corporation, Honda Motor Co., Ltd., and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation, the Nordic Fund No. 2 has the participation of many Japanese strategic investors and European institutional investors. We completed the first close with 133 million euros (approximately 20 billion yen) out of the initial fund target of 200 million euros (approximately 30 billion yen).
[Image 1: https://prtimes.jp/i/119067/1/resize/d119067-1-e5e664eb630b7898f6cf-1.png&s3=119067-1-dc2a5a8ff1dc5147a18c574f22b86c22-2048×1232.png] The Nordic Fund No. 2 will expand its investment target area from the Nordic and Baltic regions of the No. 1 to the entire northern European region, including the UK and the Netherlands, and will invest in startups that are working to transform to a sustainable society and build social digital infrastructure. Our policy is to provide management support.
In addition, Fund No. 2 will promote the creation of a sustainable society by operating as a Light Green Fund that complies with Article 8 of the European Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR). [Characteristics of Northern Europe]
[Image 2: https://prtimes.jp/i/119067/1/resize/d119067-1-ecbeae92b89bfdf666a8-2.png&s3=119067-1-4f86e4909fc5a07bab43ed889e1edf61-1247×675.png ]
NordicNinja VC will support the sustainability transformation (SX) and digital transformation (DX) of Japanese companies, which are strategic investors, through its activities in the Nordic Fund No. 2, and will continue to support the sustainability transformation (SX) and digital transformation (DX) of Japanese companies, which are strategic investors, as well as the creation of a better sustainable and digital society. We will actively invest in areas essential to achieving our goals.
Overview of Nordic Fund No. 2
Name: NordicNinja Fund II SCSp (Nationality of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg) Investment theme: Transforming to a sustainable society and building social digital infrastructure
[Image 3: https://prtimes.jp/i/119067/1/resize/d119067-1-ed5dcb3c99b69aac4c81-3.png&s3=119067-1-cb5943f00b1d1d6c342ac4071bc80de0-961×591.png ]
Main investment regions: UK, Ireland, Belgium, Netherlands,
Luxembourg, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania
Main investment areas: Mobility/Logistics, Energy, Agri/Food, Circular Economy, Natural Resources (Forests, Oceans, etc.) Tech, FinTech, Healthcare
Primary investors (in alphabetical order, title omitted)
Acario Investment One (a wholly owned subsidiary of Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd., California, United States, President and Representative Director: Tomoharu Okui)
erex Co., Ltd. (Chuo-ku, Tokyo, President and CEO: Hitoshi Honna) OMRON Corporation (Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture, Representative Director, President and CEO: Junta Tsujinaga)
Kiraboshi Bank, Ltd. (Minato-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director and President: Hisanobu Watanabe)
Kyuden International Co., Ltd. (Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture, President and CEO: Ryotaro Yuzu)
KDDI Corporation (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director, President and CEO: Makoto Takahashi)
Kose Co., Ltd. (Chuo-ku, Tokyo, President and CEO: Kazutoshi Kobayashi) Japan Bank for International Cooperation (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director and President: Nobumitsu Hayashi)
SOMPO Light Vortex Co., Ltd. (Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director, Chairman and CEO: Koichi Narasaki)
JGC Holdings Corporation (Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture, Representative Director, Chairman and CEO: Masayuki Sato)
Hitachi Zosen Corporation (Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture, President and CEO: Sadao Mino)
Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Minato-ku, Tokyo, Director, Representative Executive Officer and President: Toshihiro Mibe)
BaltCap AS (Estonia, Managing Partner: Peeter Saks)
Other European financial investors
Voices from investors
Acario Investment One (wholly owned subsidiary of Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd.) Representative Director and President Tomoharu Okui
The Tokyo Gas Group is advancing technology development toward decarbonization as part of its “challenge to achieve net zero CO2” as set forth in its management vision “Compass 2030.” Through this investment, we will collaborate with and invest in startups with excellent technologies in the GX and DX fields in Europe, contributing to the realization of a decarbonized society.
General Manager, Global Corporate Venturing Office, OMRON Corporation Tomoko Inoue, President and Representative Director of Omron Ventures Co., Ltd. OMRON is working towards “achieving carbon neutrality,” “achieving a digital society,” and “extending healthy life expectancy” in its medium- to long-term strategy SF2030. Through this investment, we would like to invest in and support startups with the world’s power that will make this society a reality, and work with ventures to accelerate the creation of social needs.
Kiraboshi Bank Co., Ltd.
Representative Director and President Hisanobu Watanabe
In order to contribute to maintaining and improving the international competitiveness of Japanese companies through the initiatives of this fund, we will collaborate and cooperate by utilizing the information and know-how that each company possesses, as well as incubation facilities and investment functions, and proactively create open innovation. We will continue to promote this initiative.
Kyuden International Co., Ltd.
Representative Director and President Ryotaro Yusu
We, Kyuden International, have the basic philosophy of “Connect” and utilize the know-how and networks we have cultivated in the electric power business to address issues toward the realization of a low-carbon, sustainable society. We are working to create new businesses that will lead to solutions.
Through this initiative, we hope to connect with startups and create new value by leveraging synergies.
KDDI Corporation
Director and Executive Officer, Deputy Business Head of Personal Business Headquarters
Mr. Hiroji Matsuda, General Manager of Business Creation Headquarters KDDI aims to solve social issues and create new value together with our partners, with the vision of “evolving the power of connection and creating a society where everyone can realize their dreams.” Through this investment, we will support business development and business co-creation in Japan for startup companies that support sustainability management in Northern Europe.
Kose Co., Ltd.
Managing Director Koichi Shibusawa
Under the corporate message of “Beautiful wisdom for people and the earth,” KOSÉ is a company that creates beauty and promotes
initiatives aimed at realizing a sustainable society.
Through our investment in this fund, we hope to achieve results that will lead to the provision of new value and the resolution of social issues through collaboration and alliances with promising startup companies in the DX and sustainability fields.
Honda motor industry stock company
Managing Executive Officer Manabu Ozawa
Honda promotes activities such as searching for, collaborating with, and investing in promising venture companies. We have made this investment because we believe that investing in and promoting collaboration with startups in the regions and areas targeted by this fund will accelerate the realization of a sustainable society that Honda aims for. We hope that there will be many opportunities to invest in and collaborate with promising startups that emphasize ESG. Japan Bank for International Cooperation, Ltd.
Mr. Makoto Uchida, Managing Executive Officer and Head of Equity Finance Department
JBIC is a policy-based financial institution whose mission is to “maintain and improve the international competitiveness of Japanese industry.” Through investment in this fund, we will support providing access to innovation related to SX and DX to Japanese companies participating as strategic investors.
A word from management members
[Image 4: https://prtimes.jp/i/119067/1/resize/d119067-1-940fa7623d4b51193391-3.jpg&s3=119067-1-cd274ad2efc0faf9be790ca932d6b4ed-3900×2587.jpg] (From left to right: Shinichi Niikuni, Marek Kiesa, Rainer Sternfeld, Chisaku Sohara)
Managing Partner Chisaku Sohara
Since its inception in 2019, NordicNinja has brought East and West, impact and innovation, large corporations and startups together in unprecedented ways to support the transformation of societies towards sustainable and digital societies, including in the fight against climate change. I have continued my investment activities with the hope of becoming a bridge that connects people. Japan and Europe have many things in common, such as a history of building successful companies, a strong desire for innovation, and a focus on impact on the global environment. Today, by launching our second fund, we are transforming these commonalities into common goals for both regions and further strengthening the bridge that connects two regions with some of the world’s leading startup ecosystems. To go. We will work together with the next generation of founders and the power of Japan to drive the transformation to a sustainable and digital society with impact.
Managing Partner Shinichi Niikuni
From climate change to health crises, solving the most pressing global challenges requires collaboration across disciplines. In order to achieve our goal of building the future we all want to live in, it is essential that we combine our resources, knowledge and experience to realize something greater than the sum of its parts. And today, I am very happy to be able to launch the second fund, which is the next step in this mission. The creation of this second fund will enable us to continue to support world-class teams of founders creating companies with the potential to solve pressing global challenges. We strongly believe that today’s launch is a testament to the commitment of our NordicNinja team, the support of our investors, including Japanese companies, and the determination of our new portfolio companies.
Managing Partner Marek Keesa
When we founded NordicNinja in 2019, we had an ambitious mission. And today, we are announcing the launch of our second fund, a new chapter in this journey. The first fund will focus on the Nordic region, and will focus on technologies ranging from self-driving electric trucks to climate change toolkits for cities, brain scan analysis to support Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis, and XR to train astronauts for Mars missions. We’ve invested in over 20 world-class entrepreneurs and technologies, including headsets. With our second fund, we continue to invest in early-stage entrepreneurs who are taking action today to help the world deploy new technologies that reverse trends that could have major negative impacts on the future of our planet. Masu. Managing Partner Rainer Sternfeld
When we launched our first fund in 2019, we wanted to lay the foundation for a new style of responsible VC with a global
perspective. Through our investment activities to date, we have demonstrated the power of entrepreneurship and open innovation among large companies by bridging Japan’s passion for innovation and Europe’s global startup ecosystem. To accelerate the transformation to a more sustainable world, it is becoming increasingly important to launch and scale up new businesses in difficult fields, such as the digitalization of existing industries and breakthrough technologies in the fight against climate change. We strongly believe that true progress comes from innovation and entrepreneurship, and we want to keep pushing forward to move us one step closer to our mission of building the future we want to live in.
More details about this release:
https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000001.000119067.html