Alternative digital platform LUCA closed Angel Round, reaching the total capital of $1.8 million (JPY 251million)

LUCA Japan Co., Ltd. (“LUCA Japan”) closed its angel funding round in July by raising capital from both domestic and foreign VCs and angel investors. The total capital raised since launching of the company has reached $1.8millon (JPY 251 million) *.  

LUCA Japan aims for “Bridging the Gap in Alternative investment” and operates digital platform “LUCA”. LUCA provides digital access to alternative investments, including but not limited to private equity, real estate, hedge funds, and private credit. It is committed to providing world-class investment opportunities with simple and efficient solutions for broader investors in Japan and beyond.  

The investors participated in the angel round consist of 9 individual angel investors and the following 5 VCs (in alphabetical order):  

• East Ventures
• FINOLAB

• Launchpad Fund/Headline Asia
• Plug and Play
• Saison Ventures

Keiko Sydenham, CEO of LUCA Japan, said, “We are excited to have supportive investors both from Japan and international sphere who are visionaries in this field.  We believe that alternative investing is a necessary piece for Japanese investors to achieve long-term wealth. Our digital solution will make this asset class more accessible for broader investors. The raised capital in this round will help realize our visions.  We are excited to work with the great VCs and investors.”  

Comments from our investors:

Mr. Fumihide Urata, Director of Saison Ventures, said, “Alternative investment is a key for diversifying investment portfolios. However, the access has been limited to hedge funds and institutional investors due to the minimum investment size set by managers. We believe LUCA Japan will provide solutions in this space and open the market to the top-tier High Net Worth Individuals (“HNWIs”) in Japan.  We look forward to seeing a lot of business synergies between LUCA Japan and Saison Group.”

Among global VCs, Mr. Jingqian Ma, Senior Venture Associate of Plug and Play Japan, commented, “We believe that HNWIs have been underserved with alternative investment opportunities and there is a need for a solution to simplify these investment and management procedures. In addition, connecting funds with domestic and foreign investors will make a great contribution to the revitalization of the alternative investment industry in Japan. We are confident and excited for the future of LUCA Japan with the exceptional management team and highly specialized team members LUCA Japan has put together.”

Mr. Akihiko Okamoto, Partner at Headline Asia, commented, “LUCA will provide a one-stop shop on a digital platform for complex alternative investments, which until now have been done manually. We are confident that LUCA Japan will promote sound asset-building by providing a wide range of investors with greater transparency, speed, and diversity of investment opportunities. We look forward to the challenges of the highly specialized team assembled under the mission of making alternative investments more accessible.”

LUCA Japan completed a demo version of its digital platform and is currently in discussions with potential B2B users for its implementation. LUCA Japan also launched its first access fund of alternative investment for Japanese investors. Within a year, LUCA Japan plans to launch more than one access funds on its platform.  

About LUCA Japan Co., Ltd.

LUCA Japan, established in July 2021, was co-founded by CEO Keiko Sydenham, Headline Asia, VC manager and Motoya Kitamura. It aims to improve efficiency of and access to alternative investment for investors as a one-stop digital solution. LUCA Japan will provide various investment opportunities, such as private equity, venture capital, private credit, real estate, and infrastructure funds. LUCA Japan is a member of Fintech Association of Japan.  

‍