Establishment of the WASEDA University Ventures (WUV) first fund
Fri, Sep 9, 2022-
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Waseda University has announced Waseda Vision 150 and Beyond, a vision which looks forward to the year 2050 and envisions changes in Japan and the world, while inheriting the framework of Waseda Vision 150, which was formulated for the University’s 150th anniversary in 2032. In this context, WASEDA University Ventures (WUV) was established in April this year as a venture capital firm, bearing the name of the University. In addition to the University’s first and second visions of education and research, WUV aims to accelerate efforts towards creating social value worldwide through innovation, which more explicitly demonstrates the University’s third vision of social contribution.
The WUV 1st Fund (official name: WUV 1 Limited Partnership) was established on August 8, 2022, aiming to build businesses with global impact from the excellent research results of Waseda University and other universities and research institutions in Japan and overseas. The Fund will promote investment activities specializing in start-up investment in the deep-tech area, where researchers, entrepreneurs and business owners work together to create new start-ups.
Comment from Waseda University President Aiji Tanaka
Waseda University Ventures was established with the belief that it is essential to produce university-launched venture companies which realize world-impacting innovations of the university’s talented individuals and research results to achieve a “Waseda that shines on the global stage.”
We are very pleased to have gained the understanding of many investment institutions to be able to establish such a large fund, and we would like to thank them for their support.
We believe that by making the most of the university “field” and growing university-launched venture companies, the research results of Waseda University will not remain only in the world of academia, but will be implemented and used to contribute to society.
Waseda University will work closely with the professionals of WUV to expand the foundations for start-ups in Japan as a whole and contribute to the world and human society.
