TOKYO, November 1, 2024 — DNX Ventures Japan, a leading venture capital firm specializing in B2B startups, today announced the launch of DNX Studio, a new venture studio aimed at accelerating the creation of B2B SaaS startups. The studio will offer a 3-to-6-month intensive program supporting both new startup creation and new business development for existing portfolio startups.
Developed in collaboration with High Alpha Innovation, DNX Studio combines our systematic venture-building process with DNX's extensive SaaS investment experience to guide participants from idea conceptualization to initial customer acquisition.
"DNX Studio represents our commitment to advancing Japan's startup ecosystem and updating its industrial landscape," said Akira Kurabayashi, Head of Japan and Managing Partner at DNX Ventures. "By leveraging our investment expertise and partnership with High Alpha Innovation, we aim to cultivate globally competitive SaaS companies originating from Japan."
"The Japanese market is ripe for building breakout SaaS companies," said High Alpha Innovation CEO Elliott Parker. "We're excited to be partnering with DNX Ventures, the premier Japanese SaaS venture fund, to launch DNX Studio and, ultimately, many new world-class companies in Japan."
Addressing Japan's startup ecosystem challenges
Despite progress, Japan's venture capital market lags behind global leaders, particularly the United States. Many Japanese companies urgently need to update their existing industrial structures using technology to regain global competitiveness.
DNX Studio directly addresses this challenge by fostering more entrepreneurs capable of driving innovation and industrial transformation.
The program seeks passionate entrepreneurs with deep industry insights and a strong mission to change the world, providing them with all necessary resources to transform ideas into viable businesses.
Key features of DNX Studio include:
- DNX's hands-on support: Leverage over a decade of SaaS investment experience and individual skills of investment professionals.
- Comprehensive resources: Get potential seed funding of up to 50 million yen upon program completion, access to DNX's incubation office and community, SPROUND, and an extensive corporate network for hypothesis testing and customer interviews.
- Global-standard startup methodology: Collaboration with High Alpha Innovation brings world-class startup creation methods and insights from U.S. success stories and trends.
- Intensive short-term program: Our condensed 3-to-6-month program is designed for rapid market entry.
- Support for existing portfolio companies: We provide assistance in developing second and multi-product strategies for existing startups.
High Alpha Innovation, founded in 2020, has launched more than 20 startups and six venture studios. The company originally spun out of High Alpha, a pioneer in the studio model that has launched more than 40 startups over the last nine years.
DNX Studio welcomes ambitious entrepreneurs passionate about solving societal challenges through innovation. Prior startup experience or concrete ideas are not prerequisites; the program values drive and alignment with DNX's entrepreneurial principles.
About DNX Ventures
Founded in 2011, DNX Ventures is a venture capital fund focusing on B2B startups in Silicon Valley and Tokyo. With 11 funds totaling approximately 99 billion yen under management, DNX has invested in 190 startup companies, leading 23 to successful exits. The firm specializes in early-stage investments in cloud SaaS, fintech, deep tech, and climate tech sectors.
DNX has intensified its post-investment growth support in recent years, establishing the SPROUND incubation office and community in Shinagawa in 2020, which has served over 41 companies and 380 individuals. The firm also runs the SaaS-bu community and the SaaShip event, fostering a high-quality network for startup founders to connect and learn from each other.
For more information about DNX Studio, please visit https://dnx.studio.
About High Alpha Innovation
High Alpha Innovation is an Indianapolis-based venture builder that partners with corporations, universities, and venture funds to create and launch advantaged startups. Its dedicated team of company builders, strategists, and designers apply a proven playbook — pioneered by High Alpha — to help the world's leading organizations innovate through systematic startup creation.
Since founding in 2020, High Alpha Innovation has built 40+ partnerships with leading organizations, including Koch Industries, Capital One, P&G, Elanco Animal Health, the University of North Carolina, Purdue University, the University of Notre Dame, the Walton Family Foundation, DNX Ventures, and many more to unlock growth and transformation in their organizations and local ecosystems. They have launched 20+ new startups, created six new venture studios, and raised nearly $70M across their portfolio.
