The University of Tokyo is all set to launch its University-tied investment funds by the end of this year. Believed to be one of the largest university investments ever, the University has decided to pour up to 16 billion yen into affiliated startups working in various fields like pharmaceuticals, production, and material, among others.
Waiting for an approval from Education Ministry, the University has also planned to spend 23 billion yen into an investment fund launched by their subsidiary, the UTokyo Innovative Platform. Out of the total investment, 60%-70% will go to approximately 50 business firms dealing with drug and material development in schools. The remainder of which, would become a part of another venture capital firm that invests in affiliated startups working on the concepts of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics at the University of Tokyo.
Expected to welcome investments from private-sector companies in near future, the University will launch another investment fund in two to three years’ time to bridge the gap between schools and major corporations in the research arena.
The Government of Japan allowed universities to create Public Investment Companies in 2014 by giving a total of 100 billion yen to 4 major universities. Leveraging this opportunity, other reputed universities such as Kyoto, Osaka, and Tohoku also launched their funds of around 10-15 billion yen to invest in startups ranging from medical to chemical fields.
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