UTokyo IPC was established in 2016, wholly owned by the University of Tokyo as an investment company.
We work to expand the University of Tokyo’s innovation ecosystem with three business pillars
– Investment, Incubation Support, and DEEPTECH DIVE.
As a platform that strives to benefit society with academia-born innovations:
UTokyo IPC manages three investment funds - IPC Fund 1, AOI Fund 1 and ASA Fund - with a combined asset size of nearing JPY 60 billion.
UTokyo IPC organizes 1stRound, an incubation support program, twice a year. In addition to partnering with the University of Tokyo, but also other universities and research institutions we also closely collaborate:
UTokyo IPC operates DEEPTECH DIVE, a human resource platform that supports researchers, engineers, company executives and individuals with working experience to pursue a career in deep tech fields.
The platform also helps students find internship positions at startups.
With these initiatives, UTokyo IPC aims to further expand the University of Tokyo’s innovation ecosystem* with these initiatives. around the University of Tokyo.
The investment business manages three funds—IPC Fund 1, AOI Fund 1 and ASA Fund—with a combined asset size of nearing JPY 60 billion.
1stRound is an incubation program organized twice a year that partners not only with the University of Tokyo, but also other leading national universities and research institutions.
DEEPTECH DIVE is a human resource platform that supports researchers, engineers, company executives and students to pursue a career in deep tech fields.
UTokyo IPC supports various startups in deep tech fields, which have the potential to significantly change society, including life science and medicine, space, robotics and hardware, IT services, artificial intelligence (AI), the environment, and agritech.
Many of the startups that receive support start their businesses based on academic, educational and research achievements born in academia, including at the University of Tokyo.
The University of Tokyo, the parent body of UTokyo IPC, is committed to being “an institution that serves the global public.” As such, we also aim to serve the global public through our fund investments and contribute to achieving environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
UTokyo IPC supports entrepreneurs and early-stage startups based on academia seeds.
One such initiative is 1stRound, an incubation program held twice a year in collaboration with national universities and research institutions.
Teams selected by the program receive activity funding, various development resources, and hands-on support from venture capitalists and other specialists for half a year.
Commercializing or creating startups is one way to give back to society with the technologies developed in universities back to society. However, for researchers and engineers, starting a company on one’s own is not easy.
UTokyo IPC supports startups selected by 1stRound by assisting with business plan development, team building and company establishment.
Furthermore, we promote corporate innovation and facilitate collaborations between startups and the industrial world so that startups can find and work jointly with suitable corporate partners.
With such thorough assistance, we strive to create more success stories for academia startups and encourage more researchers to commercialize their ideas and achievements.
Naturally, even when the above-mentioned 1stRound applications are closed, we always welcome consultations from inside and outside the University of Tokyo and offer advice and support at all times to researchers thinking of starting a business.
UTokyo IPC operates a human resource platform called DEEPTECH DIVE to form a diverse network of talent – including engineers, researchers, chief officer aspirants, and applicants for secondary jobs or internship positions – and facilitate the flow of talent into academia startups.
We periodically deliver information to members registered on DEEPTECH DIVE and provide individual in-person or online counseling to those seeking advice. All services are free of charge.
UTokyo IPC holds an employment placement license, and as part of the hands-on assistance provided to startups, we match DEEPTECH DIVE members with startups looking for talent.
DEEPTECH DIVE is also used by students in graduate or doctorate programs who, in addition to the choice between joining a research lab or joining a company, wish to consider pursuing a third path of continuing research in a startup.
