Asics Corp. announced that its investment subsidiary Asics Ventures Corporation took an equity stake in Dreamers Fund, which invests primarily in early-stage startups in the U.S. Asics Ventures will be a limited partner in the fund.
Dreamers Fund is a venture capital fund established in 2018 jointly by a company managed by Japanese professional football player Keisuke Honda and an investment company held by actor Will Smith. The fund is comprised of members with a track record of investing in prominent startups and has built a solid network with startups in the US. The fund’s mission is to ‘be a bridge between Japan and America,’ and will not only tap its strong networks in the two countries and advise Japanese companies, but also actively make introductions between companies and offer support.
Though Asics Ventures which was established in 2016, Asics has invested in 10 startups so far both in Japan and overseas to promote the development of new businesses. Asics has also held accelerator programs for startups in Europe and Japan and has focused on building networks with promising startups.
By investing in Dreamers Fund, Asics will be able to learn more about innovative trends of products, technologies, and services. Partnering with Dreamers Fund will allow Asics to discover startups in the US, especially on the West Coast, where many promising startups are concentrated. Asics aims for further continued growth by investing in such startups and through business partnerships.
