Global Brain Corporation is a Tokyo-based independent venture capital firm that has operated in the Japanese and global tech startup ecosystem since the late 1990s. The firm was founded in 1998 by Yasuhiko Yurimoto, who serves as Representative Director and CEO. Global Brain positions itself as a bridge between Japanese corporate capital and high-growth startups worldwide, running a series of numbered funds – including the GB-VI, GB-VII, and GB-VIII vehicles – that pool commitments from both institutional and corporate limited partners.
The firm manages assets across multiple fund generations. Exact current AUM figures are not publicly disclosed in consolidated form, though the firm has raised hundreds of millions of dollars across its fund series over its operational history. Global Brain is a registered financial instruments business operator in Japan, regulated under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act. Its investment mandate covers early to growth-stage technology companies, with sector interest spanning enterprise software, deep tech, mobility, and – more recently – Web3 and blockchain infrastructure.
Notable investments
Global Brain's portfolio within digital assets and blockchain remains relatively limited in public disclosure. The firm's broader tech portfolio has included investments in companies such as HubSpot (pre-IPO, via early funds), Limeade, and a range of Japanese and Southeast Asian SaaS companies. In the crypto and Web3 space, Global Brain has backed infrastructure and protocol-layer projects, though the firm has not published a dedicated crypto fund thesis. With 10 portfolio companies and 2 lead investments recorded in on-chain and deal-data aggregators, its crypto exposure appears selective rather than concentrated.
Public information about specific crypto portfolio company names, round sizes, and entry valuations is limited. Global Brain does not consistently publish deal announcements for early-stage or seed positions.
Team
Yasuhiko Yurimoto founded the firm after earlier experience in the Japanese internet industry during the dot-com era. The investment team includes general partners and principals covering Japan, Southeast Asia, and North America. Global Brain has a formal partnership with KDDI, one of Japan's largest telecoms, operating the KDDI Open Innovation Fund as a dedicated corporate venture vehicle. This partnership gives Global Brain a co-investment pipeline tied to KDDI's strategic interests in connectivity, IoT, and digital services.
Specific partner names and backgrounds beyond the CEO are not consistently disclosed in English-language public sources.
Recent activity
In 2024 and into 2025, Global Brain continued deploying capital from its later fund vehicles, with reported interest in AI-adjacent infrastructure and Web3 tooling. The firm has participated in startup events and accelerator programs in Japan, often in collaboration with corporate partners. No major exits or write-offs in the crypto segment have been publicly announced in this period.
The recorded retail ROI of 0.04 across its crypto portfolio reflects either very early-stage positions not yet at liquidity events, or modest mark-to-market performance – consistent with a VC firm treating digital assets as a small allocation within a broader technology mandate rather than a dedicated crypto-native strategy.
Global Brain occupies a specific niche: a Japan-headquartered VC with corporate LP relationships and a track record in traditional tech, now making measured moves into Web3. Its edge is access to Japanese corporate deal flow and co-investment capital rather than crypto-native sourcing. Investors and founders looking for Asia-Pacific distribution networks or Japanese corporate partnerships may find it a relevant counterparty, though its crypto conviction and check size in that segment remain modest relative to dedicated digital asset funds.