How startups suddenly became “cool” in Japan (feat. Shin Takamiya of Globis Capital) | E2237

January 20, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

🎙️ The Speakers & Context

The Format: Host-guest interview during Founder University Japan cohort.
The Key Players:
- Host: Jason Calacanis, founder of Launch and This Week in Startups, early investor in Uber/Robinhood; credible via 20+ years bridging US-Japan tech, running global founder programs.
- Guest: Shin Takamiya, Partner at Globus Capital Partners (oldest Japanese VC, founded 1996, $500M funds); Harvard MBA '08, invested through Japan's startup boom from $300M to $10B annual VC.
The Vibe: Reflective and tactical—nostalgic on Japan’s tech foresight, deeply technical on VC mechanics and founder psychology.

🎣 The Executive Hook

The "One Big Idea": Japan’s startup ecosystem has exploded from cultural stagnation to vibrant global contender, with youth prioritizing founder status over salaryman life/McKinsey, fueled by 30x VC growth ($300M to $10B/year) and 77 $1B+ valuations post-2018 Mercari IPO. VCs like Globus bet on founder "karma" (deep motivation) over traction, playing a 10-15 year relationship game where failure is a serial success signal if logically tested.
Why It Matters: Signals capital reallocation to Asia ex-China amid US valuation resets; Japan’s IP/otaku export strength + AI readiness positions it for exponential bets in growing TAMs, countering consensus "stagnant Japan" narrative.

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What you'll learn

1 (00:00) **🎙️ Introduction: Shin Takamiya**
2 (04:06) **Evolution of Japanese Startup Culture**
3 (08:30) **Globus Investment Approach**
4 (16:45) **Handling Investor Meetings & Rejection**
5 (22:38) **VC-Founder Communication & Mistakes**
6 (30:45) **Business Models for VC Success**
7 (43:35) **Market Selection & Fundamental Needs**

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

This Week In Startups is made possible by:

Circle.so - http://Circle.so/twist

Deel - http://deel.com/twist

Uber AI Solutions - http://uber.com/twist

Today’s show:

Not long ago, promising young Japanese graduates wanted to go work for the largest, most established, and even oldest corporations: Sony, Mitsubishi, and the like. But now, just over the last few years, more and more Japanese people are becoming entrepreneurs and founders.

TWiST Japan continues with a fascinating look inside the country’s growing startup ecosystem with special guest, venture capitalist Shinichi “Shin” Takamiya.

He’ll walk Jason through how Japan stayed ahead of the rest of the world in technology, but started falling behind when it came to founding companies, and how the Japanese are now starting to level the playing field.

PLUS why his fund, Globis, sees other VC firms as collaborators rather than the competition… How AI is helping Japanese and American founders build their companies more quickly… Why Jason prefers training younger people to become VCs rather than hiring more experienced players… Shin’s guide to eating out in Tokyo… and much more!

Timestamps:

(00:00) We’re so excited to bring Founder University in Japan!

(04:15) Jason and our guest first met 15-25 years ago…

(06:06) How is Japan always so far ahead of the rest of the world?

(08:29) Globis is one of Japan’s largest and oldest venture capital firms!

(10:48) Circle.so - the easiest way to build a home for your community, events, and courses — all under your own brand. TWiST listeners get $1,000 off Circle’s Professional Plan by going to http://Circle.so/twist

(12:38) Why founders need to play the long game when it comes to networking

(15:03) “The founder is the most precious resource in the startup community”

(16:50) Shin takes us inside his Mercari (a massive Japanese marketplace site) investment

(18:20) How startups became “cool” in Japan, just recently

(19:43) Deel - Founders ship faster on Deel. Set up payroll for any country in minutes and get back to building. Visit http://deel.com/twist to learn more.

(21:09) You don’t have to tell an investor your whole story… just get them interested

(25:28) Why Jason likes to train young folks to be VCs, rather than hiring fo