Popular Program "VIVA VC," Ranked No. 1* on Apple Podcast, to be Published as a Book: Firstlight Capital CEO Shu Iwasawa's First Book, 'Why I Can't Quit Venture Capital,' to be Released on May 22
Firstlight Capital CEO Shu Iwasawa's first book, 'Why I Can't Quit Venture Capital: The Reality of Entrepreneurship and Money Only Investors Know,' based on the popular Apple Podcast program "VIVA VC" (ranked No. 1 in the entrepreneurship category), will be published by Discover Twenty One. It will be available from May 22, 2026, at online bookstores and from May 24 at national bookstores, with pre-orders currently open on Amazon.
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- 📰 Published: May 1, 2026 at 18:00
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- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 2, 2026 at 02:56 (17h 24m after Collected)
Firstlight Capital Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Shu Iwasawa; hereinafter "Firstlight"), a venture capital firm with the theme of "creating new industries in a declining population society," is pleased to announce that its representative, Shu Iwasawa, will publish his first book, 'Why I Can't Quit Venture Capital: The Reality of Entrepreneurship and Money Only Investors Know,' through Discover Twenty One Inc. The book is scheduled to be released sequentially from May 22, 2026 (Friday) at online bookstores and from May 24 (Sunday) at national bookstores, with pre-orders currently being accepted on Amazon.
Amazon Pre-order Page: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/4799332791
■ Background of Publication and Thoughts Behind This Book
Behind the success of startups lies an "invisible logic" held by venture capitalists (VCs) that is often unknown to outsiders.
This book is a condensed version of the essence of the program "VIVA VC ~Why I Can't Quit Venture Capital~," which ranked No. 1 in the Apple Podcast Entrepreneurship category from March 22-24, 2026, and has been published as a book.
We aimed to unravel the thought processes of investors, which have been a black box until now, and to serve as a guide for all those who continue to challenge themselves in a rapidly changing era.
The author's motivation for aspiring to be a VC, the launch of the fund, investment decisions, accompanying investees, and EXIT are depicted like a "road movie" as the trajectory of a single capitalist.
Significant new episodes that could not be fully told on the program have been added, and the author, now in his eighth year of VC management, has compiled his records of hard times and the practical work of VC into one volume.
【Recommended for】
- Those interested in entrepreneurship, fundraising, and management: Those who want to know the real criteria investors prioritize when making decisions.
- Those in charge of in-house startups, new businesses, and M&A: Those who want to systematically learn about the challenges faced by startups and practical countermeasures against them.
- Students and professionals considering a career in VC: Those who want to understand the true nature of the VC profession from the perspective of an active venture capitalist.
- Those seeking advanced business skills: Those who want to improve the quality of their own decision-making by incorporating an investor's perspective.
■ Book Information
- Title: Why I Can't Quit Venture Capital: The Reality of Entrepreneurship and Money Only Investors Know
- Author: Shu Iwasawa
- Publisher: Discover Twenty One Inc.
- Release Date: Online bookstores: May 22, 2026 (Friday) / National bookstores: May 24, 2026 (Sunday)
- Price: 2,420 yen (tax included)
- ISBN: 978-4-7993-3279-5
- Amazon Product Page: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/4799332791
■ Appearance Information
- "News Connect Video Podcast" (Scheduled for distribution on Saturday, May 23, 2026): Dialogue with Podcast Producer Takafumi Nomura
■ Author Profile
Shu Iwasawa
Representative Director, Managing Partner
Firstlight Capital Inc.
Venture capitalist. Invests in seed and early-stage startups with the theme of "creating new industries in a declining population society."
Born in Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture, in 1982. Graduated from Keio University, Faculty of Science and Technology (Master of Engineering). During his student days, he worked as a venture capital intern for two years due to a series of coincidences.
After graduation, he joined Lehman Brothers Securities and worked as an equity analyst in the Equity Research Department. During his tenure, he experienced the Lehman Shock and the collapse of his employer from the inside. He then moved to Nomura Research Institute, where he was responsible for the business revitalization of local companies whose management was struggling due to the aftermath of the financial crisis.
In 2011, he joined UserBase in its early stages. As an executive officer of the company, which develops the economic information platform "Speeda" and the social economic media "NewsPicks," he led the business development of Speeda. In 2013, he moved to Hong Kong alone and built up the Asian business from scratch. As the Executive Officer in charge of Asian business, he led an organization of approximately 100 people across four locations (Hong Kong, Singapore, Shanghai, and Sri Lanka) and nurtured the business to be supported by users in 11 Asian countries. In 2016, he rang the bell for the company's listing on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Mothers as an executive officer.
In 2018, he founded Firstlight Capital. With the theme of "creating new industries in a declining population society," he invests in startups that work to improve productivity and create new industries in Japan's core industries. Key areas of investment include AI, SaaS, Physical AI, regional infrastructure, and crisis management. Major investees include One Career (listed on Tokyo Stock Exchange Growth), Commmune, and Mo.
Keywords: (empty in original)
Amazon Pre-order Page: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/4799332791
■ Background of Publication and Thoughts Behind This Book
Behind the success of startups lies an "invisible logic" held by venture capitalists (VCs) that is often unknown to outsiders.
This book is a condensed version of the essence of the program "VIVA VC ~Why I Can't Quit Venture Capital~," which ranked No. 1 in the Apple Podcast Entrepreneurship category from March 22-24, 2026, and has been published as a book.
We aimed to unravel the thought processes of investors, which have been a black box until now, and to serve as a guide for all those who continue to challenge themselves in a rapidly changing era.
The author's motivation for aspiring to be a VC, the launch of the fund, investment decisions, accompanying investees, and EXIT are depicted like a "road movie" as the trajectory of a single capitalist.
Significant new episodes that could not be fully told on the program have been added, and the author, now in his eighth year of VC management, has compiled his records of hard times and the practical work of VC into one volume.
【Recommended for】
- Those interested in entrepreneurship, fundraising, and management: Those who want to know the real criteria investors prioritize when making decisions.
- Those in charge of in-house startups, new businesses, and M&A: Those who want to systematically learn about the challenges faced by startups and practical countermeasures against them.
- Students and professionals considering a career in VC: Those who want to understand the true nature of the VC profession from the perspective of an active venture capitalist.
- Those seeking advanced business skills: Those who want to improve the quality of their own decision-making by incorporating an investor's perspective.
■ Book Information
- Title: Why I Can't Quit Venture Capital: The Reality of Entrepreneurship and Money Only Investors Know
- Author: Shu Iwasawa
- Publisher: Discover Twenty One Inc.
- Release Date: Online bookstores: May 22, 2026 (Friday) / National bookstores: May 24, 2026 (Sunday)
- Price: 2,420 yen (tax included)
- ISBN: 978-4-7993-3279-5
- Amazon Product Page: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/4799332791
■ Appearance Information
- "News Connect Video Podcast" (Scheduled for distribution on Saturday, May 23, 2026): Dialogue with Podcast Producer Takafumi Nomura
■ Author Profile
Shu Iwasawa
Representative Director, Managing Partner
Firstlight Capital Inc.
Venture capitalist. Invests in seed and early-stage startups with the theme of "creating new industries in a declining population society."
Born in Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture, in 1982. Graduated from Keio University, Faculty of Science and Technology (Master of Engineering). During his student days, he worked as a venture capital intern for two years due to a series of coincidences.
After graduation, he joined Lehman Brothers Securities and worked as an equity analyst in the Equity Research Department. During his tenure, he experienced the Lehman Shock and the collapse of his employer from the inside. He then moved to Nomura Research Institute, where he was responsible for the business revitalization of local companies whose management was struggling due to the aftermath of the financial crisis.
In 2011, he joined UserBase in its early stages. As an executive officer of the company, which develops the economic information platform "Speeda" and the social economic media "NewsPicks," he led the business development of Speeda. In 2013, he moved to Hong Kong alone and built up the Asian business from scratch. As the Executive Officer in charge of Asian business, he led an organization of approximately 100 people across four locations (Hong Kong, Singapore, Shanghai, and Sri Lanka) and nurtured the business to be supported by users in 11 Asian countries. In 2016, he rang the bell for the company's listing on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Mothers as an executive officer.
In 2018, he founded Firstlight Capital. With the theme of "creating new industries in a declining population society," he invests in startups that work to improve productivity and create new industries in Japan's core industries. Key areas of investment include AI, SaaS, Physical AI, regional infrastructure, and crisis management. Major investees include One Career (listed on Tokyo Stock Exchange Growth), Commmune, and Mo.
Keywords: (empty in original)