[May 18 (Mon) Held in Iidabashi] Capitalists from 4 Seed VCs Speak Off-the-Record: Investment Criteria, How to Utilize Funds, and the Reality of Choosing a VC
Protostar Co., Ltd. will hold an in-person event, 'Seed VC 4 Companies Off-the-Record Night,' for seed-stage startups on May 18, 2026. Capitalists at the forefront will discuss the reality of investment decisions and fundraising.
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Protostar Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Hidemaro Maekawa), whose mission is to support challengers, will hold an in-person event 'Seed VC 4 Companies Off-the-Record Night - Investment Environment / Decision Criteria / Smart Ways to Use Funds / How to Choose a VC' on Monday, May 18, 2026.
▼ Startup executives in the seed to early stages and those considering fundraising should apply via the link below.
https://peatix.com/event/4964735
[Background and Purpose of the Event]
While the fundraising options available to startups are diversifying, the difficulty of selecting the optimal VC for one's company is also increasing.
Behind the glamorous success stories that come to light, there are many untold failures.
This event is a place for candid discussions, made possible precisely because it is an in-person format based on the premise of being off-the-record.
We will invite four capitalists active on the front lines of seed VCs to delve deeply in a panel discussion covering everything from the latest investment decision criteria to specific ways to use funds and key points in selecting a VC.
We will provide specific hints to lead your company's fundraising to success and also set up a valuable opportunity to talk directly with capitalists through a Q&A session.
This seminar will primarily offer the following content:
- Understanding changes in the fundraising environment over the past 2-3 years and the latest VC investment criteria.
- Real-world examples of 'ways you shouldn't have used' and 'successful patterns' for raised funds.
- Understanding the risks of mismatching with a VC and conditions often overlooked during contracting.
Speaker Introductions
- Mr. Koki Tanaka, Associate, Incubate Fund
- Mr. Hiroki Oda, Capitalist, ANOBAKA
- Ms. Keiko Miwa, Investor, Coreline Ventures
- Mr. Taro Maruyama, Principal, ANRI
Event Overview
Date & Time: Monday, May 18, 2026, 18:45 - 20:00
Format: In-person (Live event)
Venue: GROWTH Bunkyo Iidabashi (2-3-21 Koraku, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo)
Participation Fee: Free
Capacity: 30 people (*Registration will close as soon as capacity is reached)
Contact Information for this Event
Protostar Co., Ltd.
Kigyo LOG Division
cs_kigyolog@theprotostar.co
Protostar Co., Ltd. is looking for new colleagues to take on challenges together towards realizing our mission.
▼ Click here for recruitment information
https://www.theprotostar.co/recruit
About Protostar Co., Ltd.
Centered on supporting challengers, we are developing diverse services such as 'StartupList,' one of Japan's largest entrepreneur and investor matching services, and 'JP STARTUPS,' a media outlet that introduces and supports startups from Japan.
In addition to existing businesses like the alliance business promoting co-creation and acceleration with startups, mainly for large enterprises, and 'Kigyo LOG,' one of Japan's largest entrepreneur support media, we have recently launched 'Startup M&A' to provide M&A support as a growth and exit strategy for startups.
We have established a system to broadly support 'challengers.'
Location: Nihonbashi Tomizawacho Bldg. 501, 9-4 Nihonbashi Tomizawacho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0006
Capital: 89,098,750 yen
Established: November 30, 2016
Number of Employees: Approximately 50 (including part-time and contract employees)
URL: https://www.theprotostar.co/
Participating Organizations:
- Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, J-Startup Supporters
- Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Kyushu Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry, J-Startup KYUSHU
- Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Tokyo Innovation Base Starting Member
- Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Tokyo Innovation Base Partner
- Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Industrial and Labor Affairs, Incubation HUB Promotion Project, FY2016 Adopted Project
- Organization for Small & Medium Enterprises and Regional Innovation, JAPAN, Startup Angel Network (SAN) Member
- Tsukuba Startup Ecosystem Consortium, Regular Member
- Diagonal Run Tokyo OFFICIAL SUPPLIERS
- Japan Venture Capital Association, Supporting Member
▼ Startup executives in the seed to early stages and those considering fundraising should apply via the link below.
https://peatix.com/event/4964735
[Background and Purpose of the Event]
While the fundraising options available to startups are diversifying, the difficulty of selecting the optimal VC for one's company is also increasing.
Behind the glamorous success stories that come to light, there are many untold failures.
This event is a place for candid discussions, made possible precisely because it is an in-person format based on the premise of being off-the-record.
We will invite four capitalists active on the front lines of seed VCs to delve deeply in a panel discussion covering everything from the latest investment decision criteria to specific ways to use funds and key points in selecting a VC.
We will provide specific hints to lead your company's fundraising to success and also set up a valuable opportunity to talk directly with capitalists through a Q&A session.
This seminar will primarily offer the following content:
- Understanding changes in the fundraising environment over the past 2-3 years and the latest VC investment criteria.
- Real-world examples of 'ways you shouldn't have used' and 'successful patterns' for raised funds.
- Understanding the risks of mismatching with a VC and conditions often overlooked during contracting.
Speaker Introductions
- Mr. Koki Tanaka, Associate, Incubate Fund
- Mr. Hiroki Oda, Capitalist, ANOBAKA
- Ms. Keiko Miwa, Investor, Coreline Ventures
- Mr. Taro Maruyama, Principal, ANRI
Event Overview
Date & Time: Monday, May 18, 2026, 18:45 - 20:00
Format: In-person (Live event)
Venue: GROWTH Bunkyo Iidabashi (2-3-21 Koraku, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo)
Participation Fee: Free
Capacity: 30 people (*Registration will close as soon as capacity is reached)
Contact Information for this Event
Protostar Co., Ltd.
Kigyo LOG Division
cs_kigyolog@theprotostar.co
Protostar Co., Ltd. is looking for new colleagues to take on challenges together towards realizing our mission.
▼ Click here for recruitment information
https://www.theprotostar.co/recruit
About Protostar Co., Ltd.
Centered on supporting challengers, we are developing diverse services such as 'StartupList,' one of Japan's largest entrepreneur and investor matching services, and 'JP STARTUPS,' a media outlet that introduces and supports startups from Japan.
In addition to existing businesses like the alliance business promoting co-creation and acceleration with startups, mainly for large enterprises, and 'Kigyo LOG,' one of Japan's largest entrepreneur support media, we have recently launched 'Startup M&A' to provide M&A support as a growth and exit strategy for startups.
We have established a system to broadly support 'challengers.'
Location: Nihonbashi Tomizawacho Bldg. 501, 9-4 Nihonbashi Tomizawacho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0006
Capital: 89,098,750 yen
Established: November 30, 2016
Number of Employees: Approximately 50 (including part-time and contract employees)
URL: https://www.theprotostar.co/
Participating Organizations:
- Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, J-Startup Supporters
- Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Kyushu Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry, J-Startup KYUSHU
- Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Tokyo Innovation Base Starting Member
- Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Tokyo Innovation Base Partner
- Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Industrial and Labor Affairs, Incubation HUB Promotion Project, FY2016 Adopted Project
- Organization for Small & Medium Enterprises and Regional Innovation, JAPAN, Startup Angel Network (SAN) Member
- Tsukuba Startup Ecosystem Consortium, Regular Member
- Diagonal Run Tokyo OFFICIAL SUPPLIERS
- Japan Venture Capital Association, Supporting Member