Yaqumo Secures Funding from Major US Venture Capital Firm Alumni Ventures, Marking Alumni Ventures' First Investment in Japan.
Yaqumo Inc. has successfully completed a seed extension round of funding from Alumni Ventures, a leading US venture capital firm. This marks Alumni Ventures' inaugural investment in Japan, and Yaqumo plans to utilize the funds to accelerate its expansion into the North American market and enhance its R&D efforts.
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Yaqumo Inc. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Kazuhiro Nakakoji; hereinafter referred to as "Yaqumo") is pleased to announce that it has completed a seed extension round of funding with Alumni Ventures, LLC (Headquartered in Manchester, New Hampshire, USA; hereinafter referred to as "Alumni Ventures").
This marks Alumni Ventures' first investment in Japan. The investment was made through both the North American AV Seed Fund and the Japan + US Bridge Fund, which aims to connect the startup ecosystems of Japan and the US.
With this funding, Yaqumo will further accelerate its initiatives for business development in the North American market. In addition, through collaboration with Alumni Ventures, Yaqumo will expand its network with North American corporations and government agencies, strengthening its business foundation in the region. Furthermore, Yaqumo will enhance its relationships with prominent investors, primarily in the US, to bolster its structure for future global expansion and growth.
■ About Alumni Ventures
Alumni Ventures is a leading global venture capital firm based in the United States. Since its establishment in 2014, it has raised over $1.4 billion and invested in more than 1,600 venture companies. Ranked among the "Top US VC Firms" in CB Insights' 2024 report, it is highly regarded as one of North America's representative venture capital firms.
Alumni Ventures is actively expanding its presence in the Japanese market, establishing a base in Tokyo and strengthening its efforts to connect the startup ecosystems of Japan and the US. Yaqumo has been selected as its first investment case in this context.
URL: https://www.av.vc/
■ Regarding This Funding Round
Amidst the accelerating global competition for the societal implementation of quantum technology, Alumni Ventures' selection of Yaqumo as its first investment in Japan signifies a high evaluation of Yaqumo's technological potential in neutral atom quantum computing and the possibility of creating a quantum industry originating from Japan.
This funding will enable Yaqumo to further accelerate its research and development, strengthen its connections with global investors, corporations, and government agencies, particularly in North America, and expand its business foundation for deploying Japanese quantum computer technology to the global market.
＜Funding Overview＞
Round: Seed Extension Round
Investor: Alumni Ventures, LLC
Investment Type: J-KISS Convertible Security (Series 2)
■ Comments from Kazuhiro Nakakoji, CEO of Yaqumo Inc.
"We are deeply honored that Yaqumo has been chosen as the first investment in Japan by Alumni Ventures, one of North America's leading venture capital firms. This investment reflects the expectation for our endeavors, which are not only focused on R&D within Japan but also on commercialization in the global market, including North America.
Leveraging Japan's strong research foundation in quantum science, Yaqumo aims to realize truly usable quantum computers and expand the quantum industry worldwide. Through this funding, we will further accelerate R&D, talent acquisition, and domestic and international partnerships, contributing to the advancement of global quantum technology as a quantum computing company originating from Japan."
■ Comments from Michael Phillips, Chief Legal Officer and Executive Managing Director for Asia Pacific at Alumni Ventures
"Yaqumo is a highly compelling startup, possessing both Japan's deep research base in quantum mechanics and a strong business vision for realizing practical quantum computers. The neutral atom approach is a crucial pathway to unlocking the scalability of quantum computing, and we believe Yaqumo's team has the capability to translate this potential into societal implementation.
This investment represents Alumni Ventures' first in Japan through our 'AV Seed Fund' and 'Japan + US Bridge Fund.' Yaqumo embodies the world-class technological innovation emerging from Japanese universities, making it an ideal example of the startups we aim to support through investment and our network.
We have great expectations for Yaqumo's growth as a Japan-originated quantum computing company, deepening its collaboration with global ecosystems, particularly in North America. We will continue to fully support their endeavors."
■ About Yaqumo Inc.
Yaqumo Inc. is a quantum technology startup from Japan developing scalable quantum computers using the neutral atom approach. Through collaborative design of hardware and software, it aims to achieve practical fault-tolerant quantum computation.
Company Name: Yaqumo Inc.
Location: 1F, Yusen Building, 2-3-2 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0005
Representative: Kazuhiro Nakakoji, CEO
Established: April 1, 2025
Business Description: Development of neutral atom quantum computers
URL: https://yaqumo.com/
■ About J-KISS
J-KISS (Keep It Simple Security) is a simplified convertible financing scheme designed for the Japanese startup ecosystem. It allows for automatic conversion at the next equity financing round, eliminating the need to determine an early-stage equity valuation and enabling swift and flexible fundraising for both startups and investors.
This marks Alumni Ventures' first investment in Japan. The investment was made through both the North American AV Seed Fund and the Japan + US Bridge Fund, which aims to connect the startup ecosystems of Japan and the US.
With this funding, Yaqumo will further accelerate its initiatives for business development in the North American market. In addition, through collaboration with Alumni Ventures, Yaqumo will expand its network with North American corporations and government agencies, strengthening its business foundation in the region. Furthermore, Yaqumo will enhance its relationships with prominent investors, primarily in the US, to bolster its structure for future global expansion and growth.
■ About Alumni Ventures
Alumni Ventures is a leading global venture capital firm based in the United States. Since its establishment in 2014, it has raised over $1.4 billion and invested in more than 1,600 venture companies. Ranked among the "Top US VC Firms" in CB Insights' 2024 report, it is highly regarded as one of North America's representative venture capital firms.
Alumni Ventures is actively expanding its presence in the Japanese market, establishing a base in Tokyo and strengthening its efforts to connect the startup ecosystems of Japan and the US. Yaqumo has been selected as its first investment case in this context.
URL: https://www.av.vc/
■ Regarding This Funding Round
Amidst the accelerating global competition for the societal implementation of quantum technology, Alumni Ventures' selection of Yaqumo as its first investment in Japan signifies a high evaluation of Yaqumo's technological potential in neutral atom quantum computing and the possibility of creating a quantum industry originating from Japan.
This funding will enable Yaqumo to further accelerate its research and development, strengthen its connections with global investors, corporations, and government agencies, particularly in North America, and expand its business foundation for deploying Japanese quantum computer technology to the global market.
＜Funding Overview＞
Round: Seed Extension Round
Investor: Alumni Ventures, LLC
Investment Type: J-KISS Convertible Security (Series 2)
■ Comments from Kazuhiro Nakakoji, CEO of Yaqumo Inc.
"We are deeply honored that Yaqumo has been chosen as the first investment in Japan by Alumni Ventures, one of North America's leading venture capital firms. This investment reflects the expectation for our endeavors, which are not only focused on R&D within Japan but also on commercialization in the global market, including North America.
Leveraging Japan's strong research foundation in quantum science, Yaqumo aims to realize truly usable quantum computers and expand the quantum industry worldwide. Through this funding, we will further accelerate R&D, talent acquisition, and domestic and international partnerships, contributing to the advancement of global quantum technology as a quantum computing company originating from Japan."
■ Comments from Michael Phillips, Chief Legal Officer and Executive Managing Director for Asia Pacific at Alumni Ventures
"Yaqumo is a highly compelling startup, possessing both Japan's deep research base in quantum mechanics and a strong business vision for realizing practical quantum computers. The neutral atom approach is a crucial pathway to unlocking the scalability of quantum computing, and we believe Yaqumo's team has the capability to translate this potential into societal implementation.
This investment represents Alumni Ventures' first in Japan through our 'AV Seed Fund' and 'Japan + US Bridge Fund.' Yaqumo embodies the world-class technological innovation emerging from Japanese universities, making it an ideal example of the startups we aim to support through investment and our network.
We have great expectations for Yaqumo's growth as a Japan-originated quantum computing company, deepening its collaboration with global ecosystems, particularly in North America. We will continue to fully support their endeavors."
■ About Yaqumo Inc.
Yaqumo Inc. is a quantum technology startup from Japan developing scalable quantum computers using the neutral atom approach. Through collaborative design of hardware and software, it aims to achieve practical fault-tolerant quantum computation.
Company Name: Yaqumo Inc.
Location: 1F, Yusen Building, 2-3-2 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0005
Representative: Kazuhiro Nakakoji, CEO
Established: April 1, 2025
Business Description: Development of neutral atom quantum computers
URL: https://yaqumo.com/
■ About J-KISS
J-KISS (Keep It Simple Security) is a simplified convertible financing scheme designed for the Japanese startup ecosystem. It allows for automatic conversion at the next equity financing round, eliminating the need to determine an early-stage equity valuation and enabling swift and flexible fundraising for both startups and investors.
FAQ
What technology is Yaqumo developing?
Yaqumo is developing scalable quantum computers using the neutral atom approach, aiming to achieve practical fault-tolerant quantum computation.
What is the significance of this funding round?
This is the first investment in Japan by major US VC Alumni Ventures, signifying international recognition of Yaqumo's quantum technology and a major step towards global expansion.
How will the funds be used?
The funds will be used to accelerate business development in the North American market, enhance R&D, and expand networks with global investors, corporations, and government agencies.
What kind of VC is Alumni Ventures?
Alumni Ventures is a leading US-based VC that has raised over $1.4 billion and invested in more than 1,600 companies since its establishment. They are actively expanding into the Japanese market.
What are Yaqumo's future prospects?
Leveraging this funding, Yaqumo aims to strengthen its business foundation in the North American market and deploy its quantum computer technology originating from Japan to the global market.