The fund will invest in digital workplace technologies, collaboration and creativity tools, digital inclusion and solutions linked to decarbonisation and the circular economy.
Japan-based imaging and workplace technology company Ricoh has launched a second corporate VC fund, called the Ricoh Innovation Fund II, as it steps up investments in overseas startups as part of its shift toward digital services.
The new fund is sized at ¥3bn ($20m) and has an eight-year term. Investment priorities are centred on workplace and sustainability themes aligned with Ricoh’s mid-term strategy for fiscal 2026. These include digital workplace technologies, tools that support collaboration and creativity, digital inclusion and solutions linked to decarbonisation and the circular economy.
The move follows the launch of Ricoh’s first CVC fund in November 2023, through which the company says it has backed nine overseas startups. Management of the new vehicle will sit with SBI Investment, a subsidiary of financial services firm SBI, as general partner.
The launch marks a continuation rather than a redesign of Ricoh’s venturing strategy, but with a clearer international emphasis. The company said the fund will support collaborations between portfolio companies and Ricoh’s overseas operations, aiming to turn startup partnerships into commercial relationships across its global customer base.
“Building on the insights and achievements gained through our first fund, we have established the Ricoh Innovation Fund II to seize new opportunities from a greater global perspective. By expanding our investments in overseas startups and accelerating collaboration across our local operations, we are committed to advancing the value of the workplace,” said Sanae Endo, corporate officer at Ricoh, in a press release.
Strategically, the second fund suggests Ricoh is seeking to formalise venture investing as a longer-term capability rather than a one-off initiative.
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