The Japanese corporations have collaborated to launch the Nikon-SBI Innovation Fund II.
Tokyo-headquartered photography manufacturing company Nikon and SBI Investment, the corporate venture arm of Japan-based financial services business SBI Group, have jointly launched a new global investment fund.
The ¥5bn ($33m) fund, dubbed Nikon-SBI Innovation Fund II, plans to invest in technologies and services in sectors ranging from aerospace to energy. Nikon-SBI Innovation Fund II is expected to operate for seven years.
It is the second fund that the two have collaborated on. Their first fund, Nikon-SBI Innovation Fund, was launched in 2016.
Founded in 1996, SBI Investment invests in seed to later stage startups in the financial, environmental and life sciences sectors. The firm has 322 companies in its portfolio and has overseen more than 117 exits, including Veneno Technologies and Ispace.
Nikon invests in startups focused on lens and camera hardware and software, as well as healthcare, spacetech and energy-related technologies. The corporation has invested in 34 startups, including vision telescope developer Unistellar and regenerative eye medicine manufacturer Cellusion.
