Takeshi Kodama, head and managing partner of JERA Ventures, is one of the 100 leading corporate venturing professionals in our 2025 Powerlist.

Takeshi Kodama

Takeshi Kodama recently stepped into his new role at JERA Ventures, the CVC unit of Japanese energy utility firm JERA – a decade after forming and spearheading real estate developer Mitsui Fudosan’s CVC arm, 31Ventures.

Currently managing the $300m fund at JERA Ventures, established in July 2023, Kodama oversees the investment and business activities of a team of nine.

JERA Ventures invests in three sectors to transform JERA’s corporate value: decarbonisation technologies, digital technologies and well-being. The unit’s portfolio includes green energy supplier Power to Hydrogen, which develops and manufactures anion-exchange membrane electrolysers to produce hydrogen from water and electricity at low cost. Another company is software provider Granular Energy, helping bring more transparency to the energy industry, such as carbon-free electricity. The JERA Ventures unit has also made five fund-to-fund commitments.

“With any deep tech startup in the decarbonisation space, investors have to be patient and loyal to help support its potential and for that growth to be commercialised.”

When asked about the management approach that works best for the team, Kodama says JERA Ventures values a “very fluid and flexible” approach, being able to make independent decisions and maintain open communication.

With the time horizon for growing energy tech companies being significantly longer than in many other sectors, Kodama says that JERA Ventures can be a patient investor throughout deep tech’s long journey. The unit is investing a large amount of equity in decarbonisation startups globally over eight to 12 years, before harvesting the investment.

“The reason is simple, the time horizon for these startups to mature could be 10 to 15 years, for example – green hydrogen, ammonia, nuclear fusion and carbon capture,” he says. “With any deep tech startup in the decarbonisation space, investors have to be patient and loyal to help support its potential and for that growth to be commercialised.”

Until March 2024, Kodama was an executive manager and head of business strategy and investment at 31Ventures. Before that he was based at the company’s New York subsidiary, Mitsui Fudosan America, where he served as director of acquisitions. Under his management 31Ventures had grown to manage more than ¥43.5bn ($280m) in capital for direct investments.


The Global Corporate Venturing Powerlist represents the 100 individuals spearheading the future of the corporate venturing industry.

These individuals excel in terms of their venturing approach and structure, number and quality of portfolio companies and in their contributions to the corporate venturing profession.

See the full 2025 Powerlist here.