Co-managed by Innoh Associates, the CVC unit will operate for seven years and back strategic areas such as marketing, retail, energy and AI.

The $11.4m fund will be co-managed by M&A consultancy Paradigm Shift, and it is part of the funeral firm’s 70th anniversary business plan.

The IT conglomerate’s $64m CVC subsidiary has made its first impact investment in microfinance service Gojo & Company.

Taiho’s Japanese university spinout-focused CVC arm’s capital injection came five months after its US sister unit got an additional $100m.

PanasonicWell appointed Christie Pitts to identify family-oriented investment, partnership and M&A opportunities.

Merck Group and Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology’s MoU will entail M Ventures helping grow South Korea’s ecosystem.

In association with Tokyo Metro Government, the consulting firm will match corporate investors and startups based in the Japanese capital.

Having invested in 16 companies and scored two exits, the firm’s new investment vehicle will continue to back edtech startups.

UB Ventures’ new fund secured capital from its parent company, Wistron’s Wise Cap subsidiary, banks and other investors.

AI, fintech, sustainability and other startups wanting to work with corporations should consider these accelerator programmes run by ABB Robotics, IAG, TSB, AG and Cemex.