The conglomerate's venture capital unit is preparing a fund sized between $50m and $100m for 2015, and will seek to boost its investments in Southeast Asia.

Itochu Technology Ventures (ITV), the corporate venturing arm of diversified Japan-based trading firm Itochu, is raising a new fund for 2015, director Shinji Asada has told Tech in Asia.

The fund will be sized at between $50m and $100m, and around 30% of the cash will be invested internationally, with Southeast Asia to be a particular focus.

ITV is still investing out of the $54m fund it raised in 2011. That fund also set a 30% target for non-Japanese investments,…