Founder of Robot Startup Bought by Google Eyes Hidden Japan Gems

Lock
This article is for subscribers only.

Takashi Kato, co-founder of the robot venture Schaft Inc. bought by Google Inc. in November, opened a fund to invest in technologies from Japanese startups and universities that have been overlooked by investors.

Kato’s 246 Capital plans to raise about 2 billion yen ($19 million) in the next six months mostly from wealthy Japanese, he said during an interview at Bloomberg News’s Tokyo office yesterday. The fund will focus on biotechnology and energy efficiency.