CASE 35 Supporting Habitto Co. Ltd, the first foreign firm to be registered as an intermediary company, for the application for Overseas Financial Corporation Business Establishment Subsidy Program
Managing Partner
Nobu Iguchi
Director, Japan
Yurie Aiura
Great Wave Ventures（https://www.greatwave.vc/） is a U.S.-based venture capital firm focused on accelerating innovation and urban development by investing in startups.
The firm primarily targets startups working in key areas of urban infrastructure, such as real estate and construction.
What distinguishes Great Wave Ventures is its cross-border approach. In addition to investing in U.S. startups, the firm also contributes to promote collaboration and actively connects these innovative ideas with Japanese market, as all its limited partners (LPs) are Japanese companies.
Through this strategy, Great Wave Ventures helps foster the growth of local communities, supporting the creation of sustainability and innovation of urban environments from a global perspective.
Support by Business Development Center TOKYO (BDCT)
- • Support application for Subsidy to Support Base of Operations of Overseas Financial Corporations
(Click here for details: Subsidy to Support Base of Operations of Overseas Financial Corporations)
Reason for choosing to establish the company in Tokyo
Although Japanese startups still have a short history, we believe they have great potential for the future growth.
For this reason, we are further accelerating investment in Japanese startups in addition to U.S.-based startups through our second fund.
We would like to promote co-creation between American and Japanese startups and contribute to the enhancement of Japanese companies' global presence from this process. Additionally, since all our limited partners (LPs) are based in Japan, mostly in Tokyo, we believed that establishing our headquarters in Tokyo was important.
User feedback on BDCT services
We learned about the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's subsidy program and BDCT's services from one of our acquaintances. We then contacted BDCT by email, and the response to our inquiry was very prompt, which left a particularly strong impression on us. From arranging meetings to providing support in preparing application documents, everything was handled with care and speed.
In this subsidy application process, we were unsure about how to fill in the application documents and necessary materials, but BDCT provided clear and well-organized information on what documents were required, which was very helpful.
Also, the prompt responses to our questions allowed us to proceed by organizing the information as we went along. Thanks to the detailed guidance, we were able to complete the application with confidence, and we are deeply grateful for their support. I believe it would have been challenging to handle this on our own.
Additionally, BDCT consultants' advice based on their expertise and experience was helpful as well. They provided tailored advice and information related to our market.
We would like to continue using subsidies in the future and would like to consult with BDCT.
With more companies establishing bases in Tokyo, we believe that the city as a whole is becoming more vibrant. For companies considering expanding into Tokyo, we think consulting with BDCT would be a good first step to get things moving smoothly.
Outlook for future business development
We plan to strengthen our activities in Japan, with Tokyo as our base, and strengthen cooperation between our two bases in the United States and Japan.
As we expand our business will thrive to work as the leader of innovative urban planning by enhancing the collaboration between startups and our LPs.