NUJP Inc. Completes Fundraising of Approximately 100 Million Yen

NUJP Inc. (Headquarters: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Kenta Goto; hereinafter "NUJP") announces the completion of a fundraising totaling approximately 100 million yen. This includes a third-party allotment of new shares to Incubate Fund and DRG Fund, as well as a loan from the Japan Finance Corporation. With these funds, NUJP will strengthen its investment in and hands-on support for Japanese SME brands with unique appeal, promoting their business growth in overseas markets.

Background of the Fundraising

Japan is home to a vast number of products that have been refined over long periods—craftsmanship, regionally rooted brands, and products with unique aesthetics and narratives.

In recent years, these brands and products have once again attracted attention from outside Japan.

However, many of them face challenges such as lack of successors, shortage of management talent, shrinking domestic markets, and insufficient expertise in overseas expansion. As a result, numerous businesses that possess value capable of captivating people worldwide are unable to fully seize growth opportunities and struggle to pass their legacy to the next generation.

NUJP aims to address these challenges by providing integrated support in investment & M&A, management assistance, and overseas sales channel development. We are committed to connecting the potential of Japan’s carefully nurtured brands to the future and expanding them globally. This fundraising aims to accelerate these initiatives.

Future Initiatives

With the funds raised, NUJP will accelerate the following initiatives:

- Succession of businesses through investment and M&A in promising Japanese brands and ventures

- Recruitment of talent to strengthen management systems, provide operational support, and assist with overseas expansion for portfolio companies

- Building sales channels and networks in overseas markets

Leveraging our expertise in M&A execution, management consulting for global enterprises, and overseas sales and marketing support, we will refine the quality, philosophy, and cultural background of Japan-origin brands into compelling narratives for international markets, supporting their sustainable growth.

NUJP’s Vision

NUJP envisions a world where Japan-origin brands are loved and admired by people around the globe.

To achieve this, we aim to become a platform that sends Japan’s cultural enterprises to the world. We will provide investment, management support, and overseas expansion assistance to Japanese brands and businesses with unique technologies, philosophies, and cultural backgrounds, creating systems that enable them to thrive in global markets while preserving their individual appeal.

We will build a new foundation that ensures Japan’s culture continues to live on globally and remains beloved by people—preserving both new challenges and inherited aspirations for future generations.

Current Initiatives (Selected Examples)

1) Investment and Growth Acceleration Support for a Domestic Fashion Brand

NUJP has invested in a fashion brand founded by a Japanese creator with roots in New York, providing hands-on support including brand strategy, sales channel enhancement, e-commerce operations, and pop-up store expansions. Moving forward, the company plans to strengthen its domestic sales foundation while exploring expansion into overseas markets, particularly in Asia.

2) Overseas Expansion Support for a Traditional Sake Brand

NUJP is supporting a century-old sake brewery based in Yamanashi Prefecture, assisting with business planning for overseas expansion, refining its brand story, and creating opportunities for business negotiations. By jointly participating in trade shows and business events related to international expansion, NUJP is expanding connections with local buyers and potential partners, recontextualizing the value of Japan’s sake culture for overseas markets.

3) Investment, Branding, and Overseas Expansion Support for a Japanese Craft Gin Brand

NUJP has invested in a brand that plans and sells Japanese craft gin, supporting product concept development, branding, sales strategy, and overseas expansion. While leveraging uniquely Japanese ingredients and narratives, the goal is to introduce a new generation of Japanese craft gin that resonates with international consumers.

Fashion Brand | Sake Brand | Japanese Craft Gin Brand

Investor Comments

Masahiko Honma, Representative Partner, Incubate Fund

Brands backed by Japanese culture and craftsmanship possess global potential. However, many have not fully realized their value due to shortages in management talent and overseas expansion expertise. Founder Kenta Goto, who led international marketing at Sony and honed his execution skills in M&A and business transformation through consulting, is a rare talent. Together with a team of global professionals from companies like Sony and Amazon, NUJP has assembled a powerful team capable of high-level value creation and overseas expansion. We will fully support the emergence of a globally recognized group of Japanese brands.

Ryu Kusakabe, General Partner, DRG Fund

NUJP Inc. provides integrated investment, management, and overseas expansion support to outstanding brands and cultural industries across Japan, aiming to maximize value through the globalization of Japan-origin companies.

Many Japanese brands possess world-class quality, uniqueness, and cultural depth but have been unable to fully demonstrate their value due to challenges in overseas expansion and management structure.

DRG Fund strongly resonates with NUJP’s vision of 'illuminating Japan’s cultural assets in global markets,' as well as the management team’s global perspective and execution capability, led by Mr. Goto. We are proud to announce our investment.

Through this investment, we will support NUJP’s brand investments, M&A activities, overseas expansion initiatives, and organizational strengthening, working together with the management and employees to build an ecosystem where Japan-origin brands can achieve sustainable global growth.

CEO Statement

Kenta Goto, Representative Director, NUJP Inc.

I spent much of my life before becoming a working adult overseas. Growing up in environments with few Japanese people, Japanese manufacturing brands such as automobiles and electronics were a source of pride and identity for me. At the same time, I have witnessed the gradual decline in global influence of these once-dominant Japanese manufacturing brands, which left me with a deep sense of loss.

However, today, Japanese-origin value is once again gaining global attention—not in manufacturing, but in food, art, fashion, IP content, and lifestyle. I believe Japan is entering an era where we no longer simply sell 'products,' but deliver 'culture'—the ideas, stories, aesthetics, and trust behind them—to the world.

In Japan, there are numerous brands and businesses with compelling products and stories that remain largely unknown overseas due to barriers in language, culture, sales channels, and management resources. NUJP will provide integrated investment, management, and overseas expansion support to these Japan-origin brands, delivering their value to global markets. In doing so, we aim to create a new Japanese cultural economy that captures the world’s attention.

Company Overview

Company Name: NUJP Inc. Headquarters: 3-chome Nishigotanda, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo