Driving the Evolution of Investment Management with a Decade of Experience

Founded in 2016, SIF was launched as the Sony Group's corporate venture capital (CVC) fund, initially investing in startups using capital from the Sony Group. It later expanded its investment framework to include funds backed by external investors, while also investing in startups around the world and promoting collaboration between portfolio companies and Sony Group businesses.
In 2021, Sony Ventures Corporation was established as a wholly owned subsidiary to advance fund management as a business within Sony Group. Today, a dedicated investment team centered on Sony Ventures leads SIF's investment activities and supports the growth of its portfolio companies.

To date, SIF has invested in approximately 220 companies worldwide and continues to support about 170 portfolio companies. Under Hadano's leadership, SIF is further advancing its investment management capabilities by leveraging the knowledge and data accumulated over nearly a decade of activities.
"When we manage capital entrusted to us by external investors, it is our duty to deliver returns on those investments. After reflecting on our performance so far, I believed we still had further room for improvement," Hadano recalls.

Startup investments often take time to produce results. By analyzing past investment performance and other data, Hadano combined SIF's accumulated knowledge and experience with statistical approaches, aiming for a more advanced investment decision-making and portfolio management system.

Using this type of analysis, SIF narrowed its investment scope, which had previously been broadly split across a wide area, to six sectors* where it can best leverage Sony Group's strengths. This also enabled SIF to allocate more capital to opportunities in which it had higher conviction. "We focus not only on returns, but also on how to optimize risk management across the portfolio as a whole. As our data analysis has shown, combining and overlapping different sectors allows us to dramatically reduce risk," explains Hadano.

A Road to Value Creation and Growth Past Investing

Another major transformation has been SIF's increased focus on post-investment value creation.
Analysis of past investments revealed that creating opportunities for collaboration between Sony Group business units and the startups invested in by SIF significantly improves investment performance.
As a result, SIF revised its approach to investment decision-making by first seeking input from Sony Group business units and considering any potential future collaborations. "A major factor in our investment decisions is whether the investment target can work together with one of our business units," emphasizes Hadano.

To assist with this investment strategy, SIF is strengthening its connections to organizations within Sony Group through talent exchanges, welcoming members from business units into SIF and having SIF members take on concurrent roles in Sony Group businesses. "To promote collaboration with the businesses, it is essential to understand who the key stakeholders are, who is closest to the business, and where the expertise lies," says Hadano. "Having team members hold concurrent roles in the business units dramatically improves that level of visibility."

SIF's defining characteristic, however, is that its activities extend beyond both startup investment and post-investment value creation. SIF leverages the knowledge and networks it has built through its investment activities to support strategic investments, M&A decisions, and corporate incubation initiatives that transform technologies and business ideas originating within Sony Group into independent businesses outside the company.
"Rather than treating investing as a goal in and of itself, what's important is to instead use it as a starting point to create new businesses and value, and then connect that to further growth," says Hadano.

A Global Team Connecting a Co-Creation Ecosystem

With investments spanning North America, Europe, Africa, India, and other regions around the world, SIF has long maintained teams in key markets around the world. More recently, however, SIF has started to proactively rotate talent across its offices. This initiative reflects Hadano's belief that sharing regional knowledge and experience to bridge differences in perspective between those regions will strengthen the organization as a whole.

Leading investments in the entertainment sector from London, Hiroshi Matsushima reports that he can identify trends unobservable through data alone by observing local fashion, the character merchandise people carry, Japanese manga on bookstore shelves, and the audiences at live events. "Because I also work with the music business, I attend many performances by Japanese artists in the region. Being there allows me to see which audiences they resonate with in the UK and the level of excitement they elicit firsthand."

Scott Shane, who was accustomed to commuting by car in Los Angeles, says that his experience commuting by train and bus since relocating to Tokyo has given him new insights.
"It was hard to get used to Tokyo's crowded trains at first, but over time my daily commute has led me to new observations. Seeing so many people enjoying games, anime, and manga on their smartphones helped me understand the kinds of entertainment people in Japan consume in their everyday lives, while also giving me a close-up appreciation for the strong interest in mobile gaming, anime, and manga."

Successful investment and value creation requires not only evaluating new technologies and business models, but also a keen understanding of consumers which is often difficult to express with data alone. Living in a given market and observing people's behavior firsthand can provide valuable clues for new business opportunities.

What "Being There" Makes Possible

In addition to understanding local markets and trends, it is equally important to build relationships rooted in local customs and cultures.

"In my experience, introductions often quickly lead to action and progress in business settings in the US. In Japan, by contrast, greater emphasis is placed on building trust over time through repeated face-to-face communication. Taking the time to build relationships and trust in ways that align with local business practices helps us gain a deeper understanding of business needs and identify the right investment opportunities," says Shane.

Yoko Fukata, who is based in Bengaluru, has likewise seen the importance of localized communication cultures. "India is a growth market with a young talent pool and a vibrant startup ecosystem, where many entrepreneurs have their sights on global markets from the outset. There is a strong culture of direct dialogue and being here enables close communication with entrepreneurs and local business units."

"SIF's continued local presence demonstrates its commitment to the startup community, helping to build trust and leading to deeper access to the information needed for us to do our due diligence," Fukata adds.

Creating opportunities for co-creation also requires startups and Sony Group business units to begin the process of understanding one another and building relationships well before investment decisions are made. For promising companies and opportunities for collaboration, SIF begins the dialogue with both prospective investment targets and Sony's business units as early as possible, introducing startups to relevant business units before formally discussing investments. In some cases, a proof-of-concept (PoC) is prepared even before formal investment discussions begin.

"Japanese companies are looking to the US for business opportunities, while US startups are seeking access to Asian markets. Instead of simply providing capital, SIF can serve as a genuine bridge between the two markets," Shane says. SIF maintains open communication while carefully aligning expectations and timelines between startups and Sony Group business units. "Even if a collaboration doesn't move forward immediately, reconnecting the two sides when circumstances change can create new opportunities," adds Shane.

Creating Further Value

Over the past decade, SIF has expanded from investment to connect Sony Group business units to startups and talent around the world. Examples of the collaborations and value created through SIF's activities will be showcased at the Sony Group booth at CEATEC 2026, taking place at Makuhari Messe from October 13 to 16, 2026. We invite you to visit the exhibit and learn more.

SIF will continue connecting knowledge and building networks from around the world, creating more opportunities for the Sony Group and startups to leverage their respective strengths, transforming ideas into new businesses and lasting value.