D4V (Design for Ventures) is a Tokyo-based early-stage venture capital firm that invests in disruptive, consumer and enterprise technology startups

Partnering with the global design company IDEO, D4V provides both hands-on assistance and coaching to help startups create value via human-centered customer experiences and interactions

Learn about D4V’s mission and origin story in this conversation between founders Tom Kelley and Mak Takano

Design in Japanese Start-ups Explore what 153 Japanese start-up managers told us about how they work on design airCloset: A fashion rental service with UX at its core Halu: Designing a Portable Chair for Children of All Abilities Great design creates great businesses Design is at the heart of success strategies for the most valuable technology companies in the world, including the design of offerings, business models, and overall customer experience With a deep understanding of design thinking, D4V helps startups with the practical application of design in pursuit of their goals for product-market fit, revenue growth, and customer satisfaction Our name expresses our commitment to designing for ventures We see design as a powerful enabler and differentiator at all stages of a venture’s life cycle — We collaborate with start-up teams on design sprints to accelerate their progress — We strengthen a start-up’s design research and leverage the value of user interviews — We help companies hire their first designer and expand their capabilities — We coach founding teams on creating a design-driven culture

From seed to Series A, we invest in early stage Japanese consumer and enterprise startups across multiple industries

We focus on the user experience and work together with startups to identify the end users’ needs

We support startups that are passionate about bettering the lives of individuals 
and advancing the interests of society

Our global network informs our point of view on market trends and technologies, even for startups launching initially in Japan

D4V (Design for Ventures) is officially established D4V com launches

D4V closes fundraising for Fund I at JP¥5 3B D4V closes fundraising for Fund II at JP¥5 4B D4V closes fundraising 
for Fund I at JP¥5 3B (~US$50M)

To date, D4V has invested in over 40 companies

7F One Omotesando, 3−5−29 Kita Aoyama, Minato, Tokyo, 107-0061