Hike Ventures

Hike Ventures is a venture capital firm based in San Francisco and Tokyo investing in seed-stage artificial intelligence startups in North America, with a focus dating back to 2018. The firm's stated principle is that AI amplifies people rather than simply replacing them, and it looks for companies building on proprietary, real-world operational data that cannot easily be copied, citing portfolio examples working in areas such as medical imaging, wildfire response, shipping, farming, intensive care and policing. It also backs companies building the infrastructure needed for AI agents to operate safely, covering verification, integration, permissions and operations. The firm aims to connect Japanese industry with developments at the front line of North American AI, and its team includes Mikihiro Yasuda and Taka Shoji.