Sun* raised additional 1 billion Yen, successfully completing a financing round of 2 billion Yen

Sun* Inc. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Legal Representative: Mr. Kobayashi Taihei) has successfully raised capital by 1 billion Yen by issuing shares to 3rd parties as new investors and mobilizing loans from financial institutions. Combined with the amount previously raised from Norinchukin Bank, the total amount of funds raised this time has reached 2 billion yen (equivalent to 18.5 million USD).

At the same time, we will continue to maintain a good and strong cooperative relationship with investing organizations and businesses and will post new announcements whenever appropriate.

Investors in this mobilization :

Norinchukin Bank, Sony Network Communications Inc., Innovation Growth FundⅠL.P., Kaga Electronics Co., Ltd., Leave a Nest Capital Co., Ltd., 15th Rock Ventures Ltd.

Loan mobilization activities in 2019:

Mizuho Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Bank, Shoko Chukin Bank, Kiraboshi Bank, Chiba Bank, Musashino Bank

Founded in 2012, Sun* is a Digital Creative Studio with over 1500 software engineers and designers in 6 provinces in 4 countries around the world. With the mission of “Create radical products and businesses with people who actually care about what they do”, focusing on activities supporting Start-ups, so far we have supported the establishment and successful development of products and services for more than 300 businesses.

In addition, through collaboration with leading universities to organize high quality information technology (IT) classes, or with IT educational institutions in Japan etc. we have regularly and continuously trained more than 2000 IT professionals.

In recent years, there has been a necessity in the DX(Digital Transformation) market to use digital technology to create new business models and improve business operation processes.  

When simply thinking about DX, which is the main focus for many businesses, it can be put as digitalization of the current business and work flow. However at Sun*, we are not only trying to improve operational efficiency. We think that it is important to propose “Business structure reform that leads to business development” to our partners who are working on DX and prove that their sustainable development is the benefit of their digitalization.

From supporting business development of more than 300 companies, we have gained the knowledge of new business creation methods and a growth supporting service development platform. We are planning to use this knowledge to further develop our business to create new services and values and promote digitizations in industries and remove the barrier between startups and enterprises. 

By becoming the strongest infrastructure to create new values, Sun* evokes the creative enthusiasm that everyone has harbored since birth and strives towards realizing the vision of “World where everyone has freedom to make awesome things that matter”.

The purpose of raising capital:

With the funds raised this time, Sun* will use it mainly for the following purposes:

Programs to develop technological human resources in other countries

Generating Startups, increasing investment

Strengthening the Creative Studio development foundation

Comments from our investors: 

Sony Network Communications Inc.

Sony Network Communications is Sony Group’s information service provider, providing services such as NURO Hikari exceptionally high-speed Internet etc. In recent years with the acceleration of Internet of Things (IoT) and efforts in new business sectors, we have introduced artificial intelligence into Smart Home services, health care services, and provided services using Sony AI technology such as forecasting analysis tools, Deep Learning development tools, image analysis services for manufacturing industry. At this point, we will continue to grow our business, expanding our business using AI. I look forward to working with Sun* members  to create new values together.

[About Sony Network Communications: https://www.sonynetwork.co.jp/]

Mr. Tsuchikawa Gen, CEO of Sony Innovation Fund by IGV (Innovation Growth Ventures ⅠL.P.)

Amid a society developing rapidly, demanding businesses to respond promptly, Sun* is a company that meets the needs of the times, providing a full range of services to realize that: from supply to human resources training, from business idea proposals to development. We have great expectations for the tremendous growth of Sun*.

[About Innovation Growth Ventures: http://www.sonyinnovationfund.com/]

Mr. Ikegami Masahiro, CEO of Leave A Nest Capital

At Leave A Nest Group, one of our core businesses is to facilitate startup support projects, such as “TechPlanter”, we have made many investments to expand new businesses and support startups that focus on R&D and manufacturing. This time, with an investment from Leave A Nest Capital, we hope that strengthening cooperation with highly proficient creators and engineers from Sun* will accelerate the realization of ideas and business domains created from the knowledge base of Leave A Nest.

[About Leave A Nest Capital: https://lne.st/]

Mr. Minamoto Takeshi, Founder of 15th Rock Ventures

We are big fans of Sun*. We are extremely excited to have the opportunity to cooperate with you. The image of Sun* members always full of energy and working excitedly inspires us to once again realize that no matter how much the times change, how much science and technology have developed, the core of the company is still human. This time when considering the investment, I was surprised at the strong growth of your company. But at the same time also immediately understood that this was definitely a testament to the appeal of your “Sun* people” being conveyed to customers with certainty. I look forward to Sun* gaining more admirers by honing its power to become its corporate culture.

[About 15th Rock Ventures: https://www.15th-rock.com/]