Innovation Network Corporation of Japan

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Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ) is a government-backed public-private partnership. It was created on July 27, 2009, to boost Japan’s competitiveness by promoting open innovation and supporting next‑generation technologies with capital and management help. The private side comes from 19 major Japanese companies, and the organization is supervised by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI).

In 2018, INCJ was reorganized and became a subsidiary of Japan Investment Corporation (JIC). Its headquarters are in Tokyo, and the current CEO is Kimikazu Noumi with Haruyasu Asakura as COO.

INCJ has 112 billion yen in capital. The government provides guarantees up to 1,800 billion yen for its investments, giving INCJ an overall investment capacity of about 1.9 trillion yen (roughly US$24 billion). Of the 112 billion yen, the government contributes 102 billion yen, and the 19 major companies together contribute about 10 billion yen (each around 500 million yen, except the Development Bank of Japan which contributes 1 billion yen).

The goal is to create an open innovation ecosystem—funding startups, small and mid-sized firms, and large companies—to develop new technologies and help Japanese firms become global leaders through smart investments and strategic guidance.