Key Takeaways
- • Emi Yoshikawa, former Ripple VP and architect of Ripple's Japan strategy, has launched Across Ventures Fund I with $100 million in capital anchored by SBI Holdings, Japan's major financial conglomerate.
- • The fund targets early-stage Silicon Valley startups in artificial intelligence, fintech, blockchain, and deep tech, functioning as a fund-of-funds structure focused on micro VC investments.
- • SBI Holdings will serve as anchor limited partner and provide operational support including deal sourcing, investment review, and leverage of its enterprise network to connect Japanese corporations with traditionally difficult-to-access U.S. startups.
- • The initiative deepens SBI Holdings' existing relationship with Ripple and signals institutional capital flow from Japan into U.S. crypto and blockchain innovation at a time when Japanese financial institutions are actively adopting XRP for cross-border payments.
Summary
Emi Yoshikawa, former Vice President at Ripple who previously built Ripple's Japan strategy, has launched a $100 million fund of funds called Across Ventures Fund I with backing from SBI Holdings. Yoshikawa founded and will serve as managing partner of Across Ventures, the Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm leading the initiative. The fund structure targets approximately $100 million in capital with SBI Holdings committed as anchor limited partner upon formal launch.
The fund focuses on diversified investments across specialized micro venture capital firms with exposure to high-growth sectors including artificial intelligence, fintech, blockchain, and climate technology. The initiative explicitly aims to bridge Japanese corporations with early-stage U.S. startups that have traditionally been difficult for Japanese institutional investors to access. This positioning capitalizes on Yoshikawa's established relationships and operational expertise in both the Japanese financial sector and Silicon Valley innovation ecosystems.
SBI Holdings' participation extends beyond capital commitment. The Japanese financial giant will support operational aspects of the fund, including deal sourcing and investment review processes, while leveraging its broad enterprise network to facilitate connections between Japanese corporations and portfolio companies. This strategic approach mirrors SBI's broader institutional investment thesis, as the conglomerate has maintained longstanding ties with Ripple and has actively launched token issuance platforms on the XRP Ledger for blockchain-based payment services.
The timing reflects accelerating adoption of blockchain infrastructure in Japan's financial sector. According to concurrent reporting, Japanese financial institutions have demonstrated pilot data showing cross-border payments using XRP settling 60% cheaper than SWIFT and completing in under four seconds—results presented at the XRP Tokyo 2026 conference in early April. This fund launch represents an institutional capital vehicle designed to capture innovation momentum across crypto and deep technology sectors while strengthening commercial bridges between Japanese enterprises and U.S. startups.
The fund focuses on diversified investments across specialized micro venture capital firms with exposure to high-growth sectors including artificial intelligence, fintech, blockchain, and climate technology. The initiative explicitly aims to bridge Japanese corporations with early-stage U.S. startups that have traditionally been difficult for Japanese institutional investors to access. This positioning capitalizes on Yoshikawa's established relationships and operational expertise in both the Japanese financial sector and Silicon Valley innovation ecosystems.
SBI Holdings' participation extends beyond capital commitment. The Japanese financial giant will support operational aspects of the fund, including deal sourcing and investment review processes, while leveraging its broad enterprise network to facilitate connections between Japanese corporations and portfolio companies. This strategic approach mirrors SBI's broader institutional investment thesis, as the conglomerate has maintained longstanding ties with Ripple and has actively launched token issuance platforms on the XRP Ledger for blockchain-based payment services.
The timing reflects accelerating adoption of blockchain infrastructure in Japan's financial sector. According to concurrent reporting, Japanese financial institutions have demonstrated pilot data showing cross-border payments using XRP settling 60% cheaper than SWIFT and completing in under four seconds—results presented at the XRP Tokyo 2026 conference in early April. This fund launch represents an institutional capital vehicle designed to capture innovation momentum across crypto and deep technology sectors while strengthening commercial bridges between Japanese enterprises and U.S. startups.
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