Insignia Ventures Partners and the Iwate prefectural government are crafting a plan to create a startup hub in Iwate Prefecture by drawing international talent into the broader Tohoku region -- a development the two sides hope will lead to increased investment in Japan by fast-growing Southeast Asian economies.
Yinglan Tan, founding managing partner of Insignia Ventures Partners, and Iwate Gov.
Takuya Tasso are scheduled to sign an agreement for the project on the sidelines of the Iwate International Convention, set to take place from Oct.
29-30 in Morioka, the prefectural capital.
However, the two sides have yet to decide on a date to open the hub.
Founded in 2017, Insignia Ventures Partners has invested in more than 90 companies in Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore and Taiwan, among other markets, and manages 1 billion Singapore dollars ($780 million) in assets.
The firm and the Iwate government started talks on the project after Tan and Tasso met during the Summer Davos forum in Dalian, northeastern China, in 2024.
Tan said the academy aims to train young people from Southeast Asia and Japan to serve as a bridge between the two regions by combining knowledge of Japanese business....
