Ecrowd

Ecrowd Inc., established in July 2018 by Naohiko Hatae, operates as a pivotal financial technology platform in Japan's startup ecosystem. The firm addresses a critical gap in the venture funding landscape by connecting individual investors with startups, thereby democratizing access to venture investment opportunities.

The company was founded by Naohiko Hatae, who serves as the CEO. His journey into the venture capital world was sparked during his time at CyberAgent, where he experienced firsthand the challenge of competing with venture-backed companies. This insight, coupled with his subsequent roles at CyberAgent Ventures and XTech Ventures, where he invested in a diverse portfolio of tech companies, directly shaped Ecrowd's mission. Hatae's co-founder, Seiichi Totsuka, brings a wealth of experience from the traditional finance sector, having started his career as a securities analyst at Daiwa Securities before moving into business planning and alliance negotiations.

Ecrowd's core business is its equity crowdfunding platform, which allows non-listed companies to raise capital from a large pool of individual investors online. This model serves two primary client groups: startups in need of capital and individual investors seeking to support and financially benefit from early-stage companies. For startups, the platform offers an alternative fundraising route that is often faster and more streamlined than traditional methods. For investors, it provides access to professionally vetted, high-growth-potential ventures, with investment minimums starting from around 100,000 JPY. Revenue is generated through the facilitation of these investment transactions on its platform.

The company operates two distinct services tailored to different stages of a startup's life cycle. The flagship "Ecrowd" service focuses on seed and early-stage companies, utilizing a crowdfunding model. In a move to expand its offerings, the company launched "Ecrowd NEXT," a members-only fund targeting mid- to late-stage startups that are planning for an IPO. This dual-platform approach allows Ecrowd to support companies across their growth trajectory, from inception to pre-IPO. As of early 2025, the company has facilitated over 1 billion JPY in funding for approximately 40 companies and has secured 570 million JPY in its own funding to fuel the development of new services.

Keywords: equity crowdfunding, venture investment, startup financing, individual investors, angel investment, fintech platform, seed funding, early-stage ventures, pre-IPO, financial technology, capital raising, Japan startups, venture capital alternative, online investment, asset management, growth capital, startup ecosystem, investment platform, private equity, alternative investments