Capital Without Borders? How US, European, and Japanese Investors Are Navigating the New Geopolitics of Innovation
The rules of cross-border innovation investment are being rewritten in real time. The US-Japan $550 billion strategic investment fund is channeling capital into semiconductors, AI, and critical minerals. The EU Chips Act and AI Act are creating new regulatory corridors — and barriers. Japan is quadrupling its AI and semiconductor budget while global investors rediscover Japanese deep tech as an undervalued frontier.
For venture investors operating across these three corridors, the old playbook no longer applies. Tariff negotiations shape deal flow. Export controls redraw supply chains. And a persistent "value-quality mismatch" — where Japanese startups with world-class IP attract lower valuations than comparable US peers — creates both opportunity and friction.
This Strategy Dialogue brings together investors actively deploying capital across the US, Europe, and Japan to address the questions that matter most: Where is cross-border capital actually flowing? What makes partnerships across these corridors succeed or fail? And in a world of increasing geopolitical fragmentation, is borderless innovation still possible — or do we need a new model?
Speakers
Andy is a General Partner at Wavemaker Partners. He leads the firm's early-stage fund, Wavemaker Ventures, working closely with the investment team and founders from fundraising to scaling. He also...
Masaru (Mas) Sakamoto has been with BGV since 2018 and currently serves as a Partner. He is a seasoned professional with a diverse background in international business development, strategic...
DNX Ventures is a US-Japan early-stage venture capital fund specializing in B2B investments. Collaborating with over 30 Japanese corporate partners, DNX is dedicated to identifying and supporting B2B...
Lauren Nham leads strategy and corporate development at Woven by Toyota, the software and investment arm of Toyota Motor Corporation building mobility platforms, automated driving, and smart city...
Tiffine Wang is the founder of Onsen Global, which works with corporations and family offices across Silicon Valley, Asia, and Europe on strategy and capital deployment around emerging AI...
Ian Huang is the Founding Partner of Good People Ventures (GPV), a pre-seed and seed-stage venture firm driven by the collective investing of founder-investors. He also serves as the CFO of Gogolook...