Reasons I Saw Potential in Kikuvi

Q. When you decided to invest in Kikuvi, what kind of potential did you see?

There are three reasons. First was the impact of the product's completeness. The technology is impressive, and the UX is strong. I felt it would surely deliver good value to customers, and in actual customer interviews, people praised it highly.

Second was the scale of the vision. Beyond interview-based listening, the idea of visualizing the knowledge latent in companies and individuals was excellent.

And third, the team. I felt that having talented people, starting with Mr. Sato, working very hard and at speed was very much in line with the times.

When I saw the product, I was struck by how thoroughly built it was.

Differentiation from Other Players

Q. With many players in this space, what made Kikuvi feel different?

As you said, there are various players both in Japan and overseas. However, the one thing that stood out as decisively different was the underlying philosophy.

The concept of ultimately building a knowledge graph through listening interviews, or gathering context data, or creating knowledge for each industry, each business type, and in some cases even individuals, is extremely interesting. That was the biggest difference I felt.

Trust in the Team

Q. What about Mr. Sato and the team gave you confidence in their ability to execute and their future potential?

High technical capability is a given, so there are two points.

First, the speed is extraordinary. Seeing business development and product development move at a pace I had rarely seen was quite striking. I thought it was a startup that really fit the current AI era.

Second, including the team's background, they have been aiming global from the outset. That is still rare among Japanese startups, and I have very high expectations for their future global expansion.

Seeing business development and product development move at a pace I had rarely seen was remarkable. I thought it was a startup that really fit the AI era.

The Main Reason We Decided to Invest

Q. In one sentence, what was the main reason you decided to invest in Kikuvi?

I felt they had the potential to secure the data platform most needed in the AI era.

As more and more things move toward agentic workflows, knowledge and context become essential. But there is no good way to obtain them. Kikuvi's approach—building a data platform through listening interviews—addresses that. On top of that, whether they do it themselves or other companies do, it creates room for various agentic solutions to emerge. What I was most drawn to was that vision.

I felt they had the potential to secure the data platform most needed in the AI era. I was most drawn to that vision.

Expectations for Kikuvi

Q. What kind of company do you want Kikuvi to become in the future?

There are two. First, I want them to become an organization that holds vast amounts of data that even Google cannot provide. And I want that data to become critical infrastructure in the AI era. I strongly hope they create that position.

Second is global. Most of the team is already overseas, and I want them to succeed by building the business globally, not just in Japan. Those are the two things I hope for.

I hope they create a position where they hold vast amounts of data that even Google cannot provide, and become essential infrastructure in the AI era.