I deploy personal capital into seed-stage founders who aim to build listed companies. Here's how I think about investing, what I look for, and how the process works.
After building ネットマーケティング from zero to a TSE First Section listing and a ¥13.5 billion exit to Bain Capital, I turned to angel investing full-time. My goal isn't just financial returns — it's to stand alongside founders who are building the next generation of listed companies, and to experience the journey with them.
My investment style is "Hands-if" — I'm always available when you need me, without getting in your way. The founder should run the business freely. I step in when asked: capital strategy, IPO preparation, fundraising introductions, organizational challenges.
Primarily seed stage, with selective investments at pre-seed and Series A.
Even before MVP. If you have conviction about the market and a clear thesis, I'm willing to listen. This is where angels like me must step in — because most VCs won't.
My sweet spot. You have early traction or a compelling prototype, and you're ready to raise your first meaningful round. This is where I write the majority of my checks.
I participate in Series A rounds when the company is a strong fit and I can co-invest alongside institutional VCs. Typically as a follow-on to an existing seed investment.
I deploy approximately ¥100M per year across 6 new investments plus follow-on capital for existing portfolio companies.
Two primary thesis areas — Compound SaaS (B2B) and New-Market Platforms (B2C) — plus broad interest across IT/web verticals.
Six core criteria I evaluate before making an investment decision.
I invest in large markets. If the total addressable market won't exceed ¥100 billion within five years, the ceiling is too low for a unicorn outcome.
I'm looking for companies that could reach ¥100B+ valuation. This means aiming for IPO or a transformative outcome — not a modest lifestyle business.
Even at seed, I want to see that you've thought deeply about LTV, CAC, payback period, and the path to profitability at scale.
Can you become the dominant player in your category? I back founders who are building to win their market, not to survive in it.
Great products don't sell themselves. For B2B, I evaluate your sales motion. For B2C, I look at user acquisition and growth strategy.
Above all else — are you honest? Can I trust you? Investing is a long-term relationship, and character is the foundation of everything.
Beyond the business metrics, I evaluate the people behind the company.
Does this founder burn with conviction about the problem they're solving? Passion sustains you through the inevitable dark periods.
Can they see beyond today's challenges to the larger opportunity? Do they think at the scale of the market, not just their current product?
A unique insight into the market combined with deep domain knowledge and a compelling vision for the future.
Can they attract talent, investors, and partners? The best founders have a quality that makes people want to help them succeed.
Solo brilliance isn't enough. Can they build and lead a team? Can they delegate, set culture, and scale beyond themselves?
Can the team recognize when something isn't working and adapt quickly? Startups rarely succeed with Plan A alone.
Speed of execution matters more than perfection at seed stage. I want to see a team that ships, learns, and iterates fast.
Startups are a marathon of sprints. The teams that win are the ones that keep pushing through setbacks with relentless determination.
Not individual heroics — can the team produce results collectively? The best startups have a culture of shared accountability.
I want to be upfront about what falls outside my investment scope so we can both save time.
Businesses built on selling time rather than building scalable products. These can be great businesses, but they don't fit the venture return profile I seek.
If the business is inherently limited to a single region with no path to national or global scale, it doesn't match my thesis.
I need to believe the market is expanding. Competing for share in a shrinking or stagnant market makes the math too difficult.
If you're optimizing purely for a quick flip, or not yet ready to engage in substantive discussions about your business, we're not aligned.
The typical process from initial reach-out to post-investment support.
Submit your pitch through the website form, or reach out via Facebook Messenger. Either way works — just include your company name, stage, and a brief description.
I review your submission against my investment criteria. I aim to respond within 2 weeks with either a meeting invitation or feedback on why it's not a fit.
15 minutes for your pitch, 30 minutes of Q&A, and 15 minutes to discuss next steps. I prefer to understand the founder as much as the business.
If the meeting goes well, I'll request additional materials — financial projections, cap table, detailed market analysis, or customer data as relevant.
I make decisions relatively quickly. As an individual angel, I don't have an investment committee — it's my capital and my conviction.
We agree on terms (typically J-KISS or preferred stock), execute the investment agreement, and I wire the funds.
"Hands-if" begins. I'm available for capital strategy, VC introductions, IPO preparation, organizational challenges, and anything else where my experience is useful.
Selected posts from @an0gel0 that reflect my investment thinking.
If your startup fits the criteria above — a large market, unicorn ambition, strong unit economics thinking, and a founder with integrity — I want to hear from you. Pre-seed to seed, pitch deck or not.