Allen Miner
About Allen Miner
Miner graduated from Brigham Young University with degrees in Computer Science and Asian Studies. He joined Oracle in 1986 and was sent to Japan, where he founded and helped lead Oracle Japan through its IPO on the Japanese stock market. In 1996 he returned to the US as Oracle's Vice President in charge of Linux/Open Source.
In 1999 he founded SunBridge, a group that helps enterprise software and SaaS companies enter Japan, including Salesforce, Concur and Marketo. He later set up the Venture Habitat startup spaces in Tokyo (2000), Palo Alto (2008) and Osaka (2010). He was appointed to the board of the Japan Venture Capital Association when it was founded in 2002.
He is also listed as co-founder and chairman of Japan Cloud, founding partner of Global Hands-On VC, chairman and CEO of Insight Technology, and founder and president of the Miner Foundation. Forbes and Always On have named him among the world's top 100 technology investors.
Crunchbase lists 19 personal investments for Miner. CB Insights and PitchBook list fewer, and the counts differ by database. SunBridge and Miner were early backers of Japanese companies including Macromill, ITmedia and G-Mode, according to his speaker biography.
Recent angel rounds include Michroma's $6.4M seed in February 2023, where he is named among the angel investors in the company's announcement. CB Insights also lists a March 2023 Series C in favy.
The Lounge deals desk lists U-ZERO Seed, ¥950M, in July 2026. Crunchbase also shows U-ZERO's seed round with Miner among five investors. Earlier investments in data and machine-learning-related companies include Splice Machine, which Crunchbase tags under Artificial Intelligence, and Motion Gestures. AngelMatch lists Machine Learning among the sectors in his portfolio. Round sizes and his own check amounts are not public.
His public record centers on software, cloud computing and enterprise IT, with a strong Japan and Silicon Valley connection. His portfolio also includes food and consumer companies such as Michroma, Umami United and favy. Stages in the public record range from pre-seed and seed to Series B and C. Miner has not published a check size or a formal investment thesis that we could find.
- U-ZERO: seed round of ¥950M listed on the Lounge deals desk in July 2026.
- Michroma: food-coloring biotech company; Miner was one of the angels in its $6.4M seed, announced in 2023.
- favy: Japanese company; Series C in March 2023 per CB Insights.
- Splice Machine: data platform for intelligent applications; Series B investor per Crunchbase.
- Motion Gestures: seed investor per Crunchbase.
- Umami United: pre-seed investor in January 2023 per CB Insights.
- Salesforce Japan: Miner built the Japan joint venture with SunBridge in 1999 and sits on its board.
- crunchbase.com/person/allen-miner
- pitchbook.com/profiles/investor/106113-79
- cbinsights.com/investor/allen-miner
- hlf-giant-grenoble.org/speaker/allen-miner
- japancloud.jp/en/team/allen-miner
- prnewswire.com/news-releases/michroma-closes-6-4-million-seed-round-to
- angelmatch.io/investors/allen-miner
- crunchbase.com/organization/splice-machine/financial_details
Investing activity
Allen Miner appears in 1 AI deal tracked by the Lounge deals desk. The rounds are mostly Seed, with a median round size of $6M. The most recent is U-ZERO (Seed, ¥950M, Jul 2026).
Allen Miner most often invests alongside Global Hands-On VC, Masao Hirano, Fujitsu Ventures Limited and Mike Eberhard, and the companies they back on Lounge are mostly in AI.
Deals
Frequently asked questions about Allen Miner
Who is Allen Miner?
Allen Miner founded SunBridge and previously led Oracle Japan. He now invests as an angel and holds roles at Japan Cloud, Global Hands-On VC and Insight Technology.
Has Allen Miner invested in AI startups?
Yes. The Lounge deals desk lists his participation in the U-ZERO seed round of ¥950M in July 2026. Earlier data and machine-learning-related investments include Splice Machine.
What is Allen Miner's check size?
He has not published a check size. Third-party databases show round sizes but not his own amounts.
What stage does Allen Miner invest in?
His public record includes pre-seed, seed and Series B and C rounds. His angel deals are mostly early-stage.
Does Allen Miner invest outside Japan?
Yes. He has backed US companies such as Splice Machine and Michroma, which is in the US and Argentina, as well as Japanese companies.
How can founders contact Allen Miner?
His LinkedIn profile is linked on this page. We found no public X account or personal site.
Is Allen Miner an angel investor?
Yes. Allen Miner invests personally as an angel.
What AI companies has Allen Miner invested in?
Allen Miner's AI investments include U-ZERO. The 1 round on Lounge are listed on this page with amounts, dates and co-investors.
What stage does Allen Miner invest at?
In the rounds tracked on Lounge, Allen Miner has invested at Seed, with a median round of $6M.
Who does Allen Miner co-invest with?
Allen Miner's most frequent co-investors on Lounge are Global Hands-On VC (1 deal), Masao Hirano (1 deal), Fujitsu Ventures Limited (1 deal) and Mike Eberhard (1 deal).