Shinnosuke Honjo
About Shinnosuke Honjo
Shinnosuke Honjo was born in 1972 in Hokkaido. He studied at Keio University, in the Faculty of Policy Management and then the graduate school of Media and Governance. He is described as one of the founders of Rakuten.
While job hunting he met Hiroshi Mikitani and joined the company that became Rakuten, then called MDM. As a director he helped build the Rakuten Ichiba marketplace. He became executive vice president in 1999.
In 2002 he moved from vice president to director and set up a preparatory company for education work. He left Rakuten in March 2005. He then served two years as principal of Higashiyamata Junior High School in Yokohama, a public school. He now chairs the Karuizawa Kazakoshi Gakuen school foundation. His school profile says he has publicly said he will step down in March 2032.
Public data on his angel activity is thin. CB Insights lists two investments for him. The latest is the Series C of Life is Tech in November 2019, alongside Dai-ichi Life, ITOCHU Technology Ventures, Pegasus Tech Ventures and others. The other is a Series B dated April 2018. The company name for that one is not visible without a subscription, so it is left out here. He has made no public statement we could find on check size or investment criteria.
The Lounge deals desk records one AI round for him: MW Seed, $18.7M (JPY 3,000.0M), June 2026. We did not find a public announcement that confirms the company's product, his role in the round or his own check size, so we do not state them. Founders should not read the round total as his personal investment.
He has no public investment thesis, stated stage preference or check size. The only public data points are the seed round on Lounge and the Series B and Series C rounds listed by CB Insights. Geography is likely Japan, given his background, but he has not said so. Ask him directly before assuming a focus.
- MW: AI round on the Lounge deals desk, $18.7M (JPY 3,000.0M) seed, June 2026.
- Life is Tech: Series C of about $13.79M in November 2019, listed by CB Insights, with co-investors including Dai-ichi Life and Pegasus Tech Ventures.
Investing activity
Shinnosuke Honjo appears in 1 AI deal tracked by the Lounge deals desk, rounds totalling $19M. The rounds are mostly Seed, with a median round size of $19M. The most recent is MW (Seed, $18.7M (JPY 3,000.0M), Jun 2026).
Shinnosuke Honjo most often invests alongside SMBC Edge, Spiral Regional Innovation Fund, Lo Enterprises and Spiral Ventures, and the companies they back on Lounge are mostly in AI.
Deals
Frequently asked questions about Shinnosuke Honjo
Who is Shinnosuke Honjo?
He is a Japanese businessperson born in 1972 who co-founded Rakuten and served as its executive vice president. He now chairs the Karuizawa Kazakoshi Gakuen school foundation.
Has Shinnosuke Honjo invested in AI startups?
The Lounge deals desk lists one AI round with him, the MW Seed round of $18.7M (JPY 3,000.0M) in June 2026. We found no other public AI investments.
What is Shinnosuke Honjo's check size?
It is not public. We found no statement from him on check size, and the round totals on Lounge are not his personal cheque.
What stage does Shinnosuke Honjo invest in?
He has no stated stage preference. CB Insights lists a Series B (2018) and a Series C (2019) investment, and Lounge lists a seed round in 2026.
Where can founders contact Shinnosuke Honjo?
We found no public LinkedIn, X or personal site that we could confirm. Founders may try a warm introduction through the Japanese startup community or Rakuten alumni.
Is Shinnosuke Honjo an angel investor?
Yes. Shinnosuke Honjo invests personally as an angel.
What AI companies has Shinnosuke Honjo invested in?
Shinnosuke Honjo's AI investments include MW. The 1 round on Lounge are listed on this page with amounts, dates and co-investors.
What stage does Shinnosuke Honjo invest at?
In the rounds tracked on Lounge, Shinnosuke Honjo has invested at Seed, with a median round of $19M.
Who does Shinnosuke Honjo co-invest with?
Shinnosuke Honjo's most frequent co-investors on Lounge are SMBC Edge (1 deal), Spiral Regional Innovation Fund (1 deal), Lo Enterprises (1 deal), Spiral Ventures (1 deal) and FFG Venture Business Partners (1 deal).
How can founders reach Shinnosuke Honjo?
Founders on Lounge can see Shinnosuke Honjo's contact details in AI Investor Contacts (paid plans), check for a warm introduction through members who worked with them under Warm Paths, and add Shinnosuke Honjo to their Investor Pipeline to track the conversation.