Investment Partners
in Global Expansion

Investment
Partners in
Global Expansion

We invest in multi-stage companies and provide strategic guidance and critical access to Asian markets, starting with Japan.

About Geodesic

Our Vision

We offer more than just financial support. Our team provides the platform for transformative, globally-minded companies to expand their worldwide footprint into Japan, and Asia.

Our Approach

Our Portfolio Companies

Our Portfolio Companies

We invest in leading technology companies and help them scale
if and when ready in the rapidly expanding Asian markets, starting with Japan.

Databricks
AI/ML, ENTERPRISE INFRASTRUCTURE
As one of the world’s largest economies, Japanese enterprises hold massive amounts of data making it a great market for a company like Databricks. After investing in 2017, we went to work building a strategy together. Databricks joined our annual Geodesic Forum in Tokyo where we made a year’s worth of introductions in a few days to build relationships with future customers and partners. Databricks later launched in Japan and our team continues to help them devise and execute their strategy, build an executive team, and create opportunities for exposure to high-level decision-makers in Japan. Today, Databricks has a strong local team and their early investments are paying off with signs of accelerating growth.
Figma
ENTERPRISE APPLICATIONS
In the summer of 2021, as Figma was raising its Series E, CEO Dylan Field was simultaneously exploring the Japanese market and evaluating investment partners. Our Japan team supported Figma in its market entry strategy and provided an overview of the design and prototyping market in Japan. After getting the opportunity to invest, Geodesic went to work helping Figma execute its plan, starting with the hiring of its Japan Country Manager and connecting them with design agencies, systems integration partners and major corporate customers. Today the company has significant momentum in Japan, where design has always been a core element of product development.
Netskope
CYBERSECURITY
Entering Japan can be a challenging endeavor, but it’s one that pays off for the companies that commit. Back in 2017 when Geodesic invested in Netskope, cloud security was a challenge for most Japanese enterprises. Working with our Japan team, Netskope made early investments in product, people, and channel, and did the work to secure early adopters based on the specialized needs of Japanese customers. Netskope’s commitment paid off when the pandemic vastly accelerated trends like hybrid work and digital transformation in Japan and every company became concerned about how to secure their data in the cloud. Today, Japan is one of the company’s fastest-growing regions and Netskope’s leadership and long-term commitment to the market is paying off as we continue our work together.
Sakana AI
AI/ML
Sakana was founded by renowned AI researchers David Ha (CEO) and Llion Jones (CTO) both formerly of Google Brain along with former Mercari executive Ren Ito (COO). Together they are pushing the boundaries in generative AI research including pioneering work with technologies such as Evolutionary Model Merge. Having first invested in the round announced in January 2024), Geodesic is excited to leverage our Japan network of large enterprises to support them in their domestic efforts and also to leverage our portfolio and stateside network as they look for collaboration opportunities in the US. Early introductions we have made on both sides of the Pacific indicate great respect for their team and deep interest in their groundbreaking research.
Vercel
ENTERPRISE INFRASTRUCTURE
Since investing in Vercel’s Series B in 2020 Geodesic has supported the executive team regarding their Japan entry strategy, making introductions to potential Japanese customers and partners, and hosting CEO Guillermo Rauch and his team at Geodesic Forum multiple times. While every company has a different GTM strategy, developer/open-source lead models can be a very efficient way to enter Japan due to the viral way developers find and purchase software via the global developer community. As the creators and maintainers of Next.js, the popular React framework, Vercel has a connection to the strong Next.js community in Japan, which has led to early adopter customers choosing Vercel in the region. Vercel has also hired local support staff in both Osaka and Tokyo, plus Japanese nationals in the product team to ensure feature requests from Japanese customers are prioritized appropriately.