Ohayo Dairy launches $50M food-tech CVC fund with Pegasus Tech Ventures
What's the deal? Ohayo DairyDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, a Japanese food maker based in Okayama, has launched a $50 million corporate venture capital (CVC) fund on a capital-call basis. Silicon Valley-based Pegasus Tech Ventures serves as general partner, with Ohayo Dairy participating as limited partner.
What's the endgame? The fund will back promising companies worldwide in food tech, food and beverage, biotechnology, functional foods, supply chain, and retail tech. Ohayo Dairy, founded in 1953 and known for milk, yoghurt, desserts, and its premium ice cream brand BRULEEDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, aims to accelerate its evolution into a next-generation food company through global expansion and new business areas.
Why now? The company points to advances in AI and biotechnology, rising health awareness, and growing sustainability concerns reshaping the food industry. It also cites rising global interest in Japanese food, driven in part by increasing inbound tourism.
Who's behind it? Pegasus, led by founder and chief executive officer Anis UzzamanDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, runs CVC funds for more than 40 major corporate LPs. Its portfolio includes SpaceX, OpenAI, AnthropicDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, and Airbnb, plus Japanese firms such as Money Forward, Mujin, and SkyDrive. It has invested in more than 300 companies and manages roughly ¥300 billion in assets.
"The global food industry is currently entering a major period of transformation," Uzzaman said, adding the fund would connect Ohayo Dairy with cutting-edge technology.
What the founder says: "We want to create new value not only in the domestic market but also in the global market," said Ohayo Dairy president Yoko Yamasaki, pointing to deeper ties with innovative companies in food tech.
The signal: The fund adds a rare food-industry entrant to a widening wave of Japanese corporate venture activity paired with Pegasus. Other examples include AisinDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → doubling an existing fund toward roughly ¥15 billion and CYBERDYNE setting up a ¥10 billion vehicle — a sign that CVC is increasingly a tool for business tie-ups, not just financial returns.
Image credit: Pegasus Tech Ventures
Read more: PR Times
