Phil Wickham is Executive Managing Director at Sozo Ventures, a Silicon Valley venture capital firm that specializes in helping startups become global category leaders by expanding to Asia and the world via Japan. They have deep connections with many of the largest and most prestigious Japanese corporations, which are also investors in their funds. Phil was also the longtime Executive Chairman, President, and CEO of the Center for Venture Education, the foundation that oversees the Kauffman Fellows Program, the most prestigious venture capital fellowship program in the world. In addition, he was an early advisor to the well-known Swedish venture capital firm Creandum. In this episode, he discusses the strategies used by Sozo Ventures to help startups successfully enter the Japanese market and expand to Asia and the world. Sozo Ventures has been an investor in many successful startups including Twitter, Square, Palantir, Coinbase, and Zoom, helping those startups plan and execute their expansion into the Japanese market.

Next Unicorn podcast episode 10. Also available on 🎥 YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@NextUnicorn

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Video Contents:
0:00:00 Teaser
0:01:38 Introduction
0:03:12 Sozo Ventures & Why it is Unique
0:07:17 Why a Startup Would Want Expand to Japan
0:09:42 How Startups Can Successfully Expand to the Japanese Market
0:28:54 US vs. European Startups and the Japanese Market
0:30:30 Understanding the Unique Structure of Japanese Corporations (Keiretsu)
0:35:11 3 Reasons Why Japan is a Gateway to a Startup's Global Expansion
0:39:22 How Sozo Ventures Works With Large Competing Japanese Corporations as LP Investors
0:43:35 How Sozo Ventures' Strategy Has Changed Over Time
0:47:27 Why a First Meeting With Sozo Ventures is Different Than at Other VC Firms
0:56:25 Phil's Time Running the Kauffman Fellows Program
1:00:09 Top Take-Aways for Startup Founders: Advice About Entering the Japanese Market
1:03:45 Examples of What a Startup's Successful Expansion to Japan Actually Looks Like
1:07:28 Is the current USD and Yen Currency Conversion a Considerations for Startups?
1:09:05 Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Japanese Market
1:12:18 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Applications That Are Particularly Relevant for Japan
1:13:25 The Current Startup Ecosystem in Japan
1:36:48 Phil's Prediction for Startups in Tokyo, Japan's Importance for Global Startups & How to Best Reach Out to Phil
1:38:25 Phil's Personal and Career Background
1:51:10 Bonus Round

Credits:
Video/audio editor and engineer – Oleksii Kyrkach