ASICS Ventures, the investment subsidiary of ASICS, recently took an equity stake in Dreamers Fund, which invests primarily in early stage startups in the U.S. ASICS Ventures will be a limited partner in the fund.

Dreamers Fund is a venture capital fund jointly established in 2018 by a company managed by Japanese professional football player Keisuke Honda and an investment company held by actor Will Smith. The fund is comprised of members with a track record of investing in prominent startups and has built a solid network in the U.S. The fund’s mission is to “be a bridge between Japan and America,” and will not only tap its strong networks in the two countries, but also actively make introductions between companies and offer support.

Through ASICS Ventures, which was established in 2016, ASICS has invested in 10 startups so far both in Japan and overseas to promote the development of new businesses. ASICS has also held accelerator programs for startups in Europe and Japan and has focused on building networks with promising startups.