Footballing Legend Keisuke Honda's Cross into Venture Capital | SALT iConnections Asia | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Kazuhiro Kiyohara, a former professional soccer player, has transitioned into venture capital and is paving the path for venture capital in Japan, focusing on investing in startups and helping Japanese founders expand their businesses globally.

Key Insights

• 🖐️ Kazuhiro Kiyohara's career highlights as a professional soccer player include participating in three World Cups and playing for AC Milan.
• 🥺 His passion for helping others led him to venture into investing in startups while still playing soccer.
• 👻 Kiyohara's fame and reputation give him advantages as a celebrity investor, attracting startups and allowing him to negotiate better terms.
• 🚀 He launched the Dreamers Fund with Will Smith, leveraging their status to gain investment opportunities.
• 👹 The Japanese government is focusing on increasing investment in startups and aims to create more unicorns in the next five to ten years.
• 🏯 Kiyohara's venture capital fund, XNK, aims to help Japanese founders expand their businesses globally and overcome the traditional domestic focus of the Japanese startup ecosystem.
• 👨‍💼 The fund's investment strategies include a focus on the "Time Machine" business, supporting serial entrepreneurs, and taking advantage of Kiyohara's celebrity status to negotiate better terms and receive stock options.
• 💪 Kiyohara's experience as a soccer player has influenced his approach to managing teams and problem-solving in building a business, bringing a strong work ethic, determination, and a drive for success.

Transcript

I'd like to start just by covering a few of your career highlights you have certainly been known as when as a player you one of the best in all of Asia and certainly the best in JP in Japan for the past decade um you know for you I think let's just talk about your highlights we've got you've participated and played in three World Cups 2010 2014 201... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: How did Kazuhiro Kiyohara first start playing soccer?

Kiyohara started playing soccer at a young age, influenced by his older brother and his father who provided him with opportunities to play. He began playing when he was three or four years old.

Q: At what age did Kiyohara turn professional?

Kiyohara turned professional at the age of 18, making his dream of playing in the World Cup and becoming a champion his ultimate goal.

Q: How did Kiyohara transition from playing soccer to venture capital?

Kiyohara was motivated to help children in need after visiting an orphanage during the 2010 World Cup. He started learning about capitalism and venture capital and began investing in startups while still playing professionally.

Q: What advantages does Kiyohara have as a celebrity investor?

As a famous athlete, Kiyohara has a reputation and name recognition that attracts startups seeking investments. He can negotiate better terms and, in some cases, receive stock options instead of cash. His influence can also benefit startups in terms of marketing and PR.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Kazuhiro Kiyohara had a successful career as a professional soccer player, participating in three World Cups and playing for AC Milan. His most proud moments include scoring goals in the World Cup.

• Kiyohara started investing in startups while still playing soccer, motivated by a visit to an orphanage during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. He saw an opportunity to help others and began learning about venture capital and investing in tech startups.

• He later launched the Dreamers Fund in partnership with Will Smith, leveraging their fame and reputation to gain advantages in investing in startups. The fund has a successful track record with investments in 96 companies over the last five years.