Build with Japan

Coral Capital
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Business

Welcome to Build with Japan, a show where we bring on guests from tech, business, politics, and culture to talk about all things Japan. For updates on our future content and in-person events, follow our newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/gjed2T

  1. 3d ago

    How Japan un-banned defense investing, Anduril, Terra Drone, and the 2026 white paper | Build with Japan #1

    “Things happen slowly in Japan until they don’t.” In the first episode of Build with Japan, Coral Capital Partner Rie Yano sits down with Founding Partner & CEO James Riney to unpack Japan's defense tech awakening. James tells the inside story of how a firm that is "not a defense tech investor per se" ended up helping unwind the decades-old side letter restrictions keeping venture money out of defense, a change he expected to take three years that landed in six months. Also: Why Coral is investing in DefenseInside the 2026 bōei hakusho, and why Japan is adopting AI and drones out of demographic necessityThe public vibe shift: Rakuten stepping into defense drones, boycott calls fizzling, and support for strengthening the SDF tripling since 2009Terra Drone's interceptor drone winAnduril's plan to pour hundreds of millions, maybe billions, into building in Japan Connect with us: James Riney: LinkedInX Rie Yano: LinkedInX Coral Capital: https://coralcap.co/ Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:06 Why We Are Looking at Defense 09:33 The 2026 Defense White Paper 16:37 Rakuten Enters the Defense Sector 20:20 Terra Drone Deep Dive 27:40 Who Should Build Japan's Defense Base? 31:03 Key Players in Japan’s Defense Tech

  2. Aug 25

    Video Models, Robot Brains, and a $40M Bet on Japan | Runway CEO Cristóbal Valenzuela

    "How do you use AI to generate anything you want?" That's the question Cristóbal Valenzuela, Co-Founder and CEO of Runway, has spent almost eight years answering, building what has grown from a niche creative tool into a company now expanding into enterprise partnerships and physical AI, backed by a fresh $40M commitment to Japan. In this episode, Cris breaks down why video models are quietly becoming the missing brain behind robotics, and why he believes the next era of AI will be won by companies that can continue to outrun their own success. He shares: How Runway skipped the traditional Japan playbook and still won enterprise deals Why Japan is already Runway's third-largest market Why VLAs struggle to scale, and how world models can become the brains of every robot How some of the biggest AI labs are "storytelling labs" Why Runway aims to reinvent itself every two to three months Connect with Cristóbal Valenzuela: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cvalenzuelab/ https://x.com/c_valenzuelab Connect with Tiffany Kayo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffanykayo/ https://x.com/tiffanykayo If you're working on something ambitious and Building with Japan, we'd love to hear from you! Get in touch with us here: https://coralcap.co/contact/?lang=en

  3. Jun 1

    Why the World Can't Build Without Japan | Lux Capital Grace Isford

    "I don't want AI being controlled by Beijing or the Bay Area, and I want Japan to have the opportunity to shine." ¥10 trillion. That's how serious Japan is about building its next generation of unicorns. Grace Isford and James Riney have been watching this shift happen in real time, and in this episode, they break down exactly what it means. Japan dominates 90% of the global photoresist market. It supplies 90% of the steel that builds the world's nuclear reactors. And now, with government backing at an unprecedented scale, it's betting big on becoming a deep tech superpower. In this episode, Grace Isford and James Riney break down why the world can't build without Japan. They share: Why Japan never actually stopped innovating; it just went invisible How the US-Japan partnership is becoming the most critical alliance in global tech Why sovereign AI matters and who controls it Japan's ¥10T roadmap for building its next generation of unicorns Why defense, nuclear, and semiconductors are Japan's next frontier Connect with Grace Isford: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grace-isford-04123081/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/lux-capital/ Connect with James Riney: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesriney/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/coralcapital/ Connect with Tim Romero: https://www.disruptingjapan.com/tim/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/timromero/ If you're working on something ambitious or Building with Japan, we'd love to hear from you! Get in touch with us here: https://coralcap.co/?lang=en

  4. Apr 20

    Nuclear Fuel and the US-Japan Energy Alliance | General Matter CEO Scott Nolan

    "There was no company to invest in. It would have to be started." Scott Nolan spent all of 2023 looking for a company solving America's nuclear fuel crisis. When he couldn't find one, he started General Matter instead. The US once supplied 86% of the world's enriched uranium. Today it has zero. Russia controls half the market, with China accelerating fast. General Matter just closed a $900M DOE contract and a $2.4B EXIM financing deal to supply Japan, announced the same week the Strait of Hormuz closed. In this episode, Scott makes the case that nuclear fuel is the linchpin of the entire energy transition, and that getting it wrong is a national security issue not just for America but for every allied nation. He shares: How America handed the uranium market to Russia without anyone noticing The SpaceX playbook applied to nuclear enrichment What the $2.4B US-Japan deal means for energy security Why Japan keeps falling into the same energy trap What the next five years at General Matter actually look like Will the west be able to regain its control? Connect with Scott Nolan: https://x.com/ScottNolan https://x.com/generalmatter Connect James Riney: https://x.com/james_riney https://x.com/coral_capital If you're working on something ambitious or Building with Japan, we'd love to hear from you! Get in touch with us here: https://coralcap.co/?lang=en

  5. Feb 26

    How Sony Became the Entertainment Giant Nobody Saw Coming | Sony AI President Michael Spranger

    "There is no company that has this portfolio." Michael Spranger isn't exaggerating. As COO at Sony Research and president of Sony AI, he's watched Sony transform from a TV company into a $166B entertainment empire. In this episode with Tiffany Kayo, Michael breaks down Sony's AI strategy: what they choose to build (and what they ignore). Key insights: Sony's shift from electronics to entertainment Why PlayStation is now their biggest business GT Sophy: the racing AI agent Sony sensors are inside half the world's smartphones Japan's 10-year manufacturing window Why kando drives everything Sony builds Connect with us here: Michael Spranger Tiffany Kayo

  6. 12/11/2025

    How Suno Built a $200M Music AI Company (And Got Warner Music to Partner)

    “We thought it would be too hard to build.” That’s how Mikey Shulman, Co-Founder of Suno, describes the early days of building what is now a $200M revenue company with 100M users. Suno has since partnered with Warner Music Group and is redefining how music gets made. In this episode, Mikey envisions a future where passive listeners become active collaborators, and where your favorite artist might perform a fan-made version of their own song live on stage. He shares: - Why they almost built a completely different company - The future of "interactive music" (music you play with, not just play) - How Warner Music Group became Suno's partner - Japan's unique embrace of Suno Connect with Mikey: X: https://x.com/MikeyShulman LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeyshulman/ Connect with Tiffany: X: https://x.com/tiffanykayo LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffanykayo/ If you're working on something ambitious, we’d love to hear from you at Coral Capital! Get in touch with us here: https://coralcap.co/contact/?lang=en

    How Suno Built a $200M Music AI Company (And Got Warner Music to Partner)

  7. 10/07/2025

    Designing the Future of Neighborhoods | Devon Zuegel on Esmeralda

    Devon Zuegel, founder and CEO of the Esmeralda Institute, joins us on the latest episode of The Coral Capital Podcast. After building online communities, scaling open-source programs at GitHub, and hosting Notion’s Pioneers series, Devon Zuegel is now bringing her expertise offline to create a family focused village north of San Francisco. In this episode, she shares the challenges of shaping a people centered village, from navigating complex land use regulations to balancing environmental realities. Topics explored: - How San Francisco’s housing shortages inspired Devon to create Esmeralda - Why California’s CEQA further fueled Devon’s passion for urban planning - Designing multi-generational, walkable communities with a balance of density and nature - The concept of “traveling neighborhoods” and fostering connection through shared experiences - The hardware and software of building a physical community - Integrating seniors, families, and diverse age groups into a cohesive community - Creating lasting culture and connection through deliberate programming and shared experiences If you're working on something ambitious, we’d love to hear from you at Coral Capital! Get in touch with us here: bit.ly/contactcoral Connect with Devon: X: https://x.com/devonzuegel LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devonzuegel/ Connect with Tiffany: X: https://x.com/tiffanykayo LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffanykayo/ Connect with Alexandra Silverman: X: https://x.com/AlexandraFayeS LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/afsilverman/ 00:00 Intro 00:46 Meet Devin 08:19 Placemaking and Traveling Neighborhoods 16:51 Building Esmeralda 31:12 Supporting Families in Northern California 33:23 Incorporating the Elderly in Community Planning 38:17 Learning from Other Towns and Cities 47:09 Building a New Town

    Designing the Future of Neighborhoods | Devon Zuegel on Esmeralda

  8. 09/16/2025

    How Palantir Won Japan | Koichi Narasaki

    Koichi Narasaki, former Chief Digital Officer of SOMPO and the architect behind Palantir Japan, joins us on the latest episode of The Coral Capital Podcast. From his early days at Mitsubishi Corporation investing in Silicon Valley startups during the dotcom boom, to leading one of Japan’s most successful joint ventures with Palantir, Narasaki has been at the intersection of global tech and Japanese enterprise for decades. He shares stories from passing on PayPal in 1998, to convincing SOMPO’s leadership to invest $500M into Palantir, and lessons on how foreign companies can succeed in Japan. Topics explored: • Why Mitsubishi’s early CVC efforts in Silicon Valley clashed with Tokyo HQ • Meeting Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, and Marc Benioff in the 1990s • The cultural gap between fast-moving Silicon Valley and conservative Japan • Why he left Mitsubishi after nearly 20 years to join startups on the other side of the table • How he became SOMPO’s first Chief Digital Officer and redefined “DX” in insurance • The story of Palantir’s failed solo Japan entry, and how the SOMPO JV turned it around • What convinced SOMPO’s CEO to greenlight a 50/50 joint venture with Palantir • How “dogfooding” Foundry inside SOMPO unlocked trust with Japanese clients • The legendary $500M Palantir investment during the pandemic, and the debates behind it • What global B2B software founders need to know before entering Japan • His perspective on culture, trust, and speed inside a 135-year-old Japanese giant Connect with Narasaki: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/koichi-narasaki-5969b/ Connect with James: X: https://x.com/james_riney LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesriney Connect with Tiffany: X: https://x.com/tiffanykayo LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffanykayo/ If you're working on something ambitious, we’d love to hear from you at Coral Capital! Get in touch with us here: https://bit.ly/contactcoral (00:00) Trailer(01:00) Intro(05:16) Leaving Mitsubishi & the dot-com crash(14:34) Early startup journey (Allyno → Access)(17:02) Becoming Chief Digital Officer at SOMPO(20:20) Discovering Palantir & messy data realities(26:18) The meeting with Alex Karp that changed everything(35:00) Why the SOMPO–Palantir JV happened(43:56) Growing in Japan: revenue, culture, challenges(55:42) Advice for foreign SaaS entering Japan

    How Palantir Won Japan | Koichi Narasaki
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Welcome to Build with Japan, a show where we bring on guests from tech, business, politics, and culture to talk about all things Japan. For updates on our future content and in-person events, follow our newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/gjed2T

Information

  • Creator
    Coral Capital
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    36
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Coral Capital
  • Show Website
    Build with Japan

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