OREANDA-NEWS. Nikon Corporation today announced that Nikon and SBI Investment Co., Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of the SBI Holdings, jointly established a new private fund "Nikon-SBI Innovation Fund" on July 1. This Fund will make investments in Nikon's current business areas, and in the latest technologies and new service areas (e.g., IT, AI and robots).

To expand new business operations, Nikon has implemented a medium-term management plan including a policy to invest approximately 30 billion yen in the CVC (Corporate Venture Capital) Program, and has already started to invest globally in venture companies through multiple VC (Venture Capital) firms including SBI Investment. The Nikon-SBI Innovation Fund is a part of the CVC Program.
Nikon's CVC Program aims to actively acquire the latest technologies and business models that venture companies have developed, while Nikon-SBI Innovation Fund's objective is to increase investments in new business areas, as well as Nikon's current business areas.
Using SBI Investment's adequate expertise and experience in investment in growing sectors, Nikon will deploy this new fund to pursue new business opportunities by making synergistic investments in venture companies.
The maximum size of the Nikon-SBI Innovation Fund is expected to be 10 billion yen, and is expected to operate for a period of eight years.

Nikon will also start a Corporate Accelerator Program by which Nikon will provide funds and mentoring to venture companies that have promising technologies or business plans, and to other teams, either internal or external, in the pre-startup phase. Additionally, Nikon will promote and create business opportunities by nurturing innovators and improving how new business opportunities are pursued internally.

The first of its kind in Nikon's history, Nikon expects this action to accelerate open innovation.