Hidetoshi Iwasaki, founder of Infinity Corporation, worked at the Industrial Bank of Japan for 22 years, 1977-1998. The Industrial Bank of Japan was founded more than 100 years ago, in 1902, under the government’s leadership for the purpose of promoting the industrialization of Japan during the era of its industrial revolution. The Bank’s Japanese name, “Nippon Kogyo Ginko” came from its mission of “Kogyo” which means supporting startups and growing companies, providing financial services to those in need of cash and capital for growth, and thus, contributing to the industrialization of Japan.

Inspired by the concept of “Kogyo”, Infinity was founded to invest in startups. Unlike various VC funds, Infinity does not receive outside investors’ money for investment in startups. Its source of investment is limited to the cash flow generated by its other businesses such as management consulting. Being independent from outside investors, Infinity can make own independent investment decisions, and its investment is free from time constraints, thus making it possible to support its portfolio companies over the long-term.