What it’s really like to be a female VC in Japan

Progress is not only slower in Japan, it is often different. Looking at the numbers, it's clear that venture capital is even more male-dominated in Japan than it is in the West. Our guest today explains not only how that's changing, but how she's changing it. Sophie Meralli is a Partner at Shizen Capital and co-founder of Tokyo Women in VC. We sit down and dive deep into the keys to developing a creative, global mindset among Japanese founders and VCs, the role immigrants have to play in developing Japan's startup culture, and what really works in changing, not only minds, but actions related to the role of women in startups and venture capital. It's a great conversation, and I think you'll enjoy it.

You can listen to What it’s really like to be a female VC in Japan online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

What it’s really like to be a female VC in Japan is an episode from Disrupting Japan by Tim Romero.

This episode is 38:58 long.

This episode was published on Jun 23, 2025.

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