University of the Ryukyus and Lifetime Ventures Sign MOU to Accelerate University-Based Startups in Okinawa

Okinawa, Japan — The University of the Ryukyus (President: Mutsumi Nishida) and Lifetime Ventures (General Partners: Ryosuke Kimura and Koshu Kunii) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on supporting and accelerating startups originating from the university. The partnership aims to foster innovation from Okinawa with global reach by combining research, entrepreneurship, and venture capital.

This agreement establishes a framework for comprehensive cooperation between the two organizations, including startup acceleration and investment, to promote university-led innovation and commercialization.

Building a Stronger Startup Ecosystem in Okinawa

In July 2023, the University of the Ryukyus launched “Startup Lab Ryudai” (Ryu-Lab) within its Regional Innovation Research Building to promote entrepreneurship among its researchers and students. The lab has since focused on providing education and incubation support. To further scale these efforts, the university is joining forces with Lifetime Ventures, a seed-stage venture capital firm that co-manages the OIST-Lifetime Ventures Fund with the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST).

Through this partnership, the university and Lifetime Ventures will jointly provide resources and expertise to support university-affiliated startups, including access to capital, mentorship, and global networks.

Leadership Comments

“Since the launch of Ryu-Lab, we have strengthened ties with OIST and local startup communities,” said Fumihiro Haga, Deputy Director of the Co-Creation Division at the University of the Ryukyus. “This partnership with Lifetime Ventures will further enhance our acceleration capabilities and drive open innovation from Okinawa to the world.”

“We’re honored to partner with the University of the Ryukyus,” said Koshu Kunii, Managing Partner at Lifetime Ventures. “Through this collaboration, we aim to support glocal startups—those that emerge from Okinawa but solve problems on a global scale. Our goal is to help transform deep research into real-world ventures with lasting societal and environmental impact.”

“The MOU between Lifetime Ventures and the University of the Ryukyus allows us to provide more integrated support for startups within Okinawa’s innovation ecosystem,” said Gil Granot-Mayer, Executive Vice President for Innovation at OIST. “With two new incubator facilities opening at OIST in April 2025, we look forward to providing further infrastructure and resources to startups scaling from Okinawa to the world.”

About Lifetime Ventures

Lifetime Ventures is a Japan-based venture capital firm focused on pre-seed and seed-stage startups. With offices in Yokohama and Okinawa, the firm invests in mission-driven founders building transformative solutions in healthcare, sustainability, and other impact-driven sectors. Since its founding in 2017, Lifetime Ventures has backed over 40 startups, including Rehab for JAPAN, UUUO, and EF Polymer.

About the University of the Ryukyus

The University of the Ryukyus is a national university located in Nishihara, Okinawa. Founded in 1972, the university is committed to advancing education, research, and regional collaboration, with a particular focus on sustainability, the environment, tourism, and cultural studies.

About OIST (Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology)

OIST is a globally recognized graduate university offering interdisciplinary PhD programs and conducting advanced research in science and technology. OIST Innovation serves as the university’s hub for entrepreneurship and technology commercialization, helping bring research breakthroughs to market.