Yumiko Oka

Meet Yumiko Oka
From Building Brands to Investing in Meaningful Ventures🌱

Born in Bangkok and raised across different countries, Yumiko Oka spent much of her childhood between Japan and overseas, including studying in Switzerland and England before returning to Japan for university.

She began her career in the beauty industry, working in brand marketing at L'Oréal and Jo Malone London. Her interest in building businesses eventually led her to entrepreneurship and later venture capital, where she supported early-stage founders at Antler Japan. Today, she serves as Vice President at HiJoJo Partners, helping growth-stage companies navigate fundraising, private market transactions, and new investment opportunities.

What are you currently building?

Helping companies access capital and navigate their next stages of growth. After working closely with early-stage founders at Antler, Yumiko has shifted her focus toward more established startups and private markets. At HiJoJo Partners, she works on fundraising and secondary transactions, connecting growing businesses with investors and supporting opportunities beyond traditional venture capital.

Having experienced both entrepreneurship and investing, she enjoys understanding businesses from different angles and helping them move forward.

What excites you about Japan?

The continued development of Japan's startup and investment ecosystem. Yumiko sees more entrepreneurs entering the market, alongside growing interest from investors and financial institutions. She's particularly excited by emerging opportunities in AI, robotics, and other technologies where Japan has strong potential.

While Japan's venture ecosystem is still developing compared with markets like the U.S., she sees the foundations of a stronger investment cycle taking shape, creating more opportunities for founders to build and scale businesses.

A risk that changed your trajectory?

After building a career in global beauty brands, Yumiko pursued entrepreneurship, including experiencing the challenges of fundraising and navigating the uncertainty brought by COVID. Those experiences deepened her interest in building businesses and eventually led her into venture capital and investing.

Rather than staying within a familiar industry, she's continued to seek roles where she can take on greater responsibility, work closely with smaller teams, and contribute to something meaningful.

A habit that has had the biggest impact?

Staying curious and challenging herself. Yumiko enjoys putting herself in environments where she can learn something new, whether through work, meeting different people, or exploring interests outside her career.

She also enjoys skiing, discovering Japanese sake, and cooking outdoors, finding different ways to explore and enjoy new experiences.

Advice for your 20s?

Stay curious and give things a try. Looking back, Yumiko doesn't have major regrets about her career or personal decisions. She believes there's value in exploring different paths, staying open to new experiences, and learning through action rather than waiting until everything feels certain.

Favorite restaurant in Tokyo?

Kuon (久遠) in Yoyogi Uehara, a sushi restaurant she's been visiting for around five years, especially for its seasonal ingredients and fresh matsutake.