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A new traditional SF has been launched in Japan: Nogizaka Partners, led by Kentaro Tanaka. He is backed by 17 corporate investors in his journey to acquire a Japanese SME, including Japan’s first fund of SFs, Inclusion Japan, as well as Vonzeo Capital, Lighthaven, Novidam, RAUL Co., EtA Partners, among others.
After graduating from the Faculty of Law at Keio University, Kentaro joined ENEOS Corporation, where he led overseas resource development projects worth tens of billions of yen in the oil and gas division. He has a proven track record of negotiating with the governments of oil-producing countries. He later moved to Mitsubishi UFJ Research & Consulting Co., Ltd., where he worked as a management consultant, supporting a variety of initiatives including SME sales expansion, internationalization, and new business strategy development. In 2025, he earned an MBA from IESE Business School, where he discovered the SF model during an internship at M-Capital.
Kentaro is primarily seeking niche manufacturing companies and B2B service providers across Japan, with annual revenues ranging from several hundred million to several billion yen. He is focused on businesses with strong fundamentals, a loyal customer base, and a legacy worth preserving and scaling. In collaboration with Takashimaya, Kansai Electric Power Company, and Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corporation, he can offer successor companies effective growth support, including acquiring new business partners, expanding sales channels, and enhancing financing capabilities.
