Former Ripple VP Lands $100M SBI Fund for AI and Blockchain

SBI Holdings anchors a $100M micro VC fund of funds led by ex-Ripple VP Emi Yoshikawa, bridging U.S. startups with Japanese enterprises.

SBI Holdings has announced a strategic alliance with Across Ventures to form a micro VC-focused fund of funds in the United States. 

The fund, called Across Ventures Fund I, L.P., targets a size of approximately $100 million. Emi Yoshikawa, a former Ripple vice president, founded and leads Across Ventures as its managing partner. 

SBI Holdings will participate as an anchor limited partner once the fund formally launches. The move signals a growing push by the Japanese financial giant to tap into U.S. early-stage innovation.

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SBI Holdings Deepens Its Ripple Connection Through Across Ventures

SBI Holdings has long maintained strong ties with Ripple. This latest move adds another layer to that relationship. 

Yoshikawa previously served as vice president at Ripple before transitioning to found her own Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm. 

SBI confirmed in an official notice that it intends to participate in the fund as an anchor LP.

The collaboration is not just financial. SBI plans to support Across Ventures on certain operational aspects of the fund. That includes assisting with deal sourcing and investment review processes.

The Japanese firm also intends to leverage its broad network of enterprise partners. This will help connect Japanese corporations to U.S. startups that have traditionally been difficult to access.

$100M Fund to Target Blockchain, AI, and Climate Tech

Across Ventures Fund I will function as a fund of funds. It will make diversified investments in specialized micro VCs across several high-growth sectors. 

According to SBI’s official notice, these include AI, physical AI, fintech, blockchain, climate tech, health tech, next-generation computing, space, and other deep tech areas.

The U.S. venture capital market has seen a clear split in recent years. 

Mega funds dominate one end, while specialized micro VCs handle the other. These smaller, focused funds tend to invest at the pre-seed and seed stages, where early access to promising startups matters most.

Across Ventures is positioning itself to bridge that gap. The fund structure allows for diversified exposure while keeping sector expertise at the center.

SBI Holdings partners with Across Ventures to launch a $100M Fund of Funds led by former Ripple VP Emi Yoshikawa @emy_wng 🇯🇵🇺🇸
The alliance will focus on specialized Micro VCs in:
🔹 Blockchain & Fintech
🔹 AI & Physical AI
🔹 Climate Tech
🔹 Deep Tech
SBI is joining as an anchor… pic.twitter.com/HrzDISZXzz

— 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗸XRP (@BankXRP) April 14, 2026

Connecting Japanese Enterprises to U.S. Early-Stage Startups

One of the fund’s core goals is expanding access for Japanese enterprises to leading-edge U.S. innovation. 

SBI noted in its announcement that early-stage American startups have historically been hard for Japanese corporations to reach in any systematic way.

The partnership with Across Ventures aims to change that. 

Through this alliance, SBI expects to help Japanese businesses identify new technological and market trends. It also expects to encourage open innovation and create future business collaboration opportunities.

SBI Holdings has been actively strengthening its U.S. startup investment activity in recent years. This alliance with Across Ventures, the firm says, is expected to accelerate those efforts further.