How This VC Brought Coinbase, Square & Palantir Into Japan | Phil Wickham

On this episode of The Coral Capital Podcast, Founding Partner James Riney and Investor Tiffany Kayo were joined by Phil Wickham, co-founder of Sozo Ventures—a globally-minded VC firm that’s backed breakout U.S. companies expanding into Japan, including the likes of Coinbase, Square & Palantir.Philip shares rare, behind-the-scenes insights from decades spent bridging Silicon Valley and Tokyo, explaining why Japan is suddenly hot again for global startups—and how to navigate its famously complex corporate and cultural terrain.Topics explored:The four pillars that make Japan a high-margin & high-loyalty market worth crackingLessons from backing companies like Palantir, Square, Coinbase, and Need in JapanWhy corporate money on your cap table can be more risk than reward—especially in JapanWhat founders consistently get wrong when entering Japan, and how to avoid wasting yearsIf you're working on something ambitious, we’d love to hear from you at Coral Capital!Get in touch with us herePhil's Book: https://www.amazon.co.jp/2032年、日本がスタートアップのハブになる：世界を動かす才能を解放せよ-フィル・ウィックハム/dp/4910487042?tag=googhydr-22&source=dsa&hvcampaign=books&gad_source=100:00 Trailer00:48 Introduction03:06 Selling Japan to Startups06:21 The Challenges of Entering Japan09:01 First Steps for Expanding into Japan13:02 Case Studies: Coinbase & NEED16:06 Palantir’s Unique Approach to Japan20:03 The Role of Corporates in Startup Growth23:42 Targeting the Right Partners in Japan28:06 Joint Ventures vs Independent Expansion39:12 Keeping Options Open in Japan51:05 Japan’s Global Competitive EdgeConnect with Phil: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pwickham/Connect with James:X: https://x.com/james_rineyLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesrineyConnect with Tiffany:X: https://x.com/tiffanykayoLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffanykayo/Learn more about Coral CapitalThis episode was produced & distributed with the help of our friends at Atomik Growth.