Michiko Kato helped build Woven Capital from its earliest days, rising to partner and then Chief Investment Officer while also sitting on its board, after a career that moved through Morgan Stanley, the World Bank's IFC, private equity, and a stint as CFO of the Japanese AI company ABEJA—giving her firsthand experience on both sides of the investing table. She has led investments in hard-tech companies like Nuro and Stoke, holds a Harvard Business School MBA earned as a Fulbright Scholar, and in 2026 became the first female CEO of a wholly owned Toyota subsidiary when she took the helm of Toyota Invention Partners.
About their Fund
Woven Capital focuses on startups that have already proven their product works and are ready for Series B or later funding, writing $10M–$50M checks to help them scale up inside Toyota's business rather than just funding early ideas; it backs this up with a dedicated Portfolio Success team, access to more than 1,000 Toyota experts, and over 80% of its portfolio actively working with Toyota, while still requiring that each deal make financial sense on its own even when the strategic fit with Toyota is strong. The fund defines "mobility" broadly across a 12-sector grid tied to Toyota's Woven City vision—including energy, agriculture, education, smart homes, healthcare, payments, and safety—and acts as a bridge into Toyota's wider network, as shown by helping WeaveGrid connect with thousands of utility companies, investing in adjacent networks like 2150, and hosting events like its Global CEO Summit that bring entrepreneurs together with Toyota executives.
















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