Home Portfolio Japan Corporate Partnering Contact Us
The principals of Nikko Synergy Ventures have strong technical backgrounds in the medical technology industry, and are able to rapidly assess and evaluate the merging technologies and markets that will be critical to a company's success. Their personal relationships in the industry and medical community in the US and Japan are invaluable in ensuring deal flow, determining clinical value, and assessing market acceptance of new medical products.
We have been actively involved in medical technology and venture capital since 1987. In addition to establishing the initial $28 million medical technology Nikko Synergy Ventures USA Fund, we were involved in the management (at Berkeley International Capital Corporation) of KB Berkeley Japan Development Capital Limited, a $20 million general technology fund, Berkeley/NED Development Capital Limited, a $22 million medical technology fund, and Berkeley Medical Investments Limited, a $25 million medical technology fund.
Overall, we have participated in over $200 million in equity and other financial transactions for over 30 private U.S. medical technology companies during the past decade, with responsibility for investment and management of portfolios of US medical technology companies.
In addition, through Synergy Partners, we have established numerous strategic alliances between US medical device companies and leading Japan medical device corporations. Japan Corporate Partnering
Nikko Synergy Ventures also consults with special consultants and advisors for due diligence support, operational support for startup companies, and expert clinical, technical and management opinions on specific investment opportunities as required.
Allan Johnston, Ph.D. Dr. Johnston is a cofounder and managing member of Nikko Synergy Ventures LLC, the general partner for the initial NSV Fund, and a cofounder and president of Synergy Partners International, the leading consulting company developing investment and strategic partnering relationships between U.S. medical technology companies and Japan corporate and financial clients.
From 1992 to 1996, Dr. Johnston was Principal at Berkeley International Capital Corporation in charge of private equity investments in medical technology companies, with primary focus in the medical device industry. Berkeley International is a diversified financial services firm that was one of the leading sources of later-stage private capital for rapidly growing medical device and technology companies. Between 1982 and 1993, Berkeley International had placed over $1.2 billion in both equity and debt securities, including over $220 million invested in more than 50 medical technology companies.
From 1987 to 1992, Dr. Johnston was Program Manager of the Center for Medical Technology at SRI International, an international R&D institution in California. At SRI, he directed research projects, product development, and technical and business consulting activities for medical technology companies worldwide. Dr. Johnston has a Ph.D. in bioinorganic chemistry from the University of Guelph, and is the author of numerous patents and papers. He is a director of several private companies.
Robert Okun, M.I.M. Mr. Okun is cofounder and member of Nikko Synergy Ventures LLC, and cofounder and senior managing director and co-founder of Synergy Partners International.
Previously, Mr. Okun was Senior Vice President at Berkeley International Capital Corporation from 1987 to 1996, in charge of syndication, client relations, and fund raising activities in Japan and the Pacific Rim, as well as developing strategic equity and distribution arrangements between portfolio companies and corporations in Asia. Mr. Okun served as a Director of Berkeley/NED Development Capital Limited, a $22 million medical technology fund.
Mr. Okun was also involved in arranging equity investments in high technology companies, with primary focus in the semiconductor and communications industries. From 1983 to 1987, he was Director of International Sales for Nanometrics, a manufacturer of semiconductor production equipment. Mr. Okun has a B.A. in Japanese, and a Masters in International Management (MIM) from the American Graduate School of International Management.