There are sights unseen until you journey there.
Inquiries and explorations rooted in the field.
There are sights unseen until you journey there.
Inquiries and explorations rooted in the field.
In today’s world, it’s often assumed that data can account for everything. Yet there are insights that can only be uncovered by going into the field and seeing firsthand. This kind of embodied knowledge—gained through direct experience—can ignite entirely new ideas, serve as a source of conviction, and become a driving force for change.
Innovation does not emerge from knowledge alone.
Precisely because we are beginning to see the limits of existing systems, we believe now is the time to embrace the joy of discovery and take grounded, hands-on action—no matter how unpolished it may be.
A Unique Methodology Rooted in Cultural Anthropology
A Unique Methodology Rooted in Cultural Anthropology
ideafund was founded by graduates of the University of Tokyo’s Department of Cultural Anthropology, with a mission to apply anthropological knowledge to society. Cultural anthropology is the study of cultures around the world through immersive fieldwork. At ideafund, we approach consumer behavior, psychology, and even employee mindsets and values as “culture,” examining them through an anthropological lens.
We value not superficial knowledge, but deep, multi-layered, and grounded insights. By adapting anthropological methods—traditionally used to study distant or indigenous societies—to the modern contexts we live and work in, we enable a holistic understanding of people and organizations.
Because academic anthropological research can often take one to two years to complete, it cannot be applied to business as-is. To this end, ideafund has developed its own methodologies that preserve the strengths of anthropological inquiry while meeting the speed and precision demanded in business.
We combine classical ethnography with approaches such as “data ethnography,” which treats big data as a field site, and design-thinking–based workshops to maximize the impact of each project.
A Deep Commitment to the Field
At ideafund, we are firmly grounded in fieldwork. We believe that abstract discussions only gain meaning when anchored in the embodied knowledge gained on the ground. Guided by this principle, we practice ethnography—immersive, participatory observation of people, organizations, and communities in their real-world settings.
Innovation doesn’t arise from desk-bound analysis or neatly formatted data—it emerges from insights grounded in lived, bodily experience.
From Analysis to Synthesis
At ideafund, discoveries made through observation are not simply analyzed—they are synthesized. While analysis involves breaking things down to uncover their components, what matters in today’s world is not just deconstruction, but the ability to grasp the whole without abstraction—to see how reality takes shape as a complex, interconnected system.
We interpret our findings by weaving them together through holistic thinking, seeking not isolated truths, but deeper meaning across patterns.
Whether launching a new business, transforming an organization, or taking a fresh look at ourselves and our customers—facing the unknown always comes with a sense of uncertainty.
But beyond that uncertainty lies possibility. Let’s set out together into the vast sea of reality that stretches before us.