NTT DOCOMO Ventures Invests in LinQ inc., Provider of a Location-Sharing App “whoo”

NTT DOCOMO Ventures, Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; CEO & CCO: Yuko Sasahara; hereinafter, “NDV”) is pleased to announce that, through a fund that it manages, it has invested in LinQ, inc. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Gosuke Harada; hereinafter “LinQ”), a company developing and operating communication apps centered around the location-sharing app “whoo.”

LinQ’s “whoo” is a location-sharing app that lets close friends share their real-time whereabouts with each other. In addition to sharing information such as the other person’s online/offline status, dwell time, and remaining battery level, whoo offers a wealth of features to enhance the joy of communication, including functions that show routes and travel times to family and friends, as well as chat capabilities. Designed to foster casual communication that takes location sharing as a starting point, the app can be used in a variety of everyday situations, such as meeting up after school, traveling, or attending events.
Since its release in December 2022, the service has gained popularity, particularly among those in their teens and twenties, surpassing 30 million cumulative downloads as of September 2025.

In the realm of communication, the very nature of how people connect, both online and offline, is evolving alongside shifts in consumers’ values and behaviors. LinQ integrates location information into the communication experience, making everyday interactions more natural and intuitive.

Since its establishment, the NTT DOCOMO Group has been striving to provide highly personalized communication solutions based on its corporate philosophy of “creating a new world of communication culture.”
The corporate venture investment fund “DOCOMO Innovation Fund IV,” established in January 2026, has designated “Communication & Community” as one of its core investment areas^*. NDV believes that LinQ’s initiatives, which create new communication experiences and ways of connecting based on location information, hold significant potential within this field, leading to its decision to invest. Through this investment, NDV will deepen collaboration with LinQ Inc. to create new value and a new communication culture.

■LinQ inc. Profile

Name	LinQ inc.
Location	3F Daiichi Akatsuki Building, 1-19-9 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Representative	Gosuke Harada, CEO
Areas of Business	Internet services (development and operation of communication apps, etc.)
Website	https://www.linq.co.jp/

*NDV Press Release: “DOCOMO Innovation Fund IV Announces Theme and Core Areas”