Funae finished runner-up to fellow future professional Issei Takazaki in the 23rd Elementary School Student Meijin Tournament [ja] in 1998.

Later that same year, Funae entered the Japan Shogi Association's apprentice school under Inoue's guidance at the rank of 6-kyū.

Funae's progress, however, once again slowed and he did not obtain full professional status and the corresponding rank of 4-dan until October 2010 after he finished second in the 47th 3-dan League with a record of 13 wins and 5 losses.

[8] Funae's other tournament victory came in 2016 when he defeated Shōta Chida to win the 1st Jōshū Yamada Challenge Cup [ja] sponsored by Japanese electronics retailer Yamada Denki.

[12] Funae won the 7th Tsume Shogi Solving Competition in 2010 while he was still an apprentice professional 3-dan; he was the only participant to finish with a perfect score of 100.