Ambassador

Joined Sumitomo Chemical in 2005, where they were engaged in research and development, as well as new business planning for high-performance materials.
After working in venture creation support at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), they joined Osaka University Venture Capital (OUVC) in 2017. As a capitalist, they primarily focus on “Company Creation” (founding support for university-derived research seeds), investment operations, and hands-on management support for portfolio companies. Their target sectors for support and investment include drug discovery/healthcare, environment/energy, machinery/materials/manufacturing, and information and communication technology (ICT). Alongside their primary role, they also serve as an Entrepreneurship Promotion Ambassador for the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), actively working to promote and popularize entrepreneurship education.

Education
Graduate School of Engineering, Kyushu University (Master’s Degree)
Graduate School of Business Administration, Keio University (MBA)

Hinza Asif is an entrepreneur, ecosystem builder, and international business strategist dedicated to connecting startups, venture capital firms, corporations, and government organizations across Japan and the Asia-Pacific region. She is the Founder and President of Asia AI & Web3 Alliance Japan (AWAJ), a non-profit organization established to strengthen cross-border innovation, investment, and entrepreneurship by creating meaningful partnerships between emerging startups and established industry leaders.

With more than 11 years of experience living and working in Japan, Hinza has developed an extensive network across the country’s startup, investment, and technology ecosystem. Her work focuses on helping founders expand into Japan, supporting Japanese companies in accessing international opportunities, and creating platforms where entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, and corporate innovators can collaborate to solve real business challenges.

Under her leadership, AWAJ has become a growing platform for startup ecosystem development by organizing executive leadership forums, investor networking events, startup pitch sessions, policy discussions, and international business matching programs. Through these initiatives, she works closely with venture capital firms, accelerators, universities, government agencies, financial institutions, and multinational corporations to promote innovation and strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem throughout Asia.

Hinza has extensive experience building relationships between the public and private sectors, believing that successful startup ecosystems require long-term collaboration rather than isolated investment activities. She actively supports founders throughout their growth journey by connecting them with strategic partners, investors, mentors, and international markets. Her expertise includes startup ecosystem development, venture capital engagement, cross-border partnerships, innovation strategy, AI, fintech, blockchain, Web3, digital assets, and enterprise technology.

She is also a frequent speaker, moderator, and ecosystem advisor at international conferences and leadership forums, where she shares practical insights on venture capital, startup growth, innovation policy, and global market expansion. Her ability to connect diverse stakeholders has enabled numerous collaborations between startups, corporations, investors, and public institutions, helping transform ideas into long-term partnerships.

Hinza’s vision extends beyond supporting individual startups. She is committed to building a sustainable innovation ecosystem that encourages knowledge sharing, responsible investment, and international cooperation. Through AWAJ, she aims to position Japan as a gateway for global entrepreneurs while helping Asian startups access one of the world’s most advanced business environments.

Looking ahead, Hinza continues to expand AWAJ’s international network and strategic partnerships, creating new opportunities for founders, investors, and enterprises to collaborate across borders. Her mission is to foster an inclusive and globally connected startup ecosystem where innovation, investment, and entrepreneurship drive sustainable economic growth and create lasting value for businesses, communities, and future generations.

Ayano comes to CIC with passion to develop a biotech/healthcare startup ecosystem in Japan. She received a Ph.D. in molecular biology from The University of Tokyo before joining Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). At MEXT, she worked on policy making in the fields of life science and medicine, and was assigned to design the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED). In 2017, she started to study at MIT’s System Design and Management program (SDM) where she engaged in the research about the difference of startup ecosystems especially in the life science field between Cambridge/Boston and several cities in the U.S. and Japan. After returning to Japan, she worked on the science, technology and innovation policy at the Cabinet Office and on research and development projects in the nuclear fusion field at MEXT until she joined CIC Japan in 2021.She manages programs which support deeptech startups and their expansion to the global market.

After working in corporate sales at Career Design Center and Google, she founded the general incorporated association at Will Work. She then transitioned into PR and marketing at Money Design and later served as CMO at Plug and Play Japan, overseeing all marketing and public relations efforts. In 2022, she established the Startup Ecosystem Association and became its President. Since November 2024, she has also served as an Associate Specialist Advisor at A.T. Kearney. In 2025, she co-founded FoundersNation, a company that supports startups in their global growth. She currently serves as a Specialist Member of the Cabinet Office’s Regulatory Reform Council Working Group for Startup and Innovation Promotion and as a Startup Strategy Fellow for the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

Founder and CEO of the MedTech Actuator and Founding Investment Partner at Synthesis Capital. A serial entrepreneur and Professor at the University of Melbourne, he has led MedTech commercialisation, market entry, venture growth and exits globally. A former clinician in orthopaedic regenerative medicine and microsurgery, he combines clinical insight with commercial expertise to advance healthcare.

Born in Kyoto Prefecture in 1992. Graduated from Rakunan High School. Dropped out of Keio University. While still a student of the university, he served as a representative of the NPO AIESEC in Japan. In 2017, he joined DEEPCORE, an AI-focused incubator and VC within the SoftBank Group, where he was responsible for early-stage investments in R&D-oriented startups. In 2021, he established the ZERO Foundation, a foundation that supports next-generation researchers contributing to solving global challenges, and assumed the position of Representative Director. In 2022, he co-founded HERO Impact Capital, a venture capital firm with young researchers, and assumed the position of General Partner. In 2025, he established the “ZERO INSTITUTE” at Tohoku University and assumed the positions of Deputy Director of the Institute and Visiting Professor at Tohoku University.

Hiroki Fujimoto: Managing Executive Officer, Sumitomo Life Insurance Company. He joined the company in 1988. After being seconded to the Ministry of International Trade and Industry and serving as Head of the Corporate Governance Office and other roles, he established the Brand Communication Department in 2012 and became its General Manager. Under his leadership, the integrated promotion for “1UP” won multiple awards, including the ACC Grand Prix. In conjunction with the launch of “Vitality,” a health-promoting insurance product, in Japan, he promoted a creating-shared-value (CSV) project. In 2019, he established the New Business Planning Department, and in 2020, he founded the SUMISEI INNOVATION FUND. He also drove open innovation to build a Well-being as a Service (WaaS) ecosystem and advance the field of digital insurance. In 2024, he was appointed Managing Executive Officer. Currently, he is in charge of the New Business Planning Department and the Brand Communication Department. In the same year, he co-founded the general incorporated association WE AT with volunteers from the University of Tokyo, Kyoto University, and private companies, and assumed the position of Co-President. He also serves as a judge for the Cabinet Office’s Startup Ecosystem Hub Formation Plan and as a project evaluation committee member for AMED’s Healthcare Service Social Implementation Research Project.

Since joining our audit firm, I have had a wide range of job experiences such as statutory audit, IPO related service and due diligence investigation.
Currently, I support university-initiated venture companies and operate open innovation events as a head of Incubation Department, besides the audit.
Also, I strengthen identification of growth start-up companies and support them as a head of start-up in KPMG Japan Private Enterprise Sector.

Hitoshi Tanii (born June 1972 in Osaka) is a Japanese serial entrepreneur and angel investor. After graduating from the Faculty of Business Administration at Kobe University, he joined Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT) in 1996, but left within a year to pursue entrepreneurship. During the early days of the internet era, he founded and grew several ventures, including a free mailing-list service that he reorganized as Infocast Inc. and sold to Rakuten in 2000.

That same year, he established the company that would later become Synergy Marketing Inc., where he served as President and CEO. Under his leadership, the company’s cloud-based CRM service “Synergy!” grew to hold the No.1 share in the Japanese market. In 2007, he took the company public on the Osaka Securities Exchange’s Hercules market, later moving its listing to JASDAQ in 2010. That year, Synergy Marketing also became the first Japanese company to form a capital and business alliance with Salesforce.com of the United States. In 2014, he completed a buyout through a tender offer by Yahoo Japan, and in 2017 he stepped down as President and CEO.

Following his retirement from Synergy Marketing, Tanii spent two years traveling the world until 2019 — a period of reflection that shaped his next chapter. Upon returning to Japan, he founded PayForward Inc., named after his management philosophy centered on altruism: the idea of paying forward the support one has received to the next generation of entrepreneurs. Through PayForward, he has launched multiple new businesses and currently oversees a group of seven companies spanning marketing, entertainment, PR, and other fields.

Beyond his own ventures, Tanii is deeply engaged in supporting the broader business community. He serves as an outside director at several publicly listed companies, including Mandom Corporation, contributing his governance and management experience. As an angel investor, he has backed early-stage startups for over two decades, with ten of his portfolio companies having achieved IPOs — a track record that places him among Japan’s most accomplished individual investors.

He is also the founder and first chapter president of EO (Entrepreneurs’ Organization) Osaka, through which he has worked to strengthen peer networks among business owners. Rooted in the Kansai region, Tanii continues to dedicate himself to building a startup ecosystem in western Japan, combining his experience as a founder, investor, and mentor to nurture the next generation of entrepreneurs.

Jaeyeong Park is the Founder and CEO of The Garrison, a Korea-based cross-border venture platform. He supports startups, investors, corporates, and public institutions across 4 areas, market entry, pilot partnerships, capital access, and global programs. Through FosterBridge, he connects Korea, Japan, ASEAN, Europe, and Central Asia.

Joe joined Recruit Holdings Co., Ltd. in 2012. After serving as President and Managing Director of the company’s corporate venture capital arm (Recruit Strategic Partners), he founded Counterpart Ventures in 2018. He invests in US startups focused on AI, DX and deep tech. At Recruit Strategic Partners, he led investment activities in the U.S. as a venture capitalist while building investment strategies as the head of the organization. Prior to Recruit, he started career as software engineer, and then shifted to business development and venture investment at Hitachi Solutions, Ltd. He has resided in Silicon Valley since 2007.

Joshua Flannery is the Founder and CEO of Innovation Dojo, a global innovation platform with operations in Japan and Australia that connects startups, universities, corporations, investors and governments through cross-border technology and talent initiatives. Through its work, Innovation Dojo helps global innovators engage with Japan while supporting Japanese organisations and startups to build international partnerships and expand into overseas markets.

Joshua has spent more than 15 years working across entrepreneurship, innovation and international business development. He has played leadership roles in the growth of startup ecosystems spanning academia, government and the private sector, including helping to establish the entrepreneurship program at the University of New South Wales, serving as Director of the Sydney Startup Hub, and leading Rainmaking’s expansion in Japan. Throughout his career, he has worked with founders and innovation organisations across Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania.

Today, Joshua leads a diverse portfolio of cross-border initiatives that connect technology, talent and investment opportunities across global markets. Innovation Dojo designs and delivers startup programs, venture building initiatives, corporate innovation projects and international soft-landing programs in partnership with universities, governments and industry. Its activities span sectors including deep technology, health, advanced manufacturing, sustainability, creative industries and emerging technologies.

Joshua believes that the future of innovation lies not within individual ecosystems, but in building trusted international networks that enable technology, talent and ideas to move across borders. His work focuses on creating practical pathways for startups, researchers and entrepreneurs to access new markets, strategic partners, investment opportunities and global talent networks while fostering long-term international collaboration.

He currently serves as an official Startup Recommender for the Kansai region under Japan’s J-Startup program and holds academic appointments supporting entrepreneurship and innovation education. He regularly mentors founders, advises organisations on cross-border innovation strategy, and contributes to initiatives that strengthen Japan’s connections with leading global startup ecosystems.

Through Innovation Dojo and its partner initiatives, Joshua has supported hundreds of startups and innovators while helping to build lasting bridges between Japan and the world. His vision is to foster a more connected global innovation community where technology, talent and ideas can move across borders to address shared challenges and create new opportunities for economic and social impact.

In 1989, he joined current Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation. At the bank, he spent many years engaged in solution-oriented work, utilizing corporate bonds, securitization, and syndication to meet the needs of client companies. He provided fundraising support based on both individual company analysis and macro-analysis of the industry.
From 2006, at current SMBC Venture Capital Co., Ltd., he managed buyout funds as the head of the PE division, and he contributed to value enhancement for portfolio companies as an outside director and full-time advisor.
He gained extensive experience in both debt and equity operations at both the bank and VC firms.
From 2013, he designed a support scheme for university-based startups at Kyoto University, leading the establishment of Kyoto University Innovation Capital Co., Ltd.(iCAP) in 2014, and subsequently leading the establishment of 2 funds which iCAP serves as GP in 2016 and 2021.
After serving as Executive Officer and Head of Investment at iCAP, he became President and CEO in April 2020.

He graduated from the Faculty of Law, Department of Political Science, Keio University in 1989.

Kyohei Fujima has been dedicated to creating and fostering startups in Hokkaido since 2018, aiming to generate regional impact. He has spearheaded numerous startup-related projects in the region, including launching a region-specific accelerator program, implementing startup creation initiatives for local governments, and opening public-private incubation facilities.

In 2022, he founded “DRIVE Incubation” with the goal of building a startup ecosystem in Hokkaido. Since 2023, he has served as the secretary-general for “STARTUP HOKKAIDO,” a public-private organization involving Hokkaido Prefecture, Sapporo City, and the Hokkaido Bureau of Economy, Trade, and Industry.

In 2024, he joined UntroD Capital Japan (formerly Real Tech Holdings), which manages the Real Tech Fund, as Hokkaido Area Manager.

After working as an engineer in software development, she launched an in-house venture (web application development business) at Pasona Group, and then spun off a new business into a separate company.

She became the first female executive at a TECH company and also served as the head of the NEDO Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration Startup Promotion Project.

She founded ExaIntelligence Inc. (now ExaWizards Inc.), an AI venture based in Kansai, and served as its COO, before founding LEO Inc. as her second company.

She also serves as the producer of “Nagono Campus,” the navigator of ZIP-FM’s “Startup [N],”
a professor at Musashino University’s Faculty of Entrepreneurship, a visiting associate professor at Nagoya University’s Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration, an outside director of Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd., and an outside director of Acompany Inc., among others.

Mariko Nishimura is a cross-border producer who operates at the intersection of technology, art, and business. Under the mission “To create a page in history that captures hearts,” she connects corporations, governments, creators, and international networks to generate new value.
After a career in engineering at IBM and marketing at Adobe, Mariko founded HEART CATCH Inc. in Japan (2014) and HEART CATCH LA Inc. in the US (2020). She spearheads numerous domestic and international projects, including TECH BEAT Shizuoka, Inter BEE, and J-Startup support. She is also widely recognized for her tech trend analysis and reporting at major global exhibitions such as CES and VivaTech.
She serves in multiple prestigious roles, including:
* Juror, CES Innovation Awards
* Visiting Professor, Musashino Art University
* Official Columnist, Forbes JAPAN
* Japan Representative, Art Thinking Improbable
* Fellow, Shizuoka Prefecture and Hamamatsu City
* Co-founder, AI Collective Japan (one of the world’s largest AI communities)

After working in alternative investments at The Norinchukin Bank, he moved to KPMG FAS to work in M&A advisory before joining the Development Bank of Japan (DBJ). At DBJ, he was responsible for bank ALM and alternative investments in overseas PE funds. In 2017, he became Director and Head of the Investment Department at DBJ Capital, where he led domestic startup investments. He subsequently served as a partner at Genesia Ventures before joining the University of Tokyo IPC as a partner in 2024. In addition to investing primarily in deep tech sectors such as the environment and space, he focuses on supporting the ecosystem for university-based startups.
He holds a degree from the Faculty of Economics at the University of Tokyo and an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

After earning a Ph.D. in Fusion Engineering, he joined Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), where he worked on deeptech startup policy and entrepreneurship education policy. Following study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), he joined the launch team of CIC Tokyo, one of Japan’s largest startup hubs. He later founded FoundersNation to support startup scale-up and global growth.

Michiko Ashizawa is an Associate Professor at Keio Business School, Keio University, and a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Prior to joining academia, she worked at KPMG Century Audit Corporation, the Industrial Revitalization Corporation of Japan (IRCJ), and Advantage Partners. She was also a Visiting Scholar at Stanford University. Her research focuses on startup ecosystems, innovation policy, and open innovation, with a particular interest in how Japan can foster globally competitive hubs for entrepreneurship and technological innovation. Bridging academia, industry, and public policy, she is actively engaged in research, policymaking, and corporate governance. She is also committed to advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) through both research and practice.

Michiko Kohyama began her career at The Walt Disney Company Japan as a member of the digital business leadership team. After launching multiple new digital services as a producer, she led the launch of Disney Mobile, overseeing business operations and managing a cross-functional team of more than 100 people.

In 2015, she joined Eight Roads Ventures Japan, the venture capital arm of one of the world’s leading asset managers, where she focused primarily on growth-stage investments, including Series B and C financings, as well as M&A transactions.

Since joining Genesia Ventures in May 2026, her work has centered on supporting founders while helping shape the firm’s initiatives in organizational development, talent, and impact investing.

Alongside her venture capital work, Kohyama is actively involved in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within Japan’s startup ecosystem. She co-founded the Startup DEI Council, working with industry leaders to promote policy recommendations and strengthen the ecosystem.

In 2020, she also co-founded Public Mind, an intermediary nonprofit organization supporting NPOs. As a board member, she continues to help strengthen the social sector. In May 2025, the organization became a certified nonprofit, further expanding its impact.

Najib ELKHASH
Journalist and TV reporter/producer.
Operating via Risala Media Productions in Tokyo.
Born in Syria in 1973, based in Japan since 1997 (currently a Japanese citizen).
B.A. in Psychology from the American University of Beirut (Lebanon).
Studied film production at the London Film Academy (UK) before coming to Japan to do graduate studies in film/cultural theory at the University of Tokyo and at Nagoya University.
Reporting from Japan for Arab and European television stations since 1998. Personally reporting for Dubai TV, France 24 TV, Saudi TV, Kuwait TV etc.
Reporting on various topics, with a special focus on Japanese economy, reconstruction projects in disaster-affected areas, and major international events such as the World Expo and the Olympics…etc.
Frequent coverage of the visits of Arab and European governmental delegations to Japan.
Active in the cultural field, especially in organizing and advising film festivals.

Graduated from the School of Political Science and Economics, Department of Economics, Waseda University, and completed the Business Administration program (MOT / MBA) at the Graduate School of Commerce, Waseda University. After working at companies such as Daiwa Corporate Investment Co., Ltd. and WERU Investment Co., Ltd., he established NV Ventures Co., Ltd. in 2019 and assumed the position of President and CEO. For many years, he has focused on supporting research and development-oriented startups, primarily those originating from universities. He also serves as a technology management advisor for the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), a specially appointed professor at the Shinshu University-Innovative Research and Liaison Organization, and a venture partner at ision Incubate Co., Ltd.

Graduated from Kyushu Institute of Technology Graduate School of Engineering, Department of Materials Science and Engineering in 2004. Worked at a consulting firm, supporting companies in developing new businesses and products. Founded S-factory in 2009, providing support to companies, local governments, NPOs, and startups, while also serving as an advisor to government agencies. Provides support tailored to the specific challenges of each company, regardless of industry, business type, or stage of development. Also serves as Vice Representative Director of TX Entrepreneur Partners, NEDO Supervisor, and Visiting Professor at the International Industry-Academia Collaboration Headquarters of the University of Tsukuba.

Ryoko is a managing director (MD) of Alchemist Japan and based in Tokyo. Before Alchemist, she worked as MD at Endeavor Japan. Endeavor is a global non-profit organization that helps build startup ecosystems all over the world. She started her career as a strategy consultant but also built experience that covers a wide range: from startup co-founder to a manager of the big corporations and from consumer goods to tech companies. Currently, she also serves as a committee member of JST START program where she evaluates and selects R&D based tech pre-seed startups.
BS in Engineering, BS in Agriculture and Life Science (Dual degree) at Cornell University

Ryosuke Shibato completed the coursework for the doctoral program at Tokyo Metropolitan University before leaving academia to pursue a broader vision for research. During graduate school, he became aware of the closed nature of many research environments and organized interdisciplinary gatherings for graduate students. Through these experiences, he realized that research can inspire people regardless of their academic background.

In April 2014, he founded academist, Japan’s first crowdfunding platform dedicated to academic research, enabling researchers to share their research visions and secure funding from the public. Guided by the vision of building an open academic community and contributing to a better future through research, he leads initiatives that connect researchers with individuals and businesses, creating new opportunities for collaboration and societal impact.

Mas is a partner at Benhamou Global Ventures, a cross-border venture capital firm in the heart of Silicon Valley, California.

He is a seasoned professional with a diverse background in international business development, strategic planning, venture capital investment, new business incubation, and cross-border operations. Mas has had a long-standing association with NEC Corporation, where he served in various leadership roles. Among others, he also served on the board of Vidient Systems, Inc. and Niteo Partners, and during this time at NEC, Mas was involved in The Open Group and The Enterprise Network, both non-profit organizations.

Mas’ extensive experience includes key advisory roles and affiliations with Bay Angels, Plug & Play and Alchemist Accelerator in collaboration with the J-Startup program. Mas is also an angel investor, with startup companies that include Bedrock Robotics, Glydways, LUUM, Fort Robotics, Invia Robotics, Marble Robot, Copado, Mission Barns, SKUChain, Genia, Ekso Bionics, and others.

Mas currently serves as advisor to several Japanese companies and has been a frequent guest lecturer at Kyoto University, Aoyama Gakuin University, UC
Berkeley, and NYU. Mas also served on the board and Secretary of Harvard
Business School Association of Northern California.

Mas has a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Economics from Keio University in Japan and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School. Mas is an avid tennis player, and after 24 years in Silicon Valley, he currently resides in Southern California covering the region for new startups.

After working at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), etc., he became Director General of Fukuoka Directive Council (FDC) in April 2015.
He has served as the chairman of the Avispa Fukuoka Advisory Board (Management Advisory Committee), a visiting professor at the Kyushu University Center for Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Education and Research (CSTIPS), a director of the Kyushu University School of Regional Policy Design, a director of the Future Center Alliance Japan (FCAJ), and Chief the Regulatory Reform Promotion Department of the Kyushu Economic Federation. He also holds many public positions such as committee members of central ministries and local governments.
He is the author of books such as “The Secret of the Super-Growth City of Fukuoka: The Mechanism of Innovation Attracting the World’s Attention (Nihon Keizai Shimbun Publishing)” and “Let’s Go on a Journey to Change Society: A New Future Created by Regional Policy Design (Azusa Shoin)”.
In October 2021, he was named one of the “The World’s 50 Most Influential People Navigating Disruption” by the World Economic Forum and the International Public-Private Network as one of the Agile 50 (leaders driving innovation in the public sector and transforming governance from the world).

At Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC), Umezawa has led the launch and growth of CIC Tokyo, CIC Fukuoka, and O-Nexus in Osaka. Collectively, these three startup centers host more than 600 companies and serve as major innovation hubs across life sciences, climate tech, and other emerging sectors.

Umezawa is a member of the Intellectual Property Strategy Headquarters of the Cabinet Office. He holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Tokyo and an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management. He also serves as a non-executive director on the board of forStartups, Inc.

Based in Singapore since 2019, Ito Takahiko has been building bridges between Japan’s innovation ecosystem and the world. He joined One&Co — a coworking space launched by East Japan Railway Company as a new business venture — from the planning stage, leading strategy, concept development, and business design for its Singapore and Taiwan locations. Serving as General Manager for over seven years, he has engaged with more than 5,000 business professionals, cultivating a platform for co-creation that connects Japan and Singapore.
He has since founded N9 PTE LTD, a Singapore-incorporated innovation design firm supporting Japanese corporates and local governments in their overseas expansion and co-creation program design. He also serves as a Global Advisor to the City of Osaka, the City of Kyoto, and the Kansai Economic Federation, and as a Visiting Lecturer at Ritsumeikan University, contributing to industrial collaboration between the Kansai region and Southeast Asia.
Deeply aligned with GSE’s conviction that technology and ideas only create value when implemented in society, he brings to the role a career built on designing trusted connections across cultures, sectors, and markets. As a self-described “Nodemaker,” he looks forward to contributing to GSE’s ecosystem as a platform that brings deep tech from concept to real-world impact on a global scale.

Representative Director, President & CEO, DOZAN PARTNERS Inc.
Member, J-Startup KANSAI Recommendation & Evaluation Committee

Began a career in logistics consulting and financial services before leading business development initiatives at GMO Internet Group.
Joined for Startups, Inc. as a founding member, contributing to the company’s IPO on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Mothers Market (now the Growth Market) within approximately three and a half years.
Established the Public Affairs Strategy Office following the IPO, leading collaborations among government agencies, local municipalities, universities, major corporations, and financial institutions. Spearheaded policy initiatives and startup ecosystem development projects aimed at strengthening Japan’s innovation capacity and industrial competitiveness.
Co-founded DOZAN PARTNERS Inc. in July 2025 and currently serves as Representative Director, President & CEO.
Entrepreneur focused on building innovation ecosystems that connect government, industry, academia, finance, and startups to strengthen Japan’s future competitiveness.

◾️Previous Appointments
・ Comprehensive Advisory Board Member, SHIFT(x) Program, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)
・Commercialization Advisor, Ritsumeikan Educational Corporation
・Executive Advisor, Osaka Startup Ecosystem, Osaka Business Development Agency
・Committee Member, Startup Collaboration Committee, Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry
・Healthcare Commercialization Advisor, Tokushima Prefecture

Victor serves as Chief Innovation Officer and President of CIC Catalyst, the company’s innovation consulting and programming division that catalyzes innovation ecosystems and supports entrepreneurs, corporations, universities, governments, investors, and partner institutions worldwide. With over 20 years of experience across global innovation, technology, and startup ecosystems, Victor has advised governments on innovation policy and led transformative World Bank initiatives, including the Disruptive Technology for Development Program, the Internal Innovation Acceleration Program, and the Tokyo Development Learning Center. He currently serves on advisory committees for Japan’s Cabinet Office and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

Joined Sanyo Electric in 2003. In 2013, transferred to Xacti Corporation, a spin-out from Sanyo Electric’s digital camera division. Worked across a broad range of functions, from product-development engineer to corporate planning and new business development. In new business development in particular, was based in Silicon Valley as a Visiting Scholar at Stanford University. After returning to Japan, joined Osaka University Venture Capital in 2016, serving as Head of Investment and engaging in venture investing and fund management. Holds a graduate degree from the Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University.

GP at MTG Ventures Fund & Central Japan SEED Fund. Investing in globally ambitious startups and building innovation ecosystems.

Connecting technology, policy, and capital to accelerate the creation of new industries.
My career has focused on investing in and scaling businesses across the energy and deep-tech sectors. After earning a Master of Engineering from Kyoto University, I joined The Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc., where I worked in nuclear power operations before taking on leadership roles in corporate strategy, energy policy, emissions trading, new business development, and venture investing.
I later served as a Visiting Fellow at Stanford University researching entrepreneurship education and worked at a Silicon Valley venture capital firm, gaining practical experience in startup investment and commercialization.
Today, I am Chief Investment Officer of Japan Green Investment Corp. for Carbon Neutrality (JICN), a government-backed investment institution under Japan’s Ministry of the Environment. I lead investments in decarbonization and deep-tech ventures and have contributed to multiple IPOs.
I also serve on government programs supporting frontier technologies, including Japan’s Space Strategy Fund and MEXT’s SBIR initiatives, and mentor startups through the Japan Patent Office’s IP Acceleration Program for Startups (IPAS).
My work centers on identifying promising technologies, supporting their commercialization, and strengthening the innovation ecosystem by connecting technology, policy, capital, industry, government, and academia. Through investment and ecosystem development, my mission is to help transform breakthrough technologies into globally competitive industries.