Speakers

Aaron Kalb is an Entrepreneur in Residence at Accel, a leading venture capital firm, and a co-founder of Alation, a data and AI platform providing enterprise governance solutions built around a data catalog. He is also a Partner at Alchemist Accelerator. He studied at Stanford University, where he earned both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Symbolic Systems. Before co-founding Alation in 2012, he worked at Apple on iOS and Siri within the Advanced Development Group.

• Inside the Stanford Innovation Engine — How a Founder-First Ecosystem Builds Unicorns?

Adit Swarup is a Partner at General Catalyst, a global investment and transformation company with $43B in assets under management. Adit works on GC’s Customer Value Fund, which provides capital at the largest scale to companies seeking new customer growth.

• Global VC Perspectives on Deep Tech Investment: What Sets the Next Unicorns Apart

• Building Japan's Next Deep Tech Ecosystem: From Global Ambition to Regional Transformation -What would a successful collaboration between GSC and regional initiatives such as KSAC look like over the next five years?

After working for a major automotive manufacturer and a leading non-life insurance company, he joined Nippon Life in 2024. During his time at the non-life insurer, he was stationed in India and Israel and engaged in open innovation initiatives, primarily with overseas startups, exploring new business models and growth opportunities.
At Nippon Life, he is a member of the Crystal of Reassurance Group. In collaboration with the company’s innovation hubs in Silicon Valley and Singapore, he identifies emerging technologies and business models and works to develop new businesses in the areas of health promotion, healthcare, elderly care, and childcare. He is also involved in strategic collaborations and investments in startups through domestic venture capital funds.

• Unlocking the Potential of Regional Startups：How the Strategic Alliance Between Nippon Life and STORIUM Can Shape the Next Generation of Industry

Akira Kawachi is a Director at JETRO Startup focused on startup scouting, sector-specific program curation, and investor and accelerator engagement. He helps global partners navigate Japan’s startup landscape, identify relevant emerging companies, and build meaningful connections with founders and ecosystem stakeholders.

His current coverage spans healthcare and life sciences, climate and energy, agri-food, and impact. Drawing on five years in Chicago and leadership roles across JETRO, he brings a practical cross-border perspective to startup discovery and ecosystem collaboration.

• Policy, Standards, and Capital: How Europe Is Scaling Climate Tech Startups

After receiving his M.S. from Kyoto University in 1972, he joined Asahi Kasei Corporation, where he invented the lithium-ion battery in the 1980s and completed a practical prototype. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2019.

• Nobel Session: From Scientific Discovery to Human Progress: Entrepreneurship as the Bridge to Societal Impact

Alan Hucks is Ecosystem & Commercialisation Development Lead at Kiwi Innovation Network (KiwiNet), New Zealand’s network for commercialising publicly funded research. He works at the intersection of science, deep technology, international partnerships and industrial deployment, helping connect New Zealand research organisations, emerging ventures, investors, government agencies and global corporate partners.

His work focuses on translating frontier research and complex technical capability into commercially relevant opportunities, particularly in industrial decarbonisation, clean energy, advanced materials, critical minerals, circular-economy technologies and other Green Transformation priorities.

He is leading the New Zealand GreenTech delegation to Japan, bringing together research-commercialisation organisations, universities, startups and deep-tech ventures seeking Japanese partners for validation, co-development, manufacturing, investment and international scale-up.

New Zealand offers a distinctive environment for this work: strong publicly funded research, practical access to high-renewables electricity and geothermal resources, a connected innovation ecosystem, and the ability to test and refine technologies quickly in real-world settings.

Alan’s focus is on building long-term, reciprocal NZ–Japan partnerships. He sees New Zealand’s role as contributing differentiated science, agile testing and early-stage venture creation, while Japanese partners contribute world-class industrial capability, manufacturing, strategic capital, customer access and the capacity to scale technologies globally.

• From Corporate Challenges to Global Solutions: Connecting Japanese Enterprises with Overseas Startups　

Amanda is a Partner at the venture capital firm Kurma Partners, and is based in Paris. Her focus is biotech, early-stage and new creations. Earlier Amanda was investor with the Roche Venture Fund and Seventure Partners, and a business development executive at Roche, in-licensing external innovation from biotech and academia. Earlier she was a postdoctoral fellow in Switzerland (ISREC, Lausanne; IRB, Bellinzona). Amanda holds a PhD in Immunology (University of Sydney) and an MBA (IE Business School).

• Japan as a Global Hub for Drug Discovery:Building a Globally Connected Life Science Ecosystem

Amber joined Lightspeed in 2025 as an Enterprise Partner, where she backs highly technical founders working to build the next generation of enterprise software and infrastructure, particularly in markets that we believe will either be created by, or rapidly automated through, AI.
Amber began her career in venture at Bloomberg Beta, then invested in post-product-market-fit companies at CRV before joining Lightspeed. Long-standing friendships with partners Bucky Moore, Raviraj Jain, and Taggart Bonham – and respect for the firm’s depth of thought on emerging markets – made the decision straightforward.
Growing up near Florida’s Kennedy Space Center, Amber spent weekends studying rocket launches and, by high-school sophomore year, was training a neural network to predict orbital-debris collisions for satellites. Her original love was physics academia, but one month into Stanford, she incorporated a company to sell that predictive data to satellite operators, since she preferred the real-time impact of entrepreneurship to the longer arc of academia. That builder’s mindset led her into a career in venture.

• Top-Tier VCs and Accelerators Building Global Winners Together Techstars × Lightspeed × Global Brain: From Day-One Global Ambition to Cross-Border Scale

Amy Lin, MBA, MA
Director, Division of International Affairs

Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) Amy is the Director for the Division of International Affairs and Portfolio Coordinator for the Sprint for Women’s Health at the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), which advances transformative breakthroughs to improve health outcomes. Prior, Amy was the Director of USAID’s Center for Innovation and Impact (CII) in the Global Health Bureau, applying market shaping, innovative financing, digital health, and open innovation approaches. Earlier, she was based in Mumbai with Monitor, where she led teams developing new business models for delivering clean water or sanitation services. Prior to this role, she served as the HIV/AIDS Program Director for the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) in Liberia. Before CHAI, Amy was at the World Bank’s Development Marketplace, which issued open innovation calls to fund new ideas. Amy also worked with TechnoServe in Peru, creating growth strategies for microbusinesses. She began her career with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), advising Fortune 500 companies on strategy, enterprise growth, and customer segmentation in the pharmaceutical, financial services, and consumer goods industries.
Amy holds an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, an MA in International Relations from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), and a BA with Distinction in Political Science from Yale University.

• Shaping the Future of the Bio & Life Sciences Cluster

Andreas Schwarz is the Head of Cabinet of Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva (Startsups, Research and Innovation) since December 2024. He was previously Deputy Director-General of the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) for almost two years.
Dr Schwarz has been serving the EU for over two decades. Between 2018 and 2022, he was Director for Revenue and Multiannual financial framework in the Directorate-General for Budget, where he formerly worked as Head of Unit for MFF and economic and budgetary analysis for almost three years.
He has a broad experience in various Cabinets of the European Commission. Between 2014 and 2016, he was Deputy Head of Cabinet of Vice-President Kristalina Georgieva (Budget, OLAF and Human Resources). He assumed the same role in the Cabinet of Commissioner Janusz Lewandowski (Budget and Financial Programming), from 2010 to 2014, in the team in charge of the negotiations for the multi-annual financial framework. Between 2007 and 2010, he was Member of the Cabinet of Vice-President Günter Verheugen (Enterprise and Industry), where he was responsible for the Lisbon Strategy, International Trade, European Raw Material Policy, regulatory co-operation with Asia as well as ICT.
He started his career in the European Commission as Team coordinator in DG Trade, from 2005 to 2007, and Policy Officer in DG Development from 2003 to 2005.
Before joining the Commission in 2003, he worked as an economist for the German Association for Technical Cooperation (GTZ), being responsible for economic policy in South-East Europe for two years.
A German national, he holds a degree in information and communication technologies from the Union College of Schenectady (USA) and in economics with specialisation in international economics from the University of Bamberg (Germany). He received his doctorate in Economics at the University of Potsdam.

• How Can We Create World-Changing Innovation from Academic Seeds?　From Reseach Excellence to Global Impact

Andrew’s 32-year venture capital career has focused on emerging technologies. He joined Walden International in 1994 and holds investments in well over 40 companies across the U.S. and Asia.

Prior to this, he was president of Chemical Technologies Ventures. He was also a management consultant at Strategic Planning Associates and Booz Allen Hamilton. Earlier in his career, he was a research scientist at Systems Planning Corporation. He has a ScB from Brown University and an MBA from University of Virginia.

• Next Horizon: Building the Future Across Borders

Andrew joined NEA in 2014 and is a Partner on the Technology Investing Team. His investment focus includes AI, cybersecurity, fintech, and frontier tech spanning both bits & atoms. Prior to NEA, he was a member of Blackstone’s M&A team. Prior to Blackstone, he co-founded Flicstart (acquired). Andrew serves on the Cornell University Council, the Advisory Council for Entrepreneurship at Cornell, and is President Emeritus of the Cornell Venture Capital Club. He earned his master’s degree as a Schwarzman Scholar and his bachelor’s degree in economics and engineering, Phi Beta Kappa, at Cornell University.

• The Next Frontier: Opportunities at the Intersection of AI, Frontier Technology, and Life Sciences

Andy Lombard is Founder and Managing Partner of Tesoro Venture Capital, a global venture platform investing in and accelerating companies across AI, semiconductors, advanced manufacturing, robotics, digital infrastructure, and healthcare. A six-time venture-backed founder, Andy has led more than $140 million in venture investment platforms, supported 250+ technology companies, and helped build portfolios representing more than $7 billion in enterprise value. Earlier, he held leadership roles with Motorola Asia and Motorola Ventures, focused on venture investment, strategic partnerships, M&A, and international expansion. Today, Andy leads Tesoro’s global ecosystem connecting startups with investors, industry, universities, and governments across the U.S., Asia, and Europe. He also serves on multiple technology company boards and advises organizations focused on entrepreneurship, commercialization, and global innovation.

• Building the Foundation for AI: Semiconductor Innovation in the Age of Frontier AI

Andy Rubin is an American entrepreneur and technologist best known as the co-founder and CEO of Android Inc., the mobile operating system acquired by Google in 2005 that grew to power billions of devices worldwide.

Early Career and Mobile Innovations

Rubin earned a degree in Computer Science from Utica College in 1986. He began his career as a robotics engineer at Carl Zeiss AG before working at Apple from 1989 to 1992 as a manufacturing engineer. It was during his time at Apple that colleagues gave him the nickname “Android” because of his passion for robotics.

After roles at General Magic and Microsoft WebTV, Rubin co-founded Danger Inc. in 1999. Danger created the T-Mobile Sidekick, a pioneering internet-connected mobile device popularized by cultural icons such as Paris Hilton, Tony Hawk, Travis Barker and Kim Kardashian.

The Android Era and Google

In 2003, Rubin co-founded Android Inc. to develop an open-source platform for smart mobile devices. Google acquired Android in 2005, retaining Rubin as Senior Vice President. Under his nine-year tenure, Android expanded into the world’s most widely used mobile operating system.

In late 2013, Rubin shifted his focus within Alphabet to head its fledgling robotics division. During this period, he spearheaded the acquisition of several robotics companies, including Boston Dynamics and Tokyo-based humanoid startup Schaft.

Post-Google

Rubin established Playground Global in 2015, a hardware-focused venture fund and tech startup studio. That same year, he founded Essential Products, a consumer technology startup that released the Essential PH-1 ― the first smartphone featuring a titanium and ceramic build along with a through-display camera.

Back To Robotics

Rubin returned to his roots in robotics by co-founding Genki Robotics, a stealth humanoid robotics startup with offices in Tokyo and Palo Alto. Drawing its name from the Japanese word for “vibrant” or “energetic,” Genki Robotics focuses on building advanced humanoid robot systems and platform technologies. The venture re-united Rubin with co-founders who previously led Schaft to win the DARPA Robotics Challenge trials. Leveraging Japan’s hardware and engineering talent, precision manufacturing base, and robotics ecosystem, Genki is pioneering physical AI solutions to address the global unskilled labor shortage.

• ーBuilding the Next Global Platforms: Why Japan Matters in the Age of AI and Roboticsー

Anik Bose is a seasoned technology investor and corporate strategist with 20 years of experience in venture capital and corporate development. He currently serves as a Managing Partner at BGV, an early-stage VC firm that has invested in AI-native startups since 2016. Anik also founded the Ethical AI Governance Group (www.EAIGG.org), a global community of over 5,000 AI practitioners committed to democratizing AI innovation and deployment. Under his leadership, the nonprofit has evolved from Foundational AI Governance to Actionable Deployment. He also leads EAIGG’s advisory board, the Human AI Council, a multidisciplinary group of 20+ tech executives, startup founders, investors, and academics shaping the global dialogue on democratizing AI innovation. Anik is the author of the industry’s first AI Native Playbook for Startup Founders. Anik’s AI investments include Drishti, Fiddler.ai, WorkHelix, Asenion, Constella Intelligence, and Webscale Networks.

Before co-founding BGV, Anik spent seven years as Senior Vice President of Corporate Development at 3Com. There, he managed a $250M corporate venture fund, led a 20-member investment and business development team, and oversaw more than $1.5Bn in M&A and spin-out transactions. One of his most significant achievements was leading the creation and launch of H3C, a joint venture between 3Com and Huawei. Under his guidance, H3C became the fastest-growing enterprise networking company in Asia, achieving $500M in annual revenue and a $1.8B valuation in four years.

Anik holds an MBA from Boston College and a BA in Economics from the University of Delhi.

Based in California, he enjoys hiking, traveling, and studying ancient wisdom teachings. His
Career demonstrates a strong commitment to global AI innovation, strategic collaboration, and
Responsible leadership in technology.

• Sovereign AI: Building National Advantage In the Intelligence Economy
• Trust as Infrastructure: Scaling AI

Anna Felländer is Leading the Ethical AI Governance Group in Europe. By fostering harmony between innovation and humanity, Ethical AI Governance Group aim to shape a future where every person is equipped not just to adapt, but to flourish. Also, Anna Felländer is the co-founder of Asenion and President for the Asenion European Office. Asenion is an end-to-end AI Governance platform with over 300 AI use-case screened and assessed for ethical and legal risks. Anna Felländer has been engaged with Responsible AI from a policy, start-up, organisational and academic perspective since 2016. She previously served as Chief Economist at Swedbank and worked for a decade in the Swedish Government, including roles at the Ministry of Finance and the Prime Minister’s Office. Felländer has held academic positions as an affiliated researcher at the Royal Institute of Technology and has served as a Senior Advisor to BCG and to the Minister of Digitalization. She’s been on the boards of several companies and organizations in the AI sector and was an early investor in Sana Labs. She is recognized as one of Sweden’s leading experts on the business, economical, societal, and legal impacts of artificial intelligence.

Anna’s multidisciplinary research group at the Royal Institute of Technology was the origin to anch.AI. Anna founded anch.AI in 2018 to investigate the ethical, legal and societal ramifications of AI. The anch.AI platform is an insight engine with a unique methodology for screening, assessing, mitigating, auditing and reporting exposure to ethical risk in AI solutions.

In June 2025, anch.AI was acquired by Fairly AI and together they became Asenion – a reliable fast track to the AI Act and beyond, with the vision to make good a universal. The new Asenion platform allows enterprises to assess and mitigate risks associated with their AI models and data practices. On one coherent platform, and along the entire AI life cycle, all teams are empowered with oversight and control. Ensuring stakeholder trust, regulatory compliance and return on your business’ AI investments. With the combination of Policy Packs, Assurance testing and run-time agentic governance, Asenion provide an end-to-end Governance, Risk and Compliance platform for Predictive, Generative and Agentic AI systems.

Together, the founders have over 30 years of experience in the Ethical AI Governance field, both from academia and from leading AI governance enterprises.

• Trust as Infrastructure: Scaling AI

Prior to joining Mitsubishi Electric, Anna has spent over nine years’ experience in TMT investment and corporate development, with a strong passion of bringing technological breakthrough into business innovation that enriches people’s lives. Previously Anna led investments across APAC at LEGO Ventures and the Shiseido Beauty Innovation Fund, discovering innovative technologies and business models with the potential to drive long-term corporate growth. She is excited to continue investing and building meaningful strategic partnerships that push the boundaries of innovation and enrich people’s lives.

Anna began her career at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in Palo Alto, advising technology companies on M&A and capital markets transactions as part of the TMT team. She holds a business administration degree from the University of Southern California.

• Where AI Meets Steel and Power: Building AI's Physical Infrastructure

Dr. Atsushi Kumanogoh is a physician-scientist and the 19th President of The University of Osaka. He graduated from the Osaka University School of Medicine in 1991 and earned his Ph.D. from the Graduate School of Medicine in 1997. After serving as a professor at the Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, he held professorships at the Immunology Frontier Research Center and the Graduate School of Medicine. He later served as Vice President of the University, Dean of the Graduate School of Medicine, Executive Advisor to the President, and a member of its Administrative Council.

Dr. Kumanogoh has a prolific publication record, including over 50 papers in high-impact journals such as Nature, Science, and Cell, and over 400 original English-language papers that have significantly influenced the field of immunology. His research spans both basic and clinical immunology, and he actively participates in industry-academia collaborations.

His scientific contributions have earned him numerous prestigious awards, including the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Prize, the Japanese Society for Immunology Award, the Osaka Science Prize, and the Commendation for Science and Technology from the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). He has been elected to the American Society for Clinical Investigation and named a Distinguished Professor at Osaka University in 2017. He was subsequently awarded the Medal with Purple Ribbon in 2025. Dr. Kumanogoh also holds key leadership positions in national medical organizations and government committees, demonstrating his commitment to advancing science and medicine in Japan.

Note: As of 1 April 2025, Osaka University was renamed The University of Osaka. Titles and affiliations reflect the university name in use at the corresponding time.

• From Scientific Frontiers to Societal Impact: Transforming Humanity’s Greatest Knowledge into Reality

Aya Iwasuji serves as the associate director of the Nomura-SRI Innovation Center (NSIC) and is responsible for its member company engagement, program development, ecosystem and partnership development, and overall operations. With a deep understanding of Japanese business practice and culture as well as the Silicon Valley ecosystem, Iwasuji has a 10+ year history of creating successful partnerships and collaborations amongst large corporations, startups, research institutions, and academia and bridging Japan and Silicon Valley.

As a cross-border business consultant/educator, Iwasuji has worked with 200+ large Japanese corporations and 50+ startups and built and executed high-impact consulting projects, including executive and leadership programs on innovation, business acceleration, entrepreneurship, and new business creation.

Prior to SRI, Iwasuji was the program manager of industrial technologies and innovation at the New Energy and Industrial Technologies Development Organization (NEDO) Silicon Valley Office, where she created and managed programs that supported large Japanese corporations’ innovation efforts and startups looking to expand their business in the Bay Area. She received her M.A. in linguistics from San Francisco State University and her B.A. in international studies from Meiji Gakuin University.

• The Venture-Building Playbook: Turning Deep Tech Breakthroughs into Global Companies

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.

• Shaping the Future of the Bio & Life Sciences Cluster

Bayu Seto is a Partner at Living Lab Ventures & Executive Manager of the Japan Thematic Fund, driving cross-border investment and market expansion between Japan and Southeast Asia. He works with Japanese corporates, investors, startups, and public institutions on GTM, strategic partnerships, and capital deployment, positioning Indonesia as a key gateway for Japanese innovation and regional growth.

• ASEAN Startup Ecosystem: The Next Frontier of Global Innovation and Growth

Ben serves as Managing Partner of NextGen Venture Partners, opening up the firm’s west coast office in San Francisco. He leads investing of the Venture Capital fund focusing on early stage technology investments. Prior to joining the firm, Ben was a Partner at Bay Area-based Illuminate Ventures, where he invested in early stage enterprise SaaS companies. He began his career at IBM as a data scientist before moving into executive roles in the engineering and sales groups.

• Backing the Next Deep Tech Breakthroughs: A New Era of Venture Capital

Ben Honan is the investment lead for Climate KIC, Europe’s climate innovation agency and community. Focusing on financial innovation, Ben and the team have now made more than 100 seed stage investments in cleantech start-ups across Europe and are in the process of launching three new VC funds this year on deep tech, circular economy and carbon removals. Drawing upon his own first-hand experience of natural disasters in Australia, Ben has a passion for using innovation as a way to enable decision makers to take action in the messy middle where the options aren’t clear and the future is deeply uncertain.

• Policy, Standards, and Capital: How Europe Is Scaling Climate Tech Startups

Ben Horowitz is a cofounder and general partner at the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. He is the author of the New York Times bestsellers, The Hard Thing About Hard Things and What You Do Is Who You Are. He also created the a16z Cultural Leadership Fund to connect the greatest cultural leaders to the best new technology companies, and enable more young African Americans to enter the technology industry.

Prior to a16z, Ben was cofounder and CEO of Opsware (formerly Loudcloud), which was acquired by Hewlett-Packard for $1.6 billion in 2007, and was appointed vice president and general manager of Business Technology Optimization for Software at HP. Earlier, he was vice president and general manager of America Online’s E-commerce Platform division, where he oversaw development of the company’s flagship Shop@AOL service. Previously, Ben ran several product divisions at Netscape Communications. He also served as vice president of Netscape’s widely acclaimed Directory and Security product line. Before joining Netscape in July 1995, he held various senior product marketing positions at Lotus Development Corporation.

Ben has an MS and a BA in computer science from UCLA and Columbia University, respectively.

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Cameron is the Founder and Chairman of StartX, Stanford University’s premier startup founder community. Since its inception, StartX has supported over 1,500 companies and 3,000+ founders, including major successes like Snap, DoorDash, Lime, and Patreon, Kodiak and Life360. Under his leadership, the StartX companies have grown to a market value of over $200B with over 22 Unicorns and 150 valued over $100M.
A Stanford alumnus, Cameron pioneered a unique, zero-equity “founders helping founders” model that has become a cornerstone of the Silicon Valley entrepreneurship landscape. He also launched the Stanford-StartX Fund, managing over $190 million in investments in partnership with Stanford and Stanford Hospital. He has advised over 25 Universities on their innovation and startup strategies and advised the Cabinet Office and Department of Education of the Japanese government to assist in their national strategy for better commercializing research out of their Universities.
Recognized by Forbes 30 Under 30 for Venture Capital at the age of 26, Cameron is a Kauffman Fellow and a former Division I wrestler for Stanford.

• Inside the Stanford Innovation Engine — How a Founder-First Ecosystem Builds Unicorns?

Born and raised in France, Carole studied Japanese language and business before making Japan the center of her professional journey.
Having been based in Japan for the past three years, she first led the development of the Japanese branch of a French tech startup. For over a year and a half, she has represented Hello Tomorrow Japan, where she fosters connections between the Japanese and international Deep Tech ecosystems.
Driven by the belief that innovation thrives through collaboration, her mission is to build bridges between Japan and the rest of the world, with a particular focus on strengthening ties between Japan and Europe, two dynamic and highly complementary innovation ecosystems.

• Beyond the Hub: How Do We Build an Ecosystem Where Startups Flourish?

Caroline Winnett is Executive Director of Berkeley SkyDeck, UC Berkeley’s flagship startup accelerator. She led the creation of the $90M Berkeley SkyDeck Fund, a groundbreaking model that shares half of fund profits with the university. A serial entrepreneur, she co-founded NeuroFocus, the leader in neuromarketing, acquired by Nielsen. Caroline has been on several startup Boards, and currently sits on the Board of SkyCentrics. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees for Cal Performances. Prior to her career as an entrepreneur, Caroline was a professional concert violinist.
Caroline is a frequent speaker on innovation, entrepreneurship, and consumer neuroscience, and has been recognized with the Forbes 50 Over 50 and Bay Area Power 100 awards. Caroline holds an MBA from the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business. She did undergraduate work at Brown University and she holds a Violin Performance degree from the Indiana University School of Music.

• Building the Foundation for AI: Semiconductor Innovation in the Age of Frontier AI

Chika Hashimoto has extensive experience in the biotechnology and life sciences industries in both the United States and Japan, spanning research and development, business development, company formation, strategic partnerships, and business and technology assessment.

In Silicon Valley, she worked with several biotechnology companies across R&D, business development, and company formation. This experience provided her with a perspective that bridges science, business, and entrepreneurship in the biotechnology industry.

She later founded Gallasus and currently advises major corporations and startups in the biotechnology, life sciences, and healthcare sectors. Her advisory work focuses on new business development, technology sourcing and strategic partnerships, investment and M&A, business and technology assessment, and global expansion, particularly between Japan, the United States, and Europe.

Drawing on her industry experience, she also contributes to Japan’s public-sector initiatives supporting drug discovery, biotechnology startups, and the commercialization of academic research. She currently serves as a Program Officer for drug discovery programs at the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED), and is involved in startup and commercialization programs at the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

Through these activities, she works across industry, startups, academia, and the public sector, with a particular interest in connecting innovative science and technologies with business opportunities and global development.

• Japan as a Global Hub for Drug Discovery:Building a Globally Connected Life Science Ecosystem

Chris Cowart serves as the managing director for the Nomura-SRI Innovation Center (NSIC) and is responsible for its operations, creating program content, forming partnerships and working with the member companies. Cowart has been a user experience, design and product executive over the course of his career. He has worked across brands, innovation consulting and venture communities for more than 25 years.

Prior to SRI International, Cowart was the Chief Innovation & Strategy Officer at Treasure8, a food tech company leading a Resource Revolution® to bring disease-fighting, sustainable nutrition to a rapidly growing planet. He has also been a Venture Partner at Montage Ventures for 2 funds — in addition to his role at Treasure8 — focused on disrupting retail, health & wellness, and consumer financial services.

A formative part of his work experience includes 14 years at design and innovation consulting firm, IDEO. Here Cowart pioneered the human factors and user research disciplines in the design industry and launched many ‘first of their categories’ products for the company. He fluidly spans the disciplines of user-centered design, product, partnerships and business, and his continuous learning approach has allowed him to add new facets such as venture capital and future forecasting.

As a thought leader on the future of sports and the future of medicine, Chris’ speaking appearances and publications focus on the leading edge of those fields. He is an engaging speaker, facilitator and thought leader who leverages design and strategic thinking to provoke teams and industries to accelerate change through innovation.
https://www.sri.com/people/chris-cowart/

• The Venture-Building Playbook: Turning Deep Tech Breakthroughs into Global Companies

Christine Tsai is Founding Partner and CEO of 500 Global. Since co-founding the firm in 2010, she has led its growth to $1.9B in AUM and investments in more than 3,000 companies in 80+ countries. She has spent her entire career building and investing in Silicon Valley. Prior to 500, she was in product marketing and operating roles at Google and YouTube, launching and driving early go-to-market for products like AdSense, Google Analytics, YouTube syndication, and Developer Platform Tools.
Christine serves on the venture capital committee of AAAIM and is a member of YPO. She has been recognized by Gold House’s A100 List and named as one of 10 Women of Influence in VC by Private Equity International. Christine holds a B.A. in Cognitive Science from the University of California, Berkeley, and was a National Merit Scholar.

• Global VC Perspectives on Deep Tech Investment: What Sets the Next Unicorns Apart

Christoph Broja is a Partner in the EQT Life Sciences team since 2022.

Prior to joining EQT, Christoph was a Principal in the investment team at Gurnet Point Capital based in Boston, where he was involved in a number of investments in biopharma, medical devices, and molecular diagnostics. Prior to that, Christoph worked at B-Flexion Capital in London.

Christoph started his career as investment analyst at private equity firm Franz Haniel & Cie. in Germany. He holds a degree in Business Administration and is a CFA Charterholder.

• Japan as a Global Hub for Drug Discovery:Building a Globally Connected Life Science Ecosystem

Daiki Nakajima currently oversees three major roles within the JETRO USA Ecosystem, combining his 20 years of business development activities between the US and Japan. In short, he is capable of guiding US companies to enter the Japanese market, assist Japanese startups through government programs to scale their business in the US, and advocate the overall importance of Japan as the top investor to the US by engaging with Federal and State Government leaders.

• The Next Frontier: Opportunities at the Intersection of AI, Frontier Technology, and Life Sciences

David Cohen is the Founder and CEO of Techstars, a multi-billion dollar asset manager and pre-seed investor that provides capital, programming and mentorship to early-stage founders via a global accelerator network. Since founding Techstars in 2006, the company has invested in more than 5,000 startups, including notable investments in 29 unicorns such as Alloy, Chainalysis, Classpass, DataRobot, Digital Ocean, Outreach, Pillpack, Remitly, SalesLoft, SendGrid, Uber, Twilio, and Zipline.

David is a life-long entrepreneur. Prior to Techstars, he was the Founder and CEO of earFeeder which was later sold to SonicSwap. Before that, he was a co-founder of Pinpoint Technologies which was acquired by Zoll Medical Corporation (NASDAQ: ZOLL).

• Top-Tier VCs and Accelerators Building Global Winners Together Techstars × Lightspeed × Global Brain: From Day-One Global Ambition to Cross-Border Scale

Deb is a 2016 IITB Mechanical Engineering graduate and has worked for 3 years as an RnD Engineer at Daikin Industries Japan, 1 year as a management consultant at Accenture Japan communicating with several valuable key stakeholders at large cap Japanese oil and chemical companies and worked as a Chief Product Officer at Tech Japan, consulting with J-Startup companies, Japanese and Indian Government bodies, several top IITs and IIMs to build a sustainable ecosystem for an efficient India Japan collaboration. From 2025, Deb has started his initiative “uncomfortable” to empower entrepreneurs to build their dreams in Japan. Deb specializes in deeptech – energy, materials, quantum computing.

• Building Japan's Next Deep Tech Ecosystem: From Global Ambition to Regional Transformation -What would a successful collaboration between GSC and regional initiatives such as KSAC look like over the next five years?

Deborah Zajac is a General Partner at SOSV, investing early in deep-tech and science-based companies improving the physical world, planetary health, and human health globally. SOSV is one of the longest-running venture capital firms focused on deep tech and one of the most prolific with over 1,000 portfolio companies globally.
Deborah is vested in turning innovation into impact at scale. Before SOSV, Deborah invested in startups at Touchdown Ventures, now Cerity Partners Ventures, and helped scale the firm to $1.5B under management and 25 corporate venture programs in 5 sectors. She co-founded and ran its healthcare group and worked with 12 organizations on 15 venture funds at Touchdown and GE.
At GE Ventures and GE Global Research, Deborah invested in, spun out, and partnered with deep tech, digital, and consumer companies, and served as Exec-in-Residence at Columbia University Tech Ventures. She was an operator at a startup and Fortune 10 company, advised industrial manufacturers, and worked with companies, non-profits, and governments in more than 25 countries, including Japan. Deborah is passionate about helping exceptional technical founders turn ambitious science into globally consequential companies.

• From Science to Scale: Founder and Investor Lessons for Global Bio Manufacturing

Dennis Y. Teranishi is a distinguished leader whose career uniquely blends expertise in business management, international relations, agriculture and high technology innovation, with a proven track record of fostering cross-sector collaboration and driving transformative growth.

Since December 1, 2011, Mr. Teranishi has served as Chairman of the Pacific International Center for High Technology Research (PICHTR). Before joining PICHTR, he led Hawaiian Host, Inc. as President and CEO for 14 years, overseeing its growth as a globally recognized brand.

Prior to his tenure at Hawaiian Host, Mr. Teranishi was the Owner and President of North Shore Associates, Inc., a business consulting firm specializing in operational planning, international sales and marketing, personnel development, agricultural diversification, and new product innovation. Earlier in his career, he spent 19 years with AMFAC, Inc., where he advanced from research agronomist specializing in sugarcane to President of AMFAC Agribusiness, Inc., managing diversified agricultural operations.

Mr. Teranishi holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Crop Science from California State Polytechnic University and a Master of Science degree in Soil Chemistry and Plant Nutrition from the University of Hawaii. He has also completed executive training programs at the University of Southern California, Stanford University, and the University of Hawaii. A recognized leader in his field, he was honored as an outstanding alumnus of the University of Hawaii’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources in 1993. He also served as a Captain in the U.S. Army, from which he was honorably discharged.

His contributions to strengthening U.S.-Japan relations have been recognized with the Japanese Foreign Minister’s Commendation (2010) and the prestigious Order of the Rising Sun (2014), awarded by the Emperor of Japan on behalf of the Japanese government.

• Defense Innovation in Japan：Emerging Trends and Future Potential

Dimitri Kusnezov (The Hon. Dr.) is an American theoretical physicist and university professor who served as the fifth Under Secretary for Science and Technology at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (2022–2025) and as the first Deputy Under Secretary for Artificial Intelligence and Technology at the U.S. Department of Energy (2018–2020). Through six administrations, he led large S&T organizations supporting high consequence, mission-critical decisions across U.S. nuclear weapons and national security, open science, law enforcement, and emergency management. His work emphasized emerging technologies—including AI, quantum, biosecurity, autonomous systems, and high-performance computing—translating first-of-kind capabilities from research into real-world operations. He has published 160+ papers and articles and edited two books, and has extensive experience managing the risks that come with high-hazard efforts where mistakes carry real operational and reputational consequences. Kusnezov began his career as a professor of theoretical physics at Yale University, working in quantum many-body theory and complex systems, having received his PhD and MA degrees from Princeton University in theoretical physics and AB degrees with highest honors in Physics and in Pure Mathematics from UC Berkeley.

• Quantum at the Crossroads : U.S. - Japan Cooperation in the Fault-Tolerant Era

Doug Beck served from 2023 until August, 2025 as Director of the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), reporting directly to the Secretary of Defense across two administrations. In this role, he oversaw the acceleration of commercial technology adoption throughout the military and spearheaded the tipping point of change in defense technology adoption for the Department of Defense. For his work at DIU, Doug was awarded the Defense Distinguished Public Service Award, the highest civilian award conferred by the Secretary of Defense. He was also instrumental in the origin of DIU, and founded and led its joint reserve component from 2015-2019.

Prior to joining DIU, Doug was Vice President at Apple, reporting directly to its CEO, Tim Cook, for 13 years, from 2009 to 2023. At Apple, Doug led the company’s businesses across Northeast Asia and the Americas, geographies representing roughly half of Apple’s revenue, as well as leading several of Apple’s purpose-driven businesses (e.g., in health, education, and the public sector) worldwide.

Before joining Apple, Doug served as Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer at Charles Schwab. Prior to Schwab, he was a partner at McKinsey & Company. In 2000, he was elected as one of the youngest partners in McKinsey history while resident in Shanghai. He has lived and worked for many years in Asia, including in Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and across China.

A Captain in the U.S. Navy Reserve, Doug served in Iraq and Afghanistan from 2006-2007 with a joint special operations task force. He has also served extensively throughout the Asia Pacific region. His personal and unit awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal (two awards), the Bronze Star Medal, the Combat Action Ribbon, and the Presidential Unit Citation.

As a civilian, Doug has served as a member of the Secretary of State’s Foreign Affairs Policy Board, and an executive advisor to three Chiefs of Naval Operations and to Special Operations Community leadership, as well as an informal advisor to several Secretaries and Deputy Secretaries of Defense and Chairmen and Vice Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs.

Doug serves as a member of McKinsey & Company’s Geopolitics Advisory Council, as a member of the Board of Directors of the Center for a New American Security, and as a Senior Fellow at both Yale’s Jackson School for Global Affairs and the University of Tokyo and a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at Stanford’s Hoover Institution. He is a Trustee of the Rhodes Trust, which oversees the Rhodes Scholarships worldwide, and has been a member of the Jackson School’s Advisory Board since 2013. He also informally advises several key US allies on defense technology and innovation.

Doug holds a bachelor’s degree summa cum laude from Yale and an M.Phil in International Relations from Oxford, where he was a Rhodes Scholar.

• Global Defence Innovation Landscape：Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities

Dr. Douglas A. Wicks

Douglas A. Wicks has spent more than three decades at the intersection of materials science, energy innovation, and public-private strategy. He earned his B.S. in Chemistry from North Dakota State University and his Ph.D. in Polymer Science and Engineering from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, building a technical foundation that has carried him across academia, industry, entrepreneurship, and federal service.

Early in his career, Douglas served in the U.S. Army before moving into a path that spanned corporate R&D leadership, academic research, and startup founding. His scientific work centers on polymer chemistry, materials science, and energy technologies, and has produced roughly 63 patents and more than 89 publications. Among his written contributions is *Organic Coatings: Science and Technology*, co-authored with his father, Zeno Wicks — a collaboration that reflects both a family legacy in the field and Douglas’s own standing as a technical authority in coatings science.

In recent years, Douglas has moved deeper into the public and philanthropic sectors, applying his technical depth to large-scale innovation policy. He currently serves as Strategic Director of the ASCENT program at Renaissance Philanthropy, a formal R&D partnership with Japan’s Science and Technology Agency (JST) operating under the Cabinet Office’s Global Startup Campus Initiative. Through ASCENT, he works at the frontier of international science diplomacy, helping shape collaborative research agendas between the U.S. and Japan.

Douglas also leads work on ARPA-MIN (ARPA-Minerals), an effort exploring an ARPA-style international institution focused on critical minerals research and development — a field increasingly central to energy security and the clean energy transition. He conducts proposal reviews for the U.S. Department of Energy and holds strategic advisory roles with ventures in geologic hydrogen and critical minerals, sectors he views as pivotal to the next generation of energy infrastructure.

Across every stage of his career — from the lab bench to the boardroom to the halls of federal science policy — Douglas has remained driven by a builder’s instinct: identifying overlooked technical opportunities and marshaling the right people, institutions, and capital to pursue them. He now channels that instinct into philanthropic and governmental R&D strategy, working to catalyze ambitious, high-impact science partnerships on a global scale.

Douglas lives in the Fairfax County, Virginia area.

• Building Japan's Next Deep Tech Ecosystem: From Global Ambition to Regional Transformation -What would a successful collaboration between GSC and regional initiatives such as KSAC look like over the next five years?

Dr. Barak Ben-Avinoam is an expert in the field of early-stage technology investments,specializing in EnergyTech and Dual Use Technology start-ups, accelerators and incubators.
Barak works closely with the Israel Innovation Authority (IIA) and was an Investment Committee
Member at the IIA for five years, until he led a consortium of climate and energy investors to win a license from the IIA to establish Israel’s EnergyTech and ClimaTech Incubator, NetZero
Technology Ventures. Barak served as the Founding CEO of NetZero for its first year of operations, and currently serves a Board Member and an Investment Committee member and has direct access to the entire Israeli ClimaTech, EnergyTech and Dual Use ecosystem.
Earlier in his career Barak held several C-Level positions in pre-seed investment platforms associated with the IIA, including CEO of Iris Ventures, a pre-seed ICT incubator, and COO of Lab-One Innovations, a pre-seed ICT incubator, Tel Aviv.
In addition, Barak is also a member of the EU Horizon 2020 Innovation Council and serves as a Jury Member at the European Innovation Council, which provides funding and support for breakthrough innovation projects in the EU. At this capacity Barak is exposed to the top European ClimaTech and EnergyTech startup companies.
Barak holds an MBA and a Doctorate of Business Administration, with honors, from the International School of Management, in Paris, France and a B.Sc. in Information Systems, with honors, from Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA.
Barak teaches entrepreneurship courses as a visiting professor in top MBA programs across the world, including at the Technion in Israel, ENCP in France, NYU, Tsinghua in Beijing, and more.

• Sovereign AI: Building National Advantage In the Intelligence Economy

Dr. Katsuhiko Kawazoe is Chief Executive Fellow of NTT, Inc.

After joining NTT in 1987, he had been engaged in R&D of radio and satellite communication systems. His specialized field of research was highly efficient data transmission schemes for integrated-media systems. He became the head of NTT Service Evolution Laboratories and the head of NTT Service Innovation Laboratory Group in 2014 and 2016 respectively. Since 2018, he had served as a senior vice president and the head of Research and Development Planning. He was also appointed as Director of the board of NTT Research Inc. He became an executive vice president in 2020, a senior executive vice president in 2022, and
a chief executive fellow in 2025.

Prior to that, he served as President of ITE (The Institute of Image Information and Television Engineers) from 2018 to 2019 and as President of IEICE (The Institute of Electronics, Information and Communications Engineers) from 2022 to 2023. He has been the President and Chairperson of the IOWN Global Forum since 2020.

He received the TTC (The Telecommunication Technology Committee) Information and Communication Technology Award in 2019. He received his B.E. and M.E. degrees in engineering from Waseda University, Tokyo, in 1985 and 1987, respectively. He also received his Ph. D. in Informatics from Kyoto University, Kyoto in 2009.

• Innovation Beyond Limits – IOWN –

Duncan is a General Partner at SOSV and the Global Managing Director of SOSV HAX, the world’s first and largest VC-backed program for hard tech. He has invested in over 100 hard tech companies and serves on multiple boards in the climate, industrial and healthcare sectors.

Duncan has an extensive entrepreneurial background and deep experience fundraising and growing businesses across the globe. He has taken numerous technologies to market in various industries. Before joining SOSV, he led design and engineering strategy projects for Fortune 500 companies at the global innovation firm IDEO.

Duncan obtained his Master’s from the Royal College of Art & Imperial College. His design and engineering work has won multiple awards and is included in the permanent collection at The Museum of Modern Art. He has a deep passion for new technologies and engineering breakthroughs that can benefit our planet.

• Powering the AI Era: Who Holds the Keys to Next-Generation Semiconductor Manufacturing?

Eric Benhamou has over 48 years of experience in the IT industry, including 18 years as an active venture capitalist. He founded Benhamou Global Ventures (BGV) in 2003, investing in early-stage enterprise technology and telecommunications companies. His investments include Swan Labs (acquired by F5), Dasient (Twitter), Voltaire (Mellanox), Finjan, Contextream (HP), and Grid Dynamics (NASDAQ: GDYN). He currently serves on the boards of Grid Dynamics, Evinced, Secret Double Octopus, and 6d bytes.

Eric has extensive corporate governance experience, serving on more than 25 corporate boards, including 11 public companies such as 3Com, Palm, Netscape, Legato, RealNetworks, and Cypress Semiconductor. He currently serves on the boards of Silicon Valley Bank (SVBFG) and Grid Dynamics. Throughout his career, he has participated in nine IPOs and 41 mergers and acquisitions.

Before founding BGV, Eric built and led several technology companies through every stage of growth. He served as CEO of 3Com from 1990 to 2000 and Chairman until 2010, overseeing 25-fold revenue growth and leading the company into the Fortune 500. He also launched 3Com Ventures, a $250 million corporate venture fund. Eric later served as CEO and Chairman of Palm, which, along with 3Com, was acquired by HP in 2010. Earlier in his career, he co-founded Bridge Communications, helping take the company public on NASDAQ in 1985, and began as a software engineer at Zilog.

For the past decade, Eric has taught entrepreneurship at leading institutions including Stanford University, INSEAD, and IDC Herzliya. He has served on the Advisory Board of Stanford’s School of Engineering and the Board of Governors of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. He also chairs the Israel Venture Network and the American Friends of Arts et Métiers.

• Next Horizon: Building the Future Across Borders

Erin VanLanduit leads Corporate Ventures at Cargill; her team is responsible for making strategic investments in growth-stage companies across the globe that support long-term corporate objectives. Erin has spent over two decades in a variety of operator and investor roles at global CPG companies such as Kraft, McCain Foods, SC Johnson and Tyson. Prior to that, she served as a Field Artillery Officer in the US Army.

• The Playbook of U.S. Corporate Venturing: How leading US CVC’s Sustain and Evolve Innovation

Born in 1957, he was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1993 and has since been re-elected for twelve consecutive terms.

• From Scientific Frontiers to Societal Impact: Transforming Humanity’s Greatest Knowledge into Reality

While studying at Tama Art University, Gomi Hayakawa founded Utsuwa Inc. and launched several direct-to-consumer brands, including feast and ILLUMINATE. She sold ILLUMINATE to Euglena Co., Ltd. in 2022. Since July 2024, she has led generative AI adoption at Mercari. She is also Representative Director of Nakayoshi Co., Ltd., working at the intersection of generative AI, real-world implementation, and creative making.

• AI and Humans: Reimagining Society in the Era of AI Coexistence

After beginning his career in biomaterials R&D, Hasitha worked in ophthalmology, developing artificial corneal implants and helping restore vision for patients with corneal blindness. He later built a bioplastics company through its Series A stage, leading technology development and collaborating with global brands to commercialize biodegradable products.

Today, Hasitha is the co-founder and CEO of Materia Bioworks Inc. (Materia), an AI-powered materials technology company helping brands and manufacturers transition away from petroleum plastics. Materia’s MAPS platform combines computational chemistry and machine learning to reduce the time, cost, and trial and error involved in developing and manufacturing high-performance sustainable products. Materia recently received an investment from Mitsui Chemicals through its CVC fund, 321Catalyst™, to advance the development and broader adoption of bioplastic solutions.

Hasitha brings more than 14 years of experience translating scientific research into commercial technologies, particularly in bioplastics and other sustainable materials.

• From Science to Scale: Founder and Investor Lessons for Global Bio Manufacturing

Hirofumi joined UTEC in 2018. As Senior Manager, founded and led the HR / Platform Team responsible for building management teams at portfolio companies in Japan and overseas. Venture Partner since 2023. Over eight years, has placed more than 200 executives, including CEOs and co-founders, and has been involved in multiple IPOs and M&A transactions, including cross-border deals. Has supported over 70 portfolio companies across organizational strategy, leadership development, and executive assessment, and has worked on co-founding projects from the pre-incorporation team-building stage. Led the creation of the “UTEC Startup Opportunity Club,” UTEC’s proprietary executive talent pool of leaders in life science, physical science, and IT.
Previously, at a UK-based recruitment agency, launched and led the b

• The Venture-Building Playbook: Turning Deep Tech Breakthroughs into Global Companies

Hirokazu Shimoda joined the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI, Japan) in 1999, and he was engaged in promoting various industries, including IT, cybersecurity, biotechnology and cell and gene therapy, healthcare, and the service sector. From 2016 to 2020, he served as Senior Director of the San Francisco Office of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), concurrently holding a position as a Fellow at the World Economic Forum’s Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
After returning to Japan, he held key positions at METI, including Director of the Information Systems Division and Director of the Bio-Industry Division, where he was responsible for biotechnology industry policy. Since July 2025, he has been serving as a Senior Director at the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED), overseeing the practical application of research outcomes and the promotion of the drug development ecosystem.

• Japan as a Global Hub for Drug Discovery:Building a Globally Connected Life Science Ecosystem

Hironobu Azuma joined The Japan Research Institute, Limited (JRI) in 2006.
He established the “Incubation & Innovation Initiative (III),” a cross-industry business consortium that promotes innovation by supporting the commercialization of cutting-edge technologies and business ideas that form the foundation of Japan’s growth strategy. As its representative, he is responsible for the overall management and strategic direction of the initiative.
His work focuses on supporting startups, promoting open innovation, and advancing university reform. He served as a Supervisor of the Osaka Healthcare Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan, and serves as Executive Director of GSE2026.
In addition, as part of his external activities, he has served on various government committees, including as a member of the J-startup recommender, an expert committee member for the Cabinet Office Open Innovation Grand Prize, NEDO Technical Committee Member, and an advisor for JST COI-NEXT. He also serves as a fellow to the heads of local governments, including Shizuoka Prefecture.

• Nobel Session: From Scientific Discovery to Human Progress: Entrepreneurship as the Bridge to Societal Impact

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.

• Scaling Deep Tech Startups: The Roles of Industry, Government, Academia, and Finance

In April 1988, he joined the Faculty of Engineering at Nagoya University as a Research Associate. In April 1992, he joined the Faculty of Science and Technology at Meijo University, where he served as Lecturer and Associate Professor before being appointed Professor in April 2002. In April 2010, he became Professor at the Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University. Since October 2015, he has served as Professor and Director of the Center for Integrated Research of Future Electronics within the Institute of Materials and Systems for Sustainability (IMaSS), Nagoya University. In April 2026, he was appointed Distinguished Professor and continues to serve as Director of the Center.

In 2014, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics together with the late Dr. Isamu Akasaki and Professor Shuji Nakamura of the University of California, Santa Barbara, for the invention of efficient blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs), which enabled bright and energy-saving white light sources. In the same year, he was honored as a Person of Cultural Merit and received the Order of Culture from the Government of Japan. He is currently engaged in research at Nagoya University on next-generation energy-saving devices, including highly efficient power semiconductors.

• Nobel Session: From Scientific Discovery to Human Progress: Entrepreneurship as the Bridge to Societal Impact

Born in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, he founded a web production company in 1999 while studying at Waseda University. Following graduation, he spent approximately 12 years in the internet business sector at CyberAgent before holding leadership roles at AOI Pro. and IDOM. In 2019, he founded Granstory Inc.

In 2021, he launched STORIUM, an invitation-only innovation platform that brings together key players in industrial creation. By combining proprietary primary-source intelligence, AI-driven insights, and hands-on support from catalysts, STORIUM facilitates meaningful connections that lead to fundraising, business partnerships, and joint research initiatives. Today, the platform serves approximately 1,000 organizations.

He also plans and hosts initiatives including KANSAI SEED NEXT FORCE, which connects seed-stage startups with leading venture capital firms, and Deep Sync, a matching program that brings together research-driven startups, corporations, and investors.

Through these efforts, he seeks to eliminate information and opportunity asymmetries across regions and industries, with the goal of building an “industrial creation infrastructure” where new value, innovation, and industries can continuously emerge.

• Unlocking the Potential of Regional Startups：How the Strategic Alliance Between Nippon Life and STORIUM Can Shape the Next Generation of Industry

Following a career at NTT Research Laboratories, he joined ATR, where he leads corporate strategy and the commercialization of research outcomes.
He has led the development of Keihanna Science City’s global innovation ecosystem and startup support infrastructure.
He has also planned and promoted startup- and innovation-related initiatives for Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai and Keihanna Expo 2025.

• From Corporate Challenges to Global Solutions: Connecting Japanese Enterprises with Overseas Startups　

With over a decade of experience in semiconductor physics and circuit design, he led an R&D team for quantum tech for 5 years at a Fortune 500 company. His work spans algorithm development for quantum machine learning and quantum CAE. He bridges technology and business to support the adoption and social implementation of advanced technologies, while also leading global collaboration projects with US quantum HW vender. Since 2020, he has served as a collaborative researcher at the Quantum Computing Center, Keio University, and currently also serves as a visiting researcher at AIST G-QuAT. He holds a Ph.D. in Engineering.

• Quantum at the Crossroads : U.S. - Japan Cooperation in the Fault-Tolerant Era

Hogil is responsible for investment and support for startups in IT and various other fields. With his experience of M&A and business development at Rakuten and Z Holdings, he supports many startups at different stages in developing their products, organization, and business models.

Hogil joined GB after working for Rakuten Group and Z Holdings. At Rakuten Group, he was involved in cross-border M&A, e-commerce business, and founded and managed Rakuten Ventures’ Japan fund. During his tenure at Z Holdings, he served as Director and COO of Z Venture Capital, overseeing both the investment division and administrative division.

Hogil enjoys outdoor activities and trying out anything that is new to him. He is strongly committed to working with entrepreneurs to make the world a better place and build a bright future.

• Top-Tier VCs and Accelerators Building Global Winners Together Techstars × Lightspeed × Global Brain: From Day-One Global Ambition to Cross-Border Scale

CEO of SARR, LLC and co-founder and CEO of Digitalplatformer, specializing in tokenized deposits and digital ID solutions. Also co-founder of Soramitsu, which achieved financial inclusion in Cambodia through CBDC.
In 2000, Ikkei established Hokkaido VC, Japan’s first independent regional venture capital firm. Specializes in regional revitalization and the commercialization of research outcomes from universities and other institutions—including the founding of Japan’s first university-spin-off. Established SARR in Kyoto in 2011 to support deep-tech startups and participated in the launch of the NEDO TCP (now NEP) program.
He also serves as an SBIR evaluation committee member for the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare; a VC-IPASS committee member for the Japan Patent Office, an Advisory Council member for Emerald VC (Switzerland), and Japan Advisory Partner of Benhamou Global Ventures.
BS(Econ) at Keio University, MBA at INSEAD (France), PhD(Med.) at Hokkaido University.
https://sarr-llc.com/

• Unicorn session：Next generation transportation system design by Silicon Valley, Made by Japan

After joining the bank in 1990, gained extensive experience across corporate banking, legal affairs, corporate planning, and human resources. Later, established and led the Retail Marketing Department and the IT Strategy Office (as it was then known) as General Manager. Subsequently, as Head of the Transaction Business Division, oversaw product development and sales planning for corporate payment solutions.
Currently serves as Group Chief Digital & Innovation Officer (CDIO), where leads the formulation of SMBC Group’s digital strategy and drives innovation through collaboration with startups.

• Building the Fusion Energy Industry: Japan’s Path to Global Competitiveness

Yoshino graduated from Keio University’s Faculty of Law in 1990 and received an MBA from UC Berkeley in 2002, where he was a Hitachi Fellow in the Management of Technology program. After working for Mitsui & Co.’s Chemical Department, he retired to pursue investing and consulting in the USA. In August 2007, he established Microwave Chemical Co., Ltd and became its Chairman & CEO, a position he currently holds.

• What Will It Take for Deep Tech from Japan to Succeed in Global Markets?

James H. Spann, Jr. is the Founder and CEO of Boyd Street Capital, a venture capital platform focused on identifying, investing in, and scaling high-potential companies across healthcare, life sciences, and infrastructure technology. He founded the firm in 2021 to expand access to capital and hands-on operating support for promising businesses that are often overlooked by traditional venture investors.

A former U.S. Marine Corps Captain, James brings more than 35 years of leadership experience spanning healthcare, diagnostics, medical technology, commercialization, operations, and business development. His career has been defined by building teams, developing new markets, creating growth strategies, and helping organizations translate innovation into measurable results.

Before founding Boyd Street Capital, James held senior leadership roles with Baxter Healthcare, Omnicom, Roche Diagnostics, Medline Industries, AmerisourceBergen, Aramark Healthcare, and IBM Watson Health. Across these organizations, he gained broad experience in laboratory diagnostics, medical-surgical products, pharmacy automation and distribution, clinical engineering, diagnostic imaging, dental products, data analytics, and operational transformation. He has worked with health systems, public-sector organizations, and commercial partners in domestic and international markets.

At Boyd Street Capital, James leads an integrated platform that combines investment capital with strategic partnerships and commercialization support. Under his leadership, the firm has invested in innovative companies and developed a Venture Studio model designed to help founders strengthen operations, accelerate market entry, and scale responsibly. He also guides the firm’s continued expansion across venture capital, the HealthTech Platform Fund II, and Capital Access initiatives serving founder-led healthcare businesses. His approach combines rigorous investment judgment with practical operating insight, reflecting his belief that capital is most effective when paired with experienced guidance and strong, collaborative, enduring relationships.

James was recognized as an EY Entrepreneurs Access Network 2024 Winner and currently serves as an EY Entrepreneur Of The Year U.S. Regional Judge. He has also been honored as one of Oklahoma’s “10 for the Next 10” leaders for his contributions to innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic development.

James earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Oklahoma, where he participated in Navy ROTC and the President’s Leadership Class, and a Master of Business Administration from Indiana Wesleyan University. He serves on corporate, nonprofit, and industry boards, including the Cleveland County Economic Development Coalition and Innovation to Enterprise Venture Capital. Throughout his career, James has remained committed to advancing healthcare innovation, supporting founders, and creating long-term economic value through disciplined leadership, collaboration, and execution.

• Taking Japanese Healthcare Innovation Global: Growth Through Investment and Partnership

Jamie Sundsbak is the Director of Mayo Clinic Platform_Accelerate, a Developer Program for emerging AI HealthTech companies. The program has successfully worked with 130 companies worldwide in the past five years of operations. He is responsible for the leadership, management, and development of the program and outside partnerships.

He has dedicated over fifteen years supporting entrepreneurs and early-stage companies and has a passion for medical and life science innovation. He has founded multiple companies and organizations, most recently Collider Foundation, an organization dedicated to supporting local entrepreneurs in the Rochester area.

Prior to his current role, Jamie had a 20-year career in clinical and research labs and was part of the founding team that created the Center for Surgical Excellence at Mayo Clinic. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biotechnology from North Dakota State University.

• Taking Japanese Healthcare Innovation Global: Growth Through Investment and Partnership

Jason Calacanis is a technology entrepreneur, fund manager, host of the This Week in Startups podcast, and co-host and executive producer of the All-In Podcast. As a scout for top Silicon Valley venture capital firm Sequoia Capital and later as an angel investor, Jason has invested in 500+ early-stage startups, including Uber, Thumbtack, Robinhood, Calm, and Superhuman. His book “Angel: How to Invest in Technology Startups: Timeless Advice from an Angel Investor Who Turned $100,000 into $100,000,000” was published by Harper Collins in 2017.

• Researchers Are Fleeing AI — Does the Money Keep Flowing?

Jason Sydow is a Founding Partner at Frontier Works, Siemens’ venture platform, where he invests in and partners with startups building in artificial intelligence, industrial software, and deep tech. A physicist by training — Ph.D. from Cornell University, and a British Marshall Scholar at the University of Strathclyde — he has spent nearly twenty years as both a financial and a corporate venture capitalist. Based in Silicon Valley, he works alongside colleagues in Munich and Tel Aviv on what the team calls an outside-in approach to corporate venturing: starting from the founder’s technology and the customer’s problem rather than the corporation’s roadmap. Frontier Works partners with high-growth startups on validated use cases, invests selectively to deepen those partnerships, and helps Siemens turn ideas into new businesses at startup speed.

That dual perspective makes him unusually comfortable on both sides of the table — the startup pitching and the corporation deciding. Over the past decade he has led investments in Bonsai AI, Riffyn, Identify3D, Falkonry, Citrine Informatics, Realtime Robotics, and BuildOps, and has held more than ten board seats. Several of those companies found industrial homes: Bonsai was acquired by Microsoft following a co-development project with Siemens, Riffyn’s technology became the core of Siemens’ pharmaceutical software strategy, and Identify3D was acquired by Materialise. His current board and advisory work spans carbon removal, industrial analytics, robotics, and energy management.

Before joining Siemens’ venture team, Jason was a Partner at QuestMark Partners, a growth-stage fund with $1 billion under management, where he invested in semiconductors, data analytics, and cloud computing — including Enpirion, acquired by Altera, and Guavus, acquired by Thales. Earlier he led technology ventures at Arizona State University’s commercialization arm, launching six funded companies; served as general manager of the medical battery division at EaglePicher Technologies; and spent four years at The Boston Consulting Group advising Fortune 100 clients on strategy and new business creation.

A single thread runs through his career: moving technology out of the laboratory and into industry, whether by licensing, by venture capital, or by partnership with a global manufacturer. He has also served on the boards of the Johns Hopkins Technology Alliance and the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship.

• The Playbook of U.S. Corporate Venturing: How leading US CVC’s Sustain and Evolve Innovation

Jean SCHMITT – Jolt Capital

Jean Schmitt is the Founding President and Managing Partner at Jolt Capital, the leading European PE firm dedicated to growth deeptech.
Prior to Jolt, Jean was Managing Partner at Sofinnova.
Jean started his carreer by founding and leading as CEO 3 tech companies, all successfully exited.
He holds an MSc from Telecom ParisTech (France) and a post-grad degree in Artificial Intelligence
Jean is currently a board member of BioSerenity and Virta, Verimatrix (EUR:VMX) and the SICAV Tech Premium. He has played a pivotal role in multiple exits and IPOs, including Myriad (SIX:MYRN), Authentec (NASDAQ:AUTH) acquired by Apple, NILT acquired by Radiant, Fogale Sensation acquired by Apple, and Heptagon acquired by AMS. He is also the Chairman of the baroque orchestra La Chapelle Harmonique.

• Beyond Silicon Valley: Can Japan and Europe Build the Next Global Tech Giant? How Japanese capital, European investors, and global market access can turn breakthrough technologies into category-defining companies

Born in Osaka Prefecture in 1970, he graduated from the Faculty of Agriculture at Kyoto University in 1993, including time spent studying in the United Kingdom as a Rotary Foundation Scholar. After leaving Kyoto University’s graduate school in 1994, he joined Japan’s Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI), now the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI).

Throughout his career, he has been engaged in a wide range of policy areas, including trade policy, environmental policy, SME policy, and economic security. His previous appointments include Director of Industrial Policy at the Ishikawa Prefectural Government, Counsellor at the Permanent Mission of Japan in Geneva, where he served as Chair of the WTO Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee in 2013, and several senior positions within the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency, including Director of the Finance Division and Director of the Financial Affairs Division.

He has also served as Executive Secretary to the Minister for Economic Revitalization and Minister in Charge of the TPP, Director of the Information Industry Division, Director-General of the General Affairs Division of the Manufacturing Industries Bureau, Cabinet Counsellor at the Cabinet Secretariat and the Digital Agency, and Deputy Director-General for Policy Coordination.

He holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from Columbia University, serves as a Visiting Professor of International Relations at Aoyama Gakuin University, and is a Senior Fellow at the International Environment and Economy Institute (IEEI). He is also a U.S. Certified Public Accountant (USCPA).

• Defense Innovation in Japan：Emerging Trends and Future Potential

Jiro Seguchi currently serves as President, Representative Director and Chief Executive Officer of Japan Investment Corporation (JIC).

He began his banking career with The Bank of Tokyo, now MUFG Bank, in 1986 and subsequently built a distinguished career in global banking and capital markets. During his tenure at Bank of America, he served in senior leadership positions including President and Representative Director of Merrill Lynch Japan Securities, Country Executive for Japan, Head of Global Corporate & Investment Banking for Asia Pacific, and Co-President of Asia Pacific.

Following his retirement from Bank of America in 2023, he has served as an Outside Director of Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd. and Resona Holdings, Inc. since 2025. In 2026, he became an Outside Director of MS&AD Insurance Group Holdings, Inc. and joined Japan Investment Corporation (JIC) as Senior Executive Managing Director. He was appointed President, Representative Director and Chief Executive Officer in June of the same year.

He brings more than four decades of leadership experience in banking, investment banking, corporate finance, and cross-border business across Japan and the Asia Pacific region.

• From Japanese Deep Tech to Global Industry ～ The Role of Long-Term Capital in Rebuilding Competitiveness ～

Jo Slota-Newson is a venture capital investor and Managing Partner at Almanac Ventures. Jo helps to build companies founded on scientific innovations, which will be critical to growing stronger, more resilient, decarbonised industries of the future.
Jo started her career as a research scientist in electronic materials at the University of Cambridge and the University of British Columbia. She has worked in technology commercialisation for 19 years including in operational roles, such as serving as Chief Technology Officer for an early stage photovoltaics company.
Jo holds MA, MSci and PhD degrees in Natural Sciences from the University of Cambridge and the Chartered Financial Analyst designation, and is a Fellow of the Institute of Physics.

• Policy, Standards, and Capital: How Europe Is Scaling Climate Tech Startups

Kirgues attended Marquette University where he earned his Bachelor Degree in Finance. He went on to attend the University of Wisconsin Law School, graduating in 2008. He then served as a Clerk to the Honorable Judge William E. Callahan, Jr. in the Eastern District of Wisconsin. Kirgues became an Associate for Quarles & Brady LLP in 2011. He met gener8tor co-founder Troy Vosseller in 2011 through that position and has been growing the gener8tor brand since the company was founded in 2012. To date, gener8tor has expanded to over 100 employees and has supported 2,200 startups in raising $4B+ in capital and creating more than 15,000 jobs.

• From University Labs to Global Deep Tech Ventures: Crossing the Valley of Death 

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.

• The State of Corporate Venturing in Japan : Redefining Success

Dr. Joseph Jeong joined ARCH as a Venture Partner in 2021. He is an experienced venture capitalist with investment experience in a wide range of deep technology industries, including biotechnology, semiconductors, advanced displays, energy and advanced materials. He has also invested globally in the U.S., Europe, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia.
Prior to joining ARCH, Dr. Jeong was a Co-Founder & Partner at Biopath Ventures, a venture capital firm focused on life sciences tools and diagnostics based in Singapore. Prior to Biopath Ventures, he worked at Applied Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of Applied Materials, a global leader in capital equipment for the semiconductor and display industries. There he raised Applied Ventures Innovation Fund I L.P., focused on investing in Korean semiconductor start-ups. Dr. Jeong began his venture capital career at ARCH Venture Partners as an intern. Prior to his investing career, he was a consultant at Boston Consulting Group and a research engineer with Samsung SDI where he focused on fuel cell systems and lithium ion batteries.
Dr. Jeong holds B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Aerospace Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology and an MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

• The Next Frontier: Opportunities at the Intersection of AI, Frontier Technology, and Life Sciences

She founded online database firm MAID Japan in 1994 and co-founded AI marketing firm Silver Egg Technology in 1998, leading its TSE IPO in 2016. Post-TOB by YRGLM in Jan 2026, she steps down in March to remain Co-Founder. In 2010, she bought back Daidomon as President. Executive Director, Kansai Assn of Corporate Executives; Director, Osaka Business Dev Agency & Expo 2025 Association.

• AI and Humans: Reimagining Society in the Era of AI Coexistence

Joined Sakana AI after working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Clifford Chance, Anderson Mori & Tomotsune, and Sumitomo Corporation Global Research. Currently manages defense and intelligence projects and conducts research and analysis on AI and national security. Holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Tokyo, a Master’s degree from Stanford University, and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS).

• Defense Innovation in Japan：Emerging Trends and Future Potential

Karthee is the founding Managing Partner at MFV Partners, a Silicon Valley early-stage deep tech venture fund investing in Robotics, Quantum Computing, Energy, and AI. His investments include PsiQuantum, Agility Robotics, Chef Robotics, and Sun Mobility. He also founded Harper Court Ventures, a $25M pre-seed fund backing University of Chicago technologies.
Previously, Karthee spent 11 years as Corporate VP and Managing Director at Qualcomm Ventures, establishing its investment arms in Israel and India. His key investments include Waze (acquired by Google), MapMyIndia, Validity Sensors, and BORQS. Earlier, he held technical and product marketing roles across three Silicon Valley wireless and semiconductor startups.
Karthee holds a BS from College of Engineering, Guindy, an MS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Michigan, and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He is a Kauffman Fellow.

• The Quantum Readiness Gap: The constraints on quantum acceleration beyond investment 

Kathy Matsui is a founding General Partner of MPower Partners, Japan’s first ESG-integrated global venture capital fund. She is the former Vice Chair of Goldman Sachs Japan and Chief Japan Equity Strategist. Her groundbreaking ʻWomenomicsʼ research spurred the Japanese government to promote gender diversity, and she has advised corporations on governance and diversity best practices. She has an MA from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and an AB from Harvard.

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• Next Horizon: Building the Future Across Borders

He led numerous startup investments and new business initiatives as the head of Open Innovation at KDDI. He currently serves as Executive Officer and Chief Business Development Officer (CBDO) of Mizuho Financial Group, where he oversees the Group’s new business development activities.

Kazuhiro Nakashoji is the CEO and Founder of Yaqumo Inc., a startup developing next-generation neutral-atom quantum computers. Born in Thailand and raised in Malaysia, he conducted research in nuclear engineering at the University of Tokyo Graduate School.
Motivated by the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident, he worked on accelerator mass spectrometry development and nuclear decommissioning projects. At Dream Incubator, he led international business development, launched new ventures through overseas operations, invested in AI startups, and managed public-private innovation projects. In 2024, he joined Kyoto iCAP to support the creation of world-changing deep-tech startups. In April 2025, he founded Yaqumo to develop quantum computers that can transform society. He is currently focused on advancing practical quantum computing technologies and building a global quantum innovation ecosystem.

• The Quantum Readiness Gap: The constraints on quantum acceleration beyond investment 

Earned a Ph.D. in Physics from the Graduate School of Science at Osaka University. During the doctoral program, specialized in fast ignition fusion research and successfully demonstrated efficient fusion plasma heating, contributing to the future realization of fusion energy. Following graduation from Osaka University, pursued further fusion research at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD).

• The Future of Fusion in Japan: From Scientific Breakthroughs to Industrial Leadership

Kazuyuki Aihara received a B.E. degree in electrical engineering and Ph.D. degree in electronic engineering from the University of Tokyo (UTokyo), Tokyo, Japan, in 1977 and 1982, respectively. Currently, he is University Professor and Professor Emeritus of UTokyo, and Executive Director at the International Research Center for Neurointelligence (IRCN) at UTokyo. He is also leading a Moonshot project of JST and the Cabinet office of Japan on Comprehensive Mathematical Understanding of the Complex Control System between Organs and Challenge for Ultra-Early Precision Medicine. He has been studying mathematical theory for modelling complex systems in general and its transdisciplinary applications in science and technology.

• Shaping the Future of the Bio & Life Sciences Cluster

joined GLOBIS Corporation in 2003 after beginning his career at Mitsubishi Corporation. He held several leadership positions, including Head of the Osaka Office, Executive Officer and Board Director of the China subsidiary, and member of the executive management team, building extensive experience in organizational transformation, leadership development, and global business management. He continues to contribute to executive education as a lecturer at Globis University Graduate School of Management.

After joining Fujitsu in 2023, he led company-wide strategy and transformation initiatives as Co-Head of the CEO Office. Currently, as Corporate Executive Officer, EVP, Chief Strategy Officer (CSO), Head of the CEO Office, and Head of Strategic Growth & Investments, he drives Fujitsu’s mid- to long-term strategic agenda, business portfolio transformation centered on AI and technology, and growth initiatives including new business development, M&A, and CVC investments.

• Trust as Infrastructure: Scaling AI

Ken Yoshida is Director of JETRO’s Startup Division in Tokyo, where he leads initiatives to support Japanese startups and entrepreneurs in scaling globally. He assumed his current role in August 2026 after spending five years in San Francisco, where he served as Executive Director of JETRO San Francisco and led initiatives connecting Japanese startups with Silicon Valley and other innovation ecosystems across North America.

With over 20 years of experience at JETRO, Ken has supported Japanese companies across a wide range of industries in expanding internationally. His experience spans startup acceleration, investment and business development, as well as the global expansion of Japanese SMEs in sectors including food and beverage, machinery, textiles, consumer products, restaurants, hotels, and retail. During his time in San Francisco, he led startup support programs providing mentoring, investor connections, market-entry support, and access to local innovation ecosystems.

• Global VC Perspectives on Deep Tech Investment: What Sets the Next Unicorns Apart

Throughout his career at Kyocera Corporation, he has been engaged in domestic and international M&A, startup investments, and corporate restructuring. In 2019, he led the establishment of the New Business Investment Department, spearheading Kyocera’s full-scale return to startup and LP investments.

Following Kyocera’s acquisition of U.S.-listed AVX Corporation in 2020, he relocated to the United States and served as Vice President of AVX. In this role, he built mechanisms to foster business synergies by bridging operations between Japan and the United States.

In 2024, he established Kyocera’s U.S.-based corporate venture capital (CVC) fund and assumed the role of General Partner. Today, he focuses on investments in deep-tech sectors such as advanced semiconductors and artificial intelligence, while also driving collaboration and commercialization between portfolio companies and business divisions through CVBD (Corporate Venture Business Development), launched in 2026.

Leveraging his experience across both Japan and the United States, as well as his dual perspectives in corporate management and venture investing, he is committed to creating new business opportunities and accelerating innovation-driven growth.

• The State of Corporate Venturing in Japan : Redefining Success

Kenny Lim is the Head of Venture Management at PETRONAS, where he drives the company’s corporate venture capital agenda, strategic partnerships, and innovation programs focused on emerging technologies and future growth opportunities. With more than 20 years of experience spanning engineering, corporate strategy, business development, portfolio management, innovation, and venture leadership, he brings a multidisciplinary perspective to creating and scaling new businesses.

Kenny began his career as an Electrical Engineer at a PETRONAS chemical plant before taking on roles in strategy and portfolio management across the Group, where he contributed to business planning, portfolio optimisation, capital allocation, and value creation initiatives. He also spent time in Upstream Business Development, where he successfully closed international farm-in transactions.

He has served in the President & Group CEO’s Office, supporting enterprise-level portfolio reviews and performance oversight across business segments and corporate functions, spanning Gas & Maritime, Corporate Strategy, Corporate Sustainability, and Gentari.

Kenny has been actively involved in innovation and technology commercialisation, including as Product Owner for Advanced Materials, where he established graphene as a new solutions offering within PETRONAS. Today, he works closely with founders, investors, and ecosystem partners to accelerate technology commercialisation, drive venture growth, and develop future growth platforms.

Kenny holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical & Computer Engineering from Cornell University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

• AI × Energy: Making the Energy System Itself Smarter — From Pilot to Plant

Kimi Sakoda is Chief at JETRO Nagoya. Since joining JETRO in 2023, she has supported the international expansion of Japanese startups, with a particular focus on areas such as the space and mobility sectors. She currently works on both outbound startup support and inbound business attraction, helping connect Japanese and international innovation ecosystems through cross-border partnerships and collaboration.

• From University Labs to Global Deep Tech Ventures: Crossing the Valley of Death 

Joined Kyoto Fusioneering in March 2025, where he oversees domestic and international public affairs and communications. He also chairs the Supply Chain Subcommittee of the Japan Fusion Energy Council (J-Fusion). During 12 years at A.P. Moller-Maersk, he worked in business development and served as Chief of Staff before becoming Head of Public Affairs and Regulatory Affairs for Japan, where he led policy engagement, communications, and CSR. As a pro bono commitment, he contributes to the Gojo Foundation, working on challenges facing people living in extreme poverty.

• Building World-Changing Teams: Global Growth Lessons from Decacorn Startups

2013　 Director at Graduate School of Medicine of Kyoto University Research Administration Center
2016　 President and CEO for Kyoto University Innovation Capital Co.,Ltd. Director-General for Office of Society-Academia Collaboration for Innovation
2024 　Director-General for IAC
2025　 Deputy Executive Director of Kyoto University for Social Collaboration and Innovation Initiatives Director of Kyoto Universor Social Collaboration and Innovation Initiatives
・Worked for Daiwa Securities-affiliated VC firm, investing in domestic and international VC and engaging in industry-academia collaboration activities for 25 years.
・Worked in IP utilization, Entre education, and R&D management support at Kyoto University.Nominated for Global University Venturing Power List 2018Venture Huston 2018 Best 8 Award

International Chartered Investment Analyst (CIIA), Small and Medium Enterprise Management Consultant M.B.A. in Business Administration, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale Ponts et Chaussées,FranceB.A. in Law, Gakushuin University

Advisory Board Member, Life Science Innovation Network JapanCommittee Member, BioCommunity Kansai

• Scaling Deep Tech Startups: The Roles of Industry, Government, Academia, and Finance

Kota Kubo is co-founder and US CEO of Ubie, an AI health platform used by 15 million people a month worldwide and by more than 1,800 healthcare institutions. He started building disease prediction algorithms in 2013 as a University of Tokyo engineering graduate student, then worked at M3 as a marketing engineer before co-founding Ubie with Dr. Abe in 2017. Since 2024 he has led the U.S. expansion from New York.

• Taking Japanese Healthcare Innovation Global: Growth Through Investment and Partnership

Born in Osaka Prefecture in 1978. In 1996, while still a student at the National Institute of Technology, Maizuru College, he founded Sakura Internet. In 2005, when he was 27, his company was listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Mothers market, and it is currently listed on the Prime market. Leveraging his own entrepreneurial experience, he has worked as a mentor and angel investor for numerous startups, and he has also been involved in guiding young entrepreneurs and student engineers as a project manager for the IPA Mitou Program. In addition to his duties as president, he serves as an outside director for several companies. He also dedicates himself to the development of the industry in a wide range of fields in order to promote Japan’s digitalization and accelerate the growth of startups as the chairman of the Software Association of Japan (SAJ), the chairman of the Japan Data Center Council (JDCC), the vice chairman of the Japan Internet Providers Association (JAIPA), a standing director of the Kansai Association of Corporate Executives (chairman of the Global Venture Ecosystem Committee), a member of the Cabinet Office’s AI Strategy Council and its Expert Panel, and a member of various committees of the Cabinet Secretariat’s Japan Growth Strategy Council. He is based in Okinawa.

• What Will It Take for Deep Tech from Japan to Succeed in Global Markets?
• Powering the AGI Era — Building the Next-Generation AI Industrial Ecosystem

Laurent is the Managing Director at Alchemist Accelerator, leading strategy and execution for its Silicon Valley-based global program while guiding early-stage B2B startups on U.S. customer validation, enterprise sales, and fundraising. He previously established Alchemist’s U.S. market entry programs for Asia-Pacific partners, creating structured pathways for international founders.
A former founder and startup executive, Laurent blends practical entrepreneurial experience with senior leadership roles at major tech firms. At Google, he led UX program management for Google Maps to support product commercialization. At Autodesk, he directed the global integration of over 20 acquired products into a unified subscription platform, managing 1,500+ engineers to drive significant revenue growth.
Laurent specializes in operational rigor, cross-cultural fluency, and translating technical innovation into disciplined, market-ready growth strategies.

• The Quantum Readiness Gap: The constraints on quantum acceleration beyond investment 

Luca is a Partner at Atomico based in London and joined the firm in 2018, where he focuses on Atomico’s growth stage investing. He sits on the boards of, or is involved with, Atomico investments into Aiven, Attentive, CADDi, ChannelEngine, CodeRabbit, Factorial, Bird (formerly MessageBird), Raycast and TestGorilla, amongst others.

Furthermore, he historically also was involved with Atomico investments into Graphcore (acquired by Softbank), Peakon (acquired by Workday), Pipedrive (acquired by Vista Equity Partners), Scoutbee (acquired by Coupa Software) and Quid (merged with NetBase).

Prior to joining Atomico, Luca spent five years in Silicon Valley. Most recently, he worked at San Francisco-based private equity firm Vector Capital, where he was involved with multiple growth equity investments and leveraged buyouts in the vertical applications and infrastructure software spaces. Luca began his career at MergerTech Group, a Bay Area-based technology investment bank, where he advised mid market companies on M&A and financing processes.

Luca holds a Master of International Business with a concentration in Corporate Finance from Hult International Business School in San Francisco, as well as a BA in International Management with a concentration in hospitality management from IU, IUBH School of Business & Management in Germany.

• Beyond Silicon Valley: Can Japan and Europe Build the Next Global Tech Giant? How Japanese capital, European investors, and global market access can turn breakthrough technologies into category-defining companies

Maki Amada leads MUFG Bank’s sustainability business, drawing on extensive experience in corporate finance, global banking, investor relations, and sustainability strategy.
His career spans Tokyo, New York, and London.
Since 2021, he has led group-wide sustainability initiatives, and in October 2024 he became Managing Director and Head of the Sustainable Business Division, after leading sustainability.

• Fusion Energy: Unlocking the Future of Regional Industry Clusters and Urban Development

After working as a software engineer, she launched an in-house venture (web application development business) at Pasona Group, which was later spun off as a new independent company. She became the first female executive in the TECH Company [division], while also serving as the head of NEDO’s public-private-academic collaboration startup promotion project. She went on to found the Kansai-based AI venture Exa Intelligence Inc. (now ExaWizards Inc.), serving as Director and COO. She then founded her second company, LEO Inc. She serves as producer of “Nagono Campus,” Professor in the Faculty of Entrepreneurship at Musashino University, Visiting Associate Professor for industry-academia-government collaboration at Nagoya University, Outside Director of Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd., and Outside Director of Acompany Co., Ltd., among other roles.

• Unlocking the Potential of Regional Startups：How the Strategic Alliance Between Nippon Life and STORIUM Can Shape the Next Generation of Industry

Makoto Negoro is a Professor and Deputy Director of QIQB at The University of Osaka. He is also a cross-appointed Researcher at QST, a Board Director and Chief Scientific Officer of QuEL, Inc., and a Technical Advisor to QunaSys Inc. He received his Ph.D. from Osaka University in 2011 for research on the initialization, control, and measurement of solid-state nuclear-spin qubits.

• Quantum to Industry — Implementing Quantum Computing to Create New Industries

Joined Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) in 2018. Began career in the Policy Planning Division of the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy’s Resources and Fuel Department, contributing to the development of policies related to oil, natural gas, and other energy resources. Subsequently served in the Northeast Asia Division of the Trade Policy Bureau, where responsibilities included policy planning and negotiations related to Japan’s economic relations with China. During the COVID-19 pandemic, worked on initiatives to increase domestic ventilator production.

• Quantum to Industry — Implementing Quantum Computing to Create New Industries

Manabu Iwamoto is a Senior Vice President in the Industry & Regional Research Department at the Development Bank of Japan (DBJ). He has extensive experience in aviation finance, aerospace, advanced air mobility (AAM), drones, tourism, and regional development. Since joining DBJ, he has been involved in aircraft and transportation finance, industry research, and the development of investment and financing strategies for emerging industries.

Mark Edwards is the Chief Investment Officer at Alumni Ventures, a leading venture capital firm that has raised over $1.8 billion of investor capital. Included in this capital base is the recently announced Japan + U.S. Bridge Fund, in partnership with KDDI and The University of Tokyo IPC. In his capacity as CIO, Mr. Edwards directs all investment, portfolio management and capital allocation activity and oversees a team of approximately 40 investment professionals.

Prior to joining Alumni Ventures in 2021, Mr. Edwards worked for more than two decades in the private equity industry for firms including DLJ Merchant Banking Partners and JLL Partners. Previously, he was investment banker at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette. Over the course of his career, Mr. Edwards has served on the boards of numerous private companies and is currently a Director at Alumni Ventures and Verantum Inc. Mr. Edwards holds a B.A. with Honors from Stanford University and an MBA with Distinction from Dartmouth College, where he graduated as an Edward Tuck Scholar.

• Defense Innovation in Japan：Emerging Trends and Future Potential
• Next Horizon: Building the Future Across Borders

Marta Szczygieł has extensive academic and professional experience in Japan. She graduated in Japanese Studies from Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań in 2012 and subsequently continued her academic career at Osaka University as a Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship recipient, where she earned her PhD in 2017. From 2018 to 2020, she conducted research at the University of Tokyo as a Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Research Fellow.

Throughout her professional career, Marta has gained substantial experience working at the intersection of Polish and Japanese business. She has worked as a Polish-Japanese interpreter for leading Japanese corporations, including Toyota and Sumitomo, and as a market analyst, developing an in-depth understanding of the Japanese business environment and private sector.

Since October 2021, Marta has served as Head of the Tokyo Foreign Trade Office of the Polish Investment and Trade Agency (PAIH). In this role, she draws on her extensive knowledge of Japan, cross-cultural expertise and business experience to support Polish companies entering and expanding in the Japanese market, while also contributing to the development of Polish-Japanese business relations.

“Completed a doctoral program at the Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, earning a Ph.D. in Engineering.
After serving at the University of Electro-Communications and Keio University, has held the current position since 2016.
Interested in technologies for augmenting the human body, human augmentation engineering, and entertainment engineering.
Recipient of several prestigious awards including TIME magazine’s “Coolest Invention of the Year,” the Young Scientists’ Award from the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), and the MEXT Prize for Science and Technology (Research Category), Forum Eight Award, The 9th Hagura Award from State of the Art Technologies Expression Association.
Also serves as a board member of the Information Processing Society of Japan and a cooperating member of the Science Council of Japan.
Authored books include “The Birth of Superhumans! Humans Surpass Science Fiction” (NHK Publishing) and “Theory of JIZAI Body” (Springer), among others.”

• AI and Humans: Reimagining Society in the Era of AI Coexistence

Born in Hyogo Prefecture, graduated from the Faculty of Economics at the University of Tokyo. After engaging in finance operations at a megabank and a public-private fund, co-founded Holoway Inc. and assumed the position of Representative Director and CEO in 2025.

Aiming to build a deep tech startup from a regional base that scales globally, taking on the challenge of driving innovation in Metrology & Inspection to support advanced manufacturing, starting with semiconductors.

• What Is "KIDOU,” the Program Accelerating Kansai's Deep Tech Scene? Growth Triggers for Kansai Deep Tech: Lessons from Holoway

Originally from Osaka, Japan. Graduated from Kyoto University and joined Suzuki Motor Corporation in 2000. A career in international business for 20years, focused primarily on Europe, included nearly ten years on European assignment in Italy and Belgium. Moved into MaaS in 2019, and since 2023 has overseen all areas of new business development, as well as investment in and partnership with global startups, including supervision of Corporate Venture Capitals.

• Unicorn session：Next generation transportation system design by Silicon Valley, Made by Japan

Founded PIM in 1999 and led its merger with Yahoo! JAPAN in 2000 as CEO. Subsequently directed strategic investments and the launch of Yahoo! BB within the Yahoo! President’s Office, later serving as Head of the Yahoo! Shopping Division.

Following SoftBank’s acquisition of Vodafone, concurrently served as the founding Head of Yahoo!’s Mobile Division and General Manager of Product & Consumer Operations at SoftBank Mobile.

In 2008, served as Head of the R&D Division, overseeing front-end development across Yahoo! services. From 2011, spearheaded new business development as Yahoo!’s Chief Incubation Officer (CIO), initiating numerous joint ventures and partnerships with corporate allies. Founded WiL in 2013.

• What Is "KIDOU,” the Program Accelerating Kansai's Deep Tech Scene? Growth Triggers for Kansai Deep Tech: Lessons from Holoway

I am a cross-border ecosystem builder and catalyst bridging Japan, Southeast Asia, and the Silicon Valley. Driven by a passion for empowering category-defining founders, I currently serve as Director at JETRO San Francisco. In this role, identifying and vetting high-growth Japanese entrepreneurs, guiding them to achieve cross-border Product-Market Fit, and connecting them with top-tier venture capital to accelerate their global scaling journeys.
Immersed in the startup ecosystem since 2016, I have partnered with 500+ startups across Asia and the US. After spending 4.5 years driving ecosystem growth in Singapore before relocating to the Bay Area, I now leverage a deep institutional network to facilitate high-quality connections, strategic partnerships, and cross-border investments.

• Inside the Stanford Innovation Engine — How a Founder-First Ecosystem Builds Unicorns?

“After working at an international consulting firm and a global internet company, he joined the Deloitte Tohmatsu Group, where he led corporate and industry support initiatives leveraging AI and advanced technologies.
He also serves as an Advisor to the Japan Deep Learning Association, Co-Lead Director of the Human-Centered AI Consortium, and Advisor to the X-Dignity Center at Keio University.
In addition, he is a member of the AI Strategy Expert Committee under the Cabinet Office of the Government of Japan. ”

• AI and Humans: Reimagining Society in the Era of AI Coexistence

Mehran Zaker is a Partner at Emerald Technology Ventures in our Zurich office focusing on Industrial AI, Automation, Robotics and Mobility. He is involved in all phases of the investment process from origination through, diligence, company building and the exit process.

Prior to joining Emerald, he has held various positions in the automotive and the construction industries. At Valeo France, as software developer and project leader, he led development of cutting-edge technologies for electric cars and autonomous driving solutions. At Hilti AG, as global product manager, he was part of the fastest growing segment within the power tools business unit where he witnessed closely the digital transformation if this highly “un-digitized” industry. He is a firm believer in transformational power of technology and enjoys turning complex technical concepts into business opportunities.

Mehran has an Electronics engineering degree from ENSEA in France and an MBA from INSEAD.

• AI × Energy: Making the Energy System Itself Smarter — From Pilot to Plant

Dr. Michiko Ashizawa is a certified public accountant who spent more than a decade in professional practice, including at KPMG Tokyo and the Industrial Revitalization Corporation of Japan, before moving into academia. Her research focuses on strategy and entrepreneurship, with particular emphasis on how startup ecosystems form and evolve. From August 2022, she spent a year as a visiting scholar at Stanford University, during which time she wrote a 20-part series for Forbes JAPAN titled “Why Do Entrepreneurs Emerge from Stanford?” In 2023, she joined Keio Business School (Graduate School of Business Administration, Keio University), where she designs and leads programs to develop entrepreneurial talent. Beyond the classroom, Dr. Ashizawa contributes to policymaking as a member of the Regulatory Reform Promotion Council and the Startup Policy Subcommittee of the Japan Growth Strategy Council, and takes part in corporate management as an outside director. Throughout her career, she has consistently worked to bridge academic research and practice. She holds a Ph.D. in Business Administration from Keio University.

• Inside the Stanford Innovation Engine — How a Founder-First Ecosystem Builds Unicorns?

After gaining experience in corporate sales at two companies, Miho joined Nitto Denko in 2013. After working in Corporate Development for 7 years, Miho transferred to startup collaboration and investment activities within the New Business Division in 2020. In 2021, she was assigned to the U.S. and engaged in investment, PMI, and tech scouting activities in Silicon Valley. Upon returning to Japan in 2024, she joined Mitsui Chemicals’ CVC division. She launched 321Catalyst LP, the company’s second CVC fund in the US, and was reassigned to Silicon Valley in July 2025 to manage this fund. She is currently engaged in sourcing and investment activities across a wide range of sectors, including healthcare, agriculture, semiconductors, chemicals, and mobility.

• From Science to Scale: Founder and Investor Lessons for Global Bio Manufacturing
• The State of Corporate Venturing in Japan : Redefining Success

Based in the Silicon Valley office of Nippon Life Global Investors Americas, Inc. (NLGIA), Minoru Sasaki invests in venture capital funds and startups and develops strategies for new business creation for Nippon Life across healthcare, aging, and other insurance-related sectors. Prior to joining NLGIA, he worked at Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) from 2014, where he helped promote the growth and globalization of Japan’s healthcare industry and startup ecosystem. He holds an MBA from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Tokyo.

• Shaping the Future of the Bio & Life Sciences Cluster

Mio Kawada has nearly 30 years of experience in trade and investment promotion. During her career at JETRO, she has served in its New York office and led initiatives to attract foreign direct investment to Japan. As Executive Vice President, she currently oversees JETRO’s operations in the Americas and its innovation initiatives, including the promotion of inward investment, international business collaboration and partnerships, and the overseas expansion of Japanese startups.

• How Can We Create World-Changing Innovation from Academic Seeds?　From Reseach Excellence to Global Impact
• Beyond Silicon Valley: Can Japan and Europe Build the Next Global Tech Giant? How Japanese capital, European investors, and global market access can turn breakthrough technologies into category-defining companies

Joined MUFG Bank in 2000 and experienced various positions including corporate banking and M&A advisory.
From 2024, engaged in new business development and principal investment including partnership with start-ups as Head of MUFG Business Development Office.
From 2026 April, leading investment and partnership strategy in fintech players in Asia in addition to portfolio management of Asia investees of banks and non-banks.

• ASEAN Startup Ecosystem: The Next Frontier of Global Innovation and Growth

Murat Aktihanoglu is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Remarkable Ventures, Remarkable Ventures Climate and ERA in New York City. A venture capitalist since 2011, Murat has invested in over 400 early-stage tech and climate companies with a combined market cap of $12+ billion. He previously founded Centrl and the nonprofit Entrepreneurs Roundtable, fostering New York’s startup community through monthly investor meetings. Murat co-authored Location-Aware Applications in 2011 and has held engineering roles at Sony and Silicon Graphics. Murat is a sought-after speaker at technology and entrepreneurship conferences worldwide. He serves as a Council Member for the U.S.-Japan Council, a board member for the Belgian American Chamber of Commerce, and an Ambassador for the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Additionally, he advises organizations such as the MIT Enterprise Forum and mentors various startup programs globally. He holds an M.S. in Computer Science from Bilkent University.

• Where AI Meets Steel and Power: Building AI's Physical Infrastructure

Born in Gunma Prefecture in 1969, he graduated from the Faculty of Science and Technology at Keio University in 1991 and joined Nippon Life Insurance Company the same year. Throughout his career, he has been engaged extensively in asset management, including fixed-income and equity investment operations.

In 2015, he was appointed General Manager of the Equity Investment Department, followed by General Manager of the Financial Planning Department in 2017. In 2019, he was appointed Executive Officer of Nippon Life and concurrently assumed the position of Representative Director and Senior Executive Officer of Nippon Wealth Life Insurance Company.

Since 2023, he has served as Managing Executive Officer of Nippon Life, overseeing the Financial Institutions Division and other key business functions. In March 2025, he was appointed President and Representative Director of Nissay Capital Co., Ltd.

Drawing on extensive experience in asset management, life insurance company management, and relationship building with financial institutions, he actively promotes investment in and growth support for startups, while advancing business collaboration between startups and the Nippon Life Group.

• Unlocking the Potential of Regional Startups：How the Strategic Alliance Between Nippon Life and STORIUM Can Shape the Next Generation of Industry

Yamazaki earned a Master of Engineering degree from the University of Tokyo in 1996 and began her career at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). She was selected as an astronaut candidate in 1999, qualified as a Soyuz flight engineer in 2004, and became a NASA-certified mission specialist in 2006.
In April 2010, Yamazaki flew aboard Space Shuttle Discovery as a mission specialist on STS-131, an assembly and resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS).
After retiring from JAXA in 2011, she served as a member of the National Space Policy Committee of the Cabinet Office of Japan (2012–2022). She currently chairs the Subcommittee on Space Development and Utilization at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT).
In 2018, Yamazaki co-founded the Space Port Japan Association and has since served as its representative director, working to promote the space industry in Japan. Since 2021, she has been dedicated to educating the next generation as president of the Young Astronaut Club Japan. She also serves on the Council of The Earthshot Prize, launched in 2020 by the Prince of Wales and The Royal Foundation, to inspire a decade of action to repair our planet. She has served in roles such as General Manager of Vast Japan, which is involved in the development of commercial space stations since 2025. She holds a Ph.D. in Engineering from the University of Tokyo.

• Building the Space Economy: Connecting Innovation, Industry and Global Markets

Neha serves as ERIA’s Senior Policy Specialist- Innovation and Inclusion.

She brings 25 years of work experience as an International Policy Specialist on fair growth specializing on the Asia region. Previously she served the United Nations for 18 years focusing on the Asia Pacific region. Some of her appointments include being UNDP’s Senior Policy Specialist and negotiator at India’s and Brazil’s G20. She negotiated the G20 leader Green Development Pact; G20 Women and Innovation instruments and especially those with a Global South and Asia focus. She also served as Senior Social Policy and Programme expert for Asia for the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office, Government of UK and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime on mandates such as green growth, climate proofing growth in urban Asia addressing gender, labour; labour migration and disaster risk financing for the Pacific Islands.

Owing to her interest and expertise in Asia, Neha founded ,‘Asianism-Retold’- an initiative to showcase development pathways from Asia where she has provided advisory to the Governments in South Asia. For this, Neha received the prestigious Asia Fellowship by Harvard University’s ASH Centre for Democratic Governance and Innovation and was also recognised by IDSA under the Ministry of Defence, Government of India.

Neha is an alumnus from Harvard University (Harvard Kennedy School) where she completed her Master in Public Policy.

In her spare time, Neha is a trained (Masters) Indian classical dancer and has given performance in India and the US.

• ASEAN Startup Ecosystem: The Next Frontier of Global Innovation and Growth

Nick Gibson
PRESIDENT, ASIA-PACIFIC

Nick Gibson is President of Asia-Pacific for Glydways. He brings decades of experience in venture capital, investment banking, business development, and regional innovation. A recognized thought leader, he leads Glydways Japan and drives partnerships across Asia-Pacific with municipalities, developers, and leading companies in the automotive, infrastructure, energy, materials, and electronics sectors.

Prior to joining Glydways, Nick held senior roles across venture capital and investment banking, including serving as Head of Japan for Boustead Securities, where he led the Nasdaq IPOs of several Japanese tech companies. Previously, he was the first employee and Global Head of Marketing for the Invention Development Fund at Intellectual Ventures, a PE family of funds with $7B AUM and where he helped fundraise, established the Japan and Korea offices, and lead marketing and business development across Asia-Pacific.

Nick holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Asian Studies from Colgate University. Nick is based in Tokyo and fully bilingual in Japanese.

• Unicorn session：Next generation transportation system design by Silicon Valley, Made by Japan

Noriya Tarutani is Deputy Director-General of the Innovation Department at JETRO, where he oversees its startup programs. With over 20 years of experience in startups and international business, he has supported more than 500 Japanese companies in expanding globally.

During his time in San Francisco and Silicon Valley, he collaborated with global accelerators such as Techstars and Berkeley SkyDeck to establish programs focused on product-market fit validation and fundraising. He also promoted the J-Startup initiative internationally, supporting Japanese startups in their global expansion.

After returning to Japan, he played a key role in connecting global accelerators, venture capital firms, and corporations with Japan’s startup ecosystem. He contributed to the launch of programs including Techstars Tokyo and Alchemist Japan. He has overseen JETRO’s startup programs since April 2023.

In 2026, he received the Techstars Give First Award in recognition of his contributions to founders and the startup community.

• Top-Tier VCs and Accelerators Building Global Winners Together Techstars × Lightspeed × Global Brain: From Day-One Global Ambition to Cross-Border Scale

Olivia Jones is a Managing Director at In-Q-Tel (IQT), the global strategic investor for the U.S. and its allies. Based in Sydney, Australia, she manages IQT investments and activity across ANZ and Japan. Olivia joined IQT in 2017 and has held several other roles at the firm, including managing a portfolio spanning data analytics, AI, space, autonomous systems, and communications platforms. Across this portfolio, she drove transition of venture-backed technology into the U.S. intelligence community for initial evaluation and ongoing operational use. Olivia has prior experience at Deloitte Consulting, the U.S. Department of Defense, Citigroup, and The Aspen Institute. She received a B.A. from Davidson College, an M.A. from The Fletcher School at Tufts University, and an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.

• Global Defence Innovation Landscape：Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities

Withdrew from the Doctoral Program at the Graduate School of Informatics, Kyoto University, after earning the required credits. Specialized in machine learning. Joined Toppan Printing Co., Ltd. in 2001, where he worked on system development and other projects. After serving in the Corporate Planning Division, he was seconded to the Japan Business Federation (Keidanren) and the Cabinet Office. Since 2020, he has been promoting research and development as well as business development utilizing quantum technology.

• Quantum to Industry — Implementing Quantum Computing to Create New Industries

Patrick Eggen is Co-Founder and General Partner of Counterpart Ventures. Previously, he was Managing Director of Qualcomm Ventures North America, where he led approximately $500M in AUM and over 80 investments across stages and sectors. He also founded Qualcomm Ventures’ Global Early Stage Fund, which grew to $100M+ AUM and 70+ investments, including Zoom, Cruise Automation, and 99. With 13+ years of venture investment experience, Patrick has been personally involved in 100+ transactions and 30+ exits. He has served as a Board Member or Observer for companies including Zoom, Matterport, Clarifai, and Swift Navigation, and was closely involved in investments in Ring and Waze.

• The Playbook of U.S. Corporate Venturing: How leading US CVC’s Sustain and Evolve Innovation

Paul joined Recruit Co., Ltd. in 1997 and co-led digital business building and corporate venture capital investing efforts. While at Recruit, Paul was also a founding member of Golfport (an online golf reservation site) – subsequently sold to Rakuten in 2002.
He joined McKinsey & Company’s Tokyo Office in 2002, was elected Partner in 2007 and Senior Partner in 2014. He supported clients in the retail, consumer products, media, telecommunications, finance, and pharmaceutical industries with growth strategy, digital and AI, branding, marketing, and M&A.
He has served as head of the Asia Pacific Marketing & Sales Group, head of the Asia Pacific Analytics Group, head of the Asia Pacific Consumer Goods & Small Business Group, and Managing Partner of QuantumBlack Japan
Paul joined Incubate Fund as a General Partner in March 2021.
Paul has authored articles in the Harvard Business Review, Nikkei Business, Toyo Keizai and speaks regularly at industry events. Paul grew up in Australia and has been a resident of Japan for the past 30 years. He is a co-founder of UWC ISAK Japan.

• Defense Innovation in Japan：Emerging Trends and Future Potential

Peng-Yam TAN has been the Chief Defence Scientist at the Singapore Ministry of Defence since May 2021.

Peng-Yam began his career as a research engineer at DSO National Laboratories before assuming various roles at the Singapore Ministry of Defence (MINDEF), including Deputy Director for Research and Development. Peng-Yam established and headed MINDEF’s Defence Technology Office in Washington DC, from January 2000 to December 2003. From 2004 to 2011, he served as Deputy Chief Executive for Technology and later for Operations at Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA). Peng-Yam was appointed the Chief Executive of DSTA in January 2011, serving in that role until May 2021.

Peng-Yam has considerable experience in managing research and development, fostering international technology collaboration, developing technological capabilities, and architecting and implementing large-scale systems projects across diverse disciplines.

Peng-Yam serves on the boards of DSO National Laboratories, ST Engineering and Synapxe (national health tech agency). He chairs Cap Vista Private Limited (a start-up investment and engagement firm) and the Temasek Defence Systems Institute (an educational institute established as a strategic alliance between National University of Singapore and US Naval Postgraduate School) Management Board. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Singapore University of Technology and Design, the National University of Singapore College of Design and Engineering Advisory Board, and the National Environment Agency’s Nuclear Safety Advisory Panel. Additionally, he chairs the SMRT (a public transport service provider) Technical Advisory Panel and co-chairs the National Cybersecurity R&D Programme International Advisory Panel.

Peng-Yam has previously served on the boards of the Building and Construction Authority, the National Environment Agency, the Land Transport Authority, the Government Technology Agency (GovTech), and D’Crypt Private Limited. He was also chairman of Tech Vista Private Limited and served as a member of the PUB Board Committee for Transformation, and Temasek Polytechnic Board of Governors.

Peng-Yam was awarded the Public Administration Medal Gold (Singapore), the Commander of Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (Italy), the Grand Cross of Naval Merit with White Mark (Spain), and the Royal Order of the Polar Star, Knight First Class (Sweden). He was also conferred the ASEAN Federation of Engineering Organisation Honorary Fellowship.

• Global Defence Innovation Landscape：Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities

Philipp is an Investor with the SOSV San Francisco office finding the best therapeutics and human health companies and nurturing a thriving SOSV therapeutics ecosystem with portfolio companies old and new. Philipp started his career with SOSV as a venture fellow scouting for exciting new companies, and continues to keep an eye on the cutting edge of science. At SOSV SF, Philipp supports the portfolio with BD & partnering strategy, indication selection planning, technical troubleshooting and an odd experimental design or two.

A dual native of picturesque Germany and sunny California, Philipp received his PhD in Chemical Biology from the Scripps Research Institute in San Diego where dabbled in engineered biology, medicinal chemistry and biophysics while building a new drug discovery platform.

• Shaping the Future of the Bio & Life Sciences Cluster

Philipp Spenger leads data and analytics work at the European Investment Bank, where he built the data platform underpinning a €5bn investment programme. As an early member of the EIB team advising the EIC Fund, he designed the data strategy for Europe’s largest deep-tech portfolio and established the enterprise-wide governance framework for investment data across the organisation. He now leads the team advancing a data-driven venture capital model, leveraging data, analytics, and AI to scale investment operations and portfolio intelligence. Philipp is passionate about the transformative potential of emerging technologies and their ability to unlock better decisions and outcomes.

• Policy, Standards, and Capital: How Europe Is Scaling Climate Tech Startups

Phil is a Partner at Breakthrough Energy Ventures, where he is the deal lead on five fusion investments: Commonwealth Fusion Systems, Pacific Fusion, Type One Energy, XCimer Energy and Zap Energy. Prior to joining BEV, Phil was a Senior Technical Program Manager at Google X working on several early stage energy technology projects, and before that as an Associate on the Google Energy and Renewable Energy Investment Teams. He was a Fellow working at the U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency for Energy (ARPA-E), the Senior Energy Analyst at The Alliance for Climate Protection, and an Alternative Power and Energy Storage Analyst at Lux Research. Phil holds a Ph.D. in Physics from Harvard University, and an MBA and B.Sc in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

• Powering the Next Era: Investing in Fusion and the New Energy Frontier

Senior Consultant at Tokyo Office of Polish Investment and Trade Agency (PAIH), where he supports Polish companies in entering and expanding into the Japanese market.
He holds two MA degrees from University of Warsaw, in Applied Linguistics and Management, and is also a graduate of the Graduate School of International Culture and Communication Studies (GSICCS) at Waseda University.
Before joining PAIH, he gained experience in international projects at Polish Football Association and Waseda University. Since joining PAIH’s Tokyo Office in February 2023, he has advised Polish companies on business development in Japan and regularly delivers webinars and workshops on Japanese market entry and Japanese business culture. He has also supported Poland’s activities related to EXPO 2025 Osaka, Kansai.
He speaks Polish, English, Japanese, and Spanish.

• From Corporate Challenges to Global Solutions: Connecting Japanese Enterprises with Overseas Startups　

Puja is the Executive Vice President of Marvel Fusion Inc., where she leads the company’s strategic, commercial, and technical initiatives in the U.S. She also serves on the Executive Board of the ATLAS laser facility, a public-private partnership among Marvel Fusion, Colorado State University, and the U.S. Department of Energy.

A nuclear engineer by training, Puja began her career contributing to the design and economic assessment of advanced nuclear reactors. She went on to hold senior leadership roles at General Atomics spanning technical program leadership,corporate strategy, and global partnerships-including driving major international technology collaborations. Her career has focused on advancing next-generation nuclear and fusion energy, while connecting science, technology, policy, and business. Puja holds an Executive MBA from the University of Cambridge, a master’s degree in Nuclear Engineering from UC Berkeley, and a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Nirma University in India.

• The Future of Fusion in Japan: From Scientific Breakthroughs to Industrial Leadership

Dr. Pannala is a Professor of Medicine, and a consultant gastroenterologist at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona. He received his medical training at Gandhi Medical College, Hyderabad India. He subsequently did a Masters in Public Health at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He did his internal medicine residency at Bridgeport hospital/Yale University and Gastroenterology fellowship at Mayo Clinic Rochester followed by a therapeutic endoscopy fellowship at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle. He has been on staff at Mayo Arizona for the past 12 years. He is the Director of the Pancreas clinic and the endoscopic bariatric therapeutics program at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. His research interests include pancreatobiliary diseases and endoscopic bariatric therapies. He also has a strong interest in medical innovation and has several ongoing collaborations in the medical device development space to address unmet clinical needs.

• Taking Japanese Healthcare Innovation Global: Growth Through Investment and Partnership

Remi is a Partner at Elev8.vc, Singapore’s premier early-stage deep tech venture capital fund, and the Director of Elev8 Ignite, the firm’s Day 0 venture building programme. A seasoned investor and three-time founder, he transitioned to venture capital via a prominent sovereign VC fund. Today, Remi is recognised as one of the region’s most experienced deep tech investors, with a portfolio spanning frontier verticals like quantum computing, space-tech, biotech, and advanced materials. Dedicated to inspiring the next generation of tech pioneers, he regularly guest lectures at universities on the commercialisation of deep technology.

• The Quantum Readiness Gap: The constraints on quantum acceleration beyond investment 

Rob Knoth is a Senior Group Director in Strategy & New Ventures at Cadence. A technologist focusing on the interfaces between domain specific solutions for AI, accelerated compute and digital twins. He has extensive experience in both semiconductor design and EDA. Prior to Cadence, Rob was the layout convergence lead for Intel’s Xeon Phi, worked in applications engineering and product management at Magma Design Automation, and a physical designer and full custom IC designer at Tektronix. Rob holds a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University. Outside of work, he is an author, speaker, and advocate to get more families adventuring in the outdoors.

• Building the Foundation for AI: Semiconductor Innovation in the Age of Frontier AI

Roy leads Third Derivative’s innovation programs including supporting and funding startups in clean power, industrial decarbonization, data centers, cooling technologies, and carbon dioxide removal, and specializes in growing D3’s support to the Asia-Pacific ecosystem, and is responsible for ongoing startup cohorts in Japan, South Korea, and Singapore. Before D3, Roy was a Business Executive at Google, establishing an entity to deliver carbon-free energy, recycled water, and resilient microgrids for Google’s facilities. Roy also serves as a Senior Principal at RMI, and led collaborative project development with startups, corporates, utilities, and governments in Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, and Latin America.  Roy led efforts with global multinationals and universities, including McDonald’s Corporation and Arizona State University. Roy was previously with Booz Allen Hamilton, and the U.S. Mission to NATO in a prior career in national security.

• Powering the Next Era: Investing in Fusion and the New Energy Frontier

Rut Lineswala is the Founder and CTO of BosonQ Psi (BQP), where he is building the next generation of physics acceleration technologies for engineering and industrial AI. His work combines quantum-inspired computing, physics-AI, and optimization to dramatically reduce the time required to simulate, design, and operate complex systems across aerospace, defense, space, and energy sectors. Rut has also helped raise $8 million in venture and government funding and built collaborations with the Air Force Research Laboratory, SpaceWERX, Airbus, GM, and IBM. He has also published extensively in advanced computational methods, presented at NASA, DOE National Laboratories, and DoD organizations, and is a recognized leader in the convergence of digital engineering, physics-based AI, and high-performance computing. As Chair of the Quantum Computing and Operations Working Group at the Digital Twin Consortium, he helps advance global collaboration on the future of intelligent engineering systems.

• The Quantum Readiness Gap: The constraints on quantum acceleration beyond investment 

Ryo joined Deel Japan Corp. (the Japanese subsidiary of Deel Inc.) in February of 2025.
Prior to joining Deel, served as an Executive Officer at the Japanese subsidiary of Zoom, overseeing corporate sales for small and medium-sized enterprises. Before that, after graduating from university and working for a major domestic airline, held positions as Sales Director for the acquiring division at a major foreign credit company, and Head of Sales at a major foreign online travel company. Subsequently, served as Senior Vice President for the Japan, Hawaii, and Micronesia regions, overseeing global sales activities for a foreign startup, and as Head of Corporate Sales for SMEs at a foreign food delivery company.
He is currently a Country Manager of Japan where he is responsible for building the strategy, and driving business by executing the GTM initiative for the Japan market.

• Building World-Changing Teams: Global Growth Lessons from Decacorn Startups

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

• Building World-Changing Teams: Global Growth Lessons from Decacorn Startups

• Building the Fusion Energy Industry: Japan’s Path to Global Competitiveness

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.

• Next Horizon: Building the Future Across Borders

Dr. Sakyasingha Dasgupta is the Founder and CEO of EdgeCortix, a Tokyo-based AI semiconductor company, and a serial entrepreneur with over two decades of experience spanning artificial intelligence, advanced computing, and semiconductor technologies. Combining deep technical expertise with company-building experience, he has built and led technology ventures across AI semiconductors, robotics, autonomous systems, and fintech. At EdgeCortix, he has successfully secured more than US$100 million in private investment and government-backed funding to advance next-generation AI computing technologies and the company’s global growth.

Prior to founding EdgeCortix, Dr. Dasgupta held research, technology, and leadership roles across leading global organizations including Microsoft, IBM Research/IBM Japan, RIKEN, and the Max Planck Institute in Germany. He also helped build and lead technology startups in Japan and Singapore, developing experience across the full innovation lifecycle—from fundamental research and engineering to product commercialization and company building.

In 2019, he founded EdgeCortix with a vision to fundamentally improve the energy efficiency of AI computing at the edge. Today, the company develops reconfigurable AI processors, semiconductor IP, compiler technologies, and software platforms through a software-first, hardware-software co-design approach. Its technologies target some of the most demanding edge AI applications across defense and aerospace, robotics, telecommunications, smart infrastructure, and industrial systems.

Dr. Dasgupta holds an MSc in Artificial Intelligence from the University of Edinburgh and a PhD in Complex Systems Physics from the Max Planck Institute. He also pursued advanced studies in entrepreneurship and design thinking at the MIT Sloan School of Management and holds more than 25 patents worldwide across AI, computing, and semiconductor technologies.

• Global Defence Innovation Landscape：Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities

Samiz Bayan is a Partner at Draper Dragon, an early-stage venture capital firm connecting Silicon Valley and Asia. He invests across frontier technologies, including AI infrastructure, agent systems, fintech, aerospace, and defense. He leads sourcing, diligence, and evaluation across that thesis, with investments that include Oklo, Otter AI, Ledger, Anthropic, Clinchoice, Jing Jin Electric, Coinbase, and Novel Beam.
Samiz also leads Draper Dragon’s internal aerospace and defense research team, covering late-stage private and public companies including Rocket Lab, Planet Labs, and Anduril. He previously held roles at Bank of America, Estée Lauder Companies, and founded a fintech startup in the real estate sector. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from the USC Marshall School of Business.

• Global VC Perspectives on Deep Tech Investment: What Sets the Next Unicorns Apart

After graduating from the Faculty of Law at the University of Tokyo in 2001, Obata joined Goldman Sachs. After working at Symphony Financial Partners, founded Xebral. in July 2008, leveraging experience in intelligence and data-utilization business. In November 2023, founded Oceanic Constellations, Inc. Currently serves as Co-Representative Director & CEO together with Takuma Honda, who has led in creating space-related businesses at Mitsui & Co.

• Defense Innovation in Japan：Emerging Trends and Future Potential

1979　BS, University of Tokyo
1981　MS, University of Tokyo
1981-2003　Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute
1986, 1987　Assignment to Tritium Systems Test Assembly (TSTA), Los Alamos, USA
1989-1991　National Laboratory, USA, As Japanese Team Leader under US-Japan Collaborative Program
1991　Involved in first DT campaign at JET, United Kingdom
1991　ITER Engineering Design Activity Team Member at JAERI
2001-2011　Editor, Fusion Engineering and Design Journal, Elsevier
2003-present Professor, School of Energy Science, Kyoto University
2008-2012　Director, Institute of Sustainability Science, Kyoto University
2009-2012　Chair of the ITER TBM Program Committee
2012-2017　ITER Program Committee, Japanese Representative
2014-2016　Board of Director Member, Atomic Energy Society of Japan
2017-present ITER TBM Project Steering Committee, Japanese Representative
2017-present Board of Director, Japan Society of Plasma Science and Nuclear Fusion Research

• Building the Fusion Energy Industry: Japan’s Path to Global Competitiveness

After graduating from university, she joined a management consulting firm in Kyushu specializing in accounting and finance, where she worked in business advisory and corporate training. Seeking hands-on experience in finance and accounting, she then moved into the startup world. She joined ZEALS as a founding team member, building its back-office operations from the ground up and later overseeing company-wide operations. She subsequently gained business development experience at both a care-tech venture and a fintech startup.
She currently leads GSAP, JETRO’s acceleration program, supporting Japanese startups in their global expansion. Beginning with a partnership with StartX, the Stanford-born accelerator, she has driven the launch of multiple industry-focused acceleration programs. Guided by her belief that a founder’s mindset at the earliest stage can determine whether a company scales globally, she also led the expansion of Founder University and Angel University into Japan in collaboration with renowned U.S. angel investor Jason Calacanis.
Her experience spans the full startup journey from finance and organizational development to business development and global expansion.

• Researchers Are Fleeing AI — Does the Money Keep Flowing?

Scott Chamberlin is CTO and co-founder of NeuralWatt, which enables data centers to work around energy constraints and deliver more productive compute per megawatt.

Scott has been at the forefront of energy optimization since 2019, when he invented the first operating system scheduling technology designed to optimize for CO₂ while leading engineering teams at Microsoft, where he spent more than 20 years.
Previously, Scott was Senior Director of Software Sustainability at Intel, where he focused on energy and CO₂ optimization for Intel products and hyperscale customers.

• Where AI Meets Steel and Power: Building AI's Physical Infrastructure

Born in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, in 1969, Seiichiro Hamada joined The Kansai Electric Power Company (KEPCO) in 1993 after completing a master’s degree in Information Engineering at the University of Tokyo.

Throughout his career, he has been involved in the development and launch of new businesses, particularly in the information and telecommunications sector. Around 2000, he played a key role in the launch and growth of the FTTH business at K-Opticom (now OPTAGE), where he was responsible for service development, business process design, and business strategy.

From 2020, he served in the Corporate Planning function, overseeing group businesses and innovation. In 2023, he was appointed Executive Officer and Deputy General Manager of the Innovation Development Division. He subsequently took responsibility for the Data Center Business Division in 2024.

He currently serves as Executive Vice President, Data Center Business and IT Strategy, and CISO (Chief Information & Security Officer) at KEPCO.

• Powering the AGI Era — Building the Next-Generation AI Industrial Ecosystem

Seiko Shirasaka received his M.S. in Aeronautics and Astronautics from the University of Tokyo and his Ph.D. in Systems Engineering from Keio University.

After completing his master’s degree, he joined Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, where he spent 15 years engaged in space development. He participated in the development of a number of space systems, including the H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV), “KOUNOTORI.” In particular, he was involved in the HTV program from its early design phase through the successful completion of the first flight mission. The HTV development team received numerous awards for its achievements.

He later served as a Program Manager for the Cabinet Office’s Impulsing Paradigm Change through Disruptive Technologies Program (ImPACT), where he led the development of an on-demand small Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite system.

He co-founded Synspective Inc., a space startup specializing in small SAR satellites and satellite data solutions. Synspective received the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award at the Japan Startup Awards 2022.

He has also contributed extensively to government policy and programs as a member or chair of numerous committees. His roles have included serving as a member of the Cabinet Office’s Committee on National Space Policy; a member of the Aviation and Space Working Group and the Ocean Working Group, and Chair of the Materials Working Group, under the Cabinet Secretariat’s Council of Growth Strategy; Supervising Program Officer (PO) for the Space Exploration Domain of the Space Strategy Fund; and Chair of the Manufacturing Industries Subcommittee of the Industrial Structure Council at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), among many other positions.

• Building the Space Economy: Connecting Innovation, Industry and Global Markets

Serdar Turac is a program and business development leader focused on accelerating the commercialization of advanced technologies and strengthening connections across government, industry, and startup ecosystems.
At BMNT Ventures in San Francisco, Serdar serves as a Program Manager for the NAVY Launch program, helping SBIR Phase II awardees accelerate commercialization. He also supports programs such as NASA Ignite, Hacking for Defense (H4D), and H4Allies.
Serdar is also the founder of DeepTech Connections, an initiative that brings together founders, investors, corporate leaders, and government stakeholders to strengthen collaboration in advanced technologies.

• Defense Innovation in Japan：Emerging Trends and Future Potential

Inspired by Knight Rider and Star Trek, Shahin grew up with a passion to endow superpowers to humanity through feats of engineering. He learned BASIC on an IBM PC XT clone he built at his aunt’s computer store and dialed into Bulletin Board Systems in the 4th grade. A few years later, he was fixing an Alfa Romeo at his uncle’s repair shop. He aspired to design microchips, software, and integrated systems that could one day rival K.I.T.T. or even power warp drives to carry humanity to the far corners of the galaxy.

He is a generalist at Lux, which has $7 billion under management, and has been first investors in category-defining companies across AI, automation, biotech, compute, defense, energy, infrastructure, robotics, and beyond — including Anduril, Applied Intuition, Auris, Chronosphere, Cognition, Eikon, Hugging Face, Impulse Space, Physical Intelligence, Runway, Sakana, and Together. Lux has created and co-founded more than 20 de novo companies through Lux Labs, and multiple Lux investments have become lasting publicly traded companies and major divisions acquired by Amazon, Cisco, Databricks, J&J, Meta, Palo Alto Networks, and more.

For more than two decades, Shahin has partnered with founders building frontier technologies, guided by deep respect for the entrepreneur and the company-building journey. After working at several software startups, he founded his first company in 2004 based on his PhD research designing chips, systems, and software to capture and interpret brain signals. In 2006, he joined Lux at the invitation of its founding team and has since cofounded and led investments in companies spanning AI, semiconductors, autonomy, and aerospace — from early conviction to enduring scale. These include companies that have become publicly traded (NYSE: AEVA; NYSE: PL) and those acquired by Intel (Nervana), Amazon (Zoox), Silicon Labs (Silicon Clocks), and Lattice Semiconductor (SiBeam). An engineer at heart, Shahin works alongside founders as a long-term partner, connecting them with the resources, talent, and relationships towards building generational companies. Shahin has two young daughters and enjoys flying small aircraft.

• Backing the Next Deep Tech Breakthroughs: A New Era of Venture Capital

Shahram is the Founder and Managing Partner of Civilization Ventures, a venture capital firm investing in the future of human health and longevity. As the first check and often lead investor in companies such as BillionToOne ($5 billion IPO), Omada Health ($1.3 billion IPO), Foresight Diagnostics ($450 million acquisition by Natera), Rocket Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: RCKT), and Fluent Bio (acquired by Illumina), Shahram takes an active role in company building. Prior to founding Civilization Ventures, Shahram was a founding executive at several companies, including NextBio, a genomics software pioneer acquired by Illumina. Shahram holds a JD from Harvard Law School and is an alumnus of Goldman Sachs.

• Taking Japanese Healthcare Innovation Global: Growth Through Investment and Partnership

Shaun is the Founder and General Partner at 224 Ventures, an AI-Native early-stage fund with Yann LeCun and Oriol Vinyals as Frontier AI Partners. We’ve invested in companies including 1x, Datalogy, and Perplexity.

• Backing the Next Deep Tech Breakthroughs: A New Era of Venture Capital

Joined NEC Corporation in 1990. Following his work at the Optical and Wireless Device Research Laboratories, he has held management positions in R&D Planning, Technology Strategy, and Intellectual Property. He was appointed Corporate SVP in 2023. He also serves as a Director of NEC X, Inc., which operates a startup co-creation platform in Silicon Valley, and NEC Laboratories America, Inc. Additionally, he holds committee and executive positions with METI, Keidanren, and JIPA.

• What Will It Take for Deep Tech from Japan to Succeed in Global Markets?

Sakaguchi is currently a Distinguished Honorary Professor of the University of Osaka and a Specially Appointed Professor at the Immunology Frontier Research Center (IFReC) the University of Osaka, Japan. He obtained an M.D. in 1976 and a Ph.D. in 1982 from Kyoto University, Japan, where he was trained as a pathologist and immunologist. After performing postdoctoral studies at Johns Hopkins University and Stanford University as a Lucille P. Markey Scholar, he served as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Immunology at the Scripps Research Institute. He returned to Japan in 1991 and continued his immunology research as the Head of the Department of Immunopathology at Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo. From 1998 to 2011, he was a Professor of Institute for Frontier Medical Sciences Kyoto University and served as the Director of the Institute from 2007 to 2011. In 2011, his lab moved to the University of Osaka. He was elected to Foreign Member of National Academy of Sciences USA in 2012, and has been awarded many international prizes including Cancer Research Institute’s William B. Coley Award in 2004, Keio Medical Science Prize in 2008, Canada Gairdner International Award in 2015, the Crafoord Prize in 2017, the German Immunology Award in 2019, the Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize in 2020, the Robert Koch Prize in 2020, and Debrecen Award for Molecular Medicine in 2023, and the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 2025. He received an honorary degree from the University of Birmingham, UK, in 2019, the Medal with Purple Ribbon from the Government of Japan in 2009, and the Order of Culture, the highest accolade for Japanese scholars of humanities and natural sciences, from the Emperor of Japan in 2019.

• From Scientific Frontiers to Societal Impact: Transforming Humanity’s Greatest Knowledge into Reality

After graduating from university, worked as a consultant at a human resources firm and subsequently provided career support for students at Kyoto University. After gaining further experience as a recruiter at a startup, joined the Osaka Business Development Agency(OBDA).
At the OBDA, which offers broad support for small and medium-sized enterprises in Osaka Prefecture, initially engaged in recruitment support initiatives for local businesses within the HR Strategy Department. Currently involved in identifying and accelerating the growth of startups, primarily across the Kansai region.
Specifically focuses on driving business growth for Kansai startups and fostering collaboration and co-creation with major corporations, notably through “Kidou,” an incubation program aimed at seed- and early-stage startups.

• What Is "KIDOU,” the Program Accelerating Kansai's Deep Tech Scene? Growth Triggers for Kansai Deep Tech: Lessons from Holoway

Shuhei began his career working on multilateral economic partnership negotiations at Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and later engaged in global strategy development at the Indian subsidiary of a Japanese management consulting firm. In 2017, he became Japan’s youngest mayor when elected Mayor of Shijonawate City in Osaka Prefecture, where he led municipal reform over two terms spanning eight years. He earned a master’s degree in Nuclear Engineering from Kyoto University, where he conducted research on particle simulation of tokamak plasmas.

• Fusion Energy: Unlocking the Future of Regional Industry Clusters and Urban Development

Shumpei Uno is an Executive Researcher in the Core Technologies Department of the Informatics and Mathematics Research Institute at Mizuho Bank, Ltd., where he leads a research team in quantum computing. He received his Ph.D. in physics from Nagoya University in 2011, with doctoral research focused on theoretical particle physics. He joined Mizuho Information & Research Institute the same year and worked on physics-based simulations, including applications in nuclear engineering.

Since 2018, his research has focused on quantum computing for finance, including algorithms for accelerating derivatives pricing and risk calculations. His work also includes applications in drug discovery and materials development, as well as methods combining quantum computing with artificial intelligence and high-performance computing. He concurrently serves as a Visiting Professor at the Graduate School of Science, the University of Tokyo, Deputy Project Leader of the Center of Innovation for Sustainable Quantum AI (SQAI), and an Adjunct Researcher at Waseda University.

• Quantum to Industry — Implementing Quantum Computing to Create New Industries

After spending approximately eight years at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, where he worked across a broad range of debt financing activities—including consumer loans, corporate lending, syndicated loans, and loan securitization—Soichi Tajima joined CyberAgent in January 2005. After launching several financial services businesses at CyberAgent, he moved to CyberAgent Ventures (now CyberAgent Capital), a wholly owned subsidiary of CyberAgent, where he invested in startups as a venture capitalist and achieved numerous successful IPOs and acquisitions. In August 2010, he was appointed Representative Director. In this role, he played a central part in formulating investment strategies and making investment decisions across eight countries, primarily in Japan and Southeast Asia. Under his leadership, the firm grew into one of the few Japan-based venture capital firms with a strong presence across Asia. In August 2016, he founded Genesia Ventures. Since July 2023, he has also served as Chairman of the Japan Venture Capital Association (JVCA). He holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Osaka University.

• Scaling Deep Tech Startups: The Roles of Industry, Government, Academia, and Finance

Joined Toyota Motor Corporation in 2005 after graduating from university. Throughout his tenure, he held roles in sales and sales planning, where he managed product planning, sales promotions, and supply-demand policies, as well as led planning for new vehicle models and mobility services. In 2014, he transitioned to a full-time role within the labor union, serving as vice president, where he led organizational policy formulation centered on digitalization and carbon neutrality. He subsequently joined the Executive Support & Government Affairs team, playing a pivotal role in negotiations with government agencies including the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and industry associations, while contributing to company-wide battery electric vehicle (BEV) strategy. Following a nearly 17-year career at Toyota Motor Corporation, he joined a data platform company in 2022. As Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) and General Manager of Business Development, he oversaw all business operations, including sales, business development, global expansion, and government relations.

• Beyond the EXPO: Building the Advanced Air Mobility Industry in Kansai-Advancing the Commercial Deployment of Advanced Air Mobility from Osaka and Kansai-

Appointed Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of the Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA), Ministry of Defense, in August 2026. Joined the former Japan Defense Agency in 1991, beginning a career as a naval ship design engineer.

• Defense Innovation in Japan：Emerging Trends and Future Potential

1999, they completed a master’s degree at the Graduate School of Engineering, the University of Tokyo. They then joined Texas Instruments Japan, where they worked on the development of DVD application processors, video codecs for mobile phones, and DSP applications, before leading the Digital Product Marketing Department. Their business development experience spans a wide range of products, from consumer to industrial markets.
They joined NVIDIA in 2015 and have since served as Head of Deep Learning Business Development and General Manager of the Enterprise Business Division before assuming their current role. In collaboration with Japan’s industrial, academic, and public-sector institutions, they are dedicated to building and advancing the AI ecosystem in Japan.
They also serve as a Director of the Japan Deep Learning Association, a Technical Committee Member of NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization), and an IoT Strategy Advisor to Oita Prefecture.

• Powering the AGI Era — Building the Next-Generation AI Industrial Ecosystem

Born in Kagoshima Prefecture, he joined The Sumitomo Trust & Banking Co., Ltd. in April 1990. In April 2019, he was appointed Executive Officer and General Manager of the Head Office Sales Department IV at Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, Limited. In April 2020, he became Executive Officer of Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank and President & Representative Director of Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Realty Co., Ltd. After serving as Managing Executive Officer of Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank from April 2022, he assumed his current position as Senior Managing Executive Officer in April 2025.

Since June 2025, he has also served as Vice Chair of the Startup Ecosystem Committee of the Kansai Economic Federation (KEF).

• From Corporate Challenges to Global Solutions: Connecting Japanese Enterprises with Overseas Startups　

Has experience working across multiple departments at the Tokyo Stock Exchange, including the Information Services Department, IT Planning Department, and the Secretary Office.
Since 2023, has been a member of the Listings Promotion Department, engaged in institutional planning for listed fund products such as REITs and ETFs, as well as providing support for corporate listings.
Assumed the current position in April 2026.

• From Corporate Challenges to Global Solutions: Connecting Japanese Enterprises with Overseas Startups　

He began his career in Japan’s financial industry, holding key roles at Mizuho Bank, the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), PwC Advisory, and Dai-ichi Life, where he gained extensive expertise in finance and business strategy. At JBIC, he worked on export finance for power generation plant projects, covering North Africa and Russia. He joined a finance startup as COO, where he further honed his leadership skills, before co-founding Helical Fusion in 2021.

He currently serves as Vice Chair of the Fusion Energy Industry Council (J-Fusion).

• Powering the Next Era: Investing in Fusion and the New Energy Frontier

Takayoshi Omae joined the ITER Organization as Chief Strategist in 2018, where he led corporate strategy, coordination among the seven ITER Members, and organizational transformation for ITER, one of the world’s largest international science and technology projects, which aims to achieve the first demonstration of a burning fusion plasma. In 2025, he took charge of the project management function for the overall construction project and was appointed Deputy Head of Construction in 2026. He works to strengthen ITER not only as a scientific facility, but also as a global platform that brings together companies, technologies, and talent to advance the practical deployment of fusion energy. Before joining ITER, he worked at PwC Strategy&, advising the technology sector on innovation, research and development, and global strategy. At NTT Communications, he was engaged in new business development in China and the management of operations in India. He also advises and invests in startups in Japan and across Asia. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tsukuba and an MBA from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

• Fusion Energy at the Frontier: How ITER Is Shaping the Global Deep Tech Market

• Global Defence Innovation Landscape：Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities

Takeshi Ebihara is Founding General Partner at Rebright Partners, VC firm invests in Seed to Series-A Startups in SE Asia and India includes Indonesian Largest IPO company Bukalapak (1st round Lead/Solo), Philipino Largest tech exit company Coins.Ph (1st round co-lead) , multiple Indian Unicorn and Soonicorns.
Ebihara has been in the industry more than decades as a venture capitalist as well as serial entrepreneur started his career at JAFCO, the largest VC/PE firm in Japan in 1994. He also founded and managed several Tech companies including Tokyo Stock-EX Listed Public Company.

• ASEAN Startup Ecosystem: The Next Frontier of Global Innovation and Growth

Joined Mitsui Fudosan after graduation and gained broad experience in residential planning, land acquisition, J-SOX operations, and office leasing. In 2019, joined a new business initiative through the internal “MAG!C” program. Since April 2023, has led CVC investments at 31VENTURES, driving startup collaboration and new business creation. Appointed Group Leader in April 2025.

• Fusion Energy: Unlocking the Future of Regional Industry Clusters and Urban Development

Tatsuo Ogawa was born in Hyogo, Japan, in 1964. He graduated from the Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Osaka University in 1989 and joined Matsushita Electronic Components Corporation. Following a career in device and materials R&D, including research at the Georgia Institute of Technology in the United States, he held leadership positions in technology strategy and manufacturing technology. He became Executive Officer in charge of Manufacturing Innovation in 2018 and Vice President of Panasonic’s Automotive Company in 2019. He has served as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of the Panasonic Group since 2021 and currently oversees technology, manufacturing technology, quality, environment, intellectual property, pharmaceutical affairs, customer satisfaction (CS), and Prime Planet Energy & Solutions, Inc.

• Powering the AGI Era — Building the Next-Generation AI Industrial Ecosystem

Tatsuya Kishi serves as the leader of the memory business at TopoLogic Inc. He holds a Ph.D. in theoretical physics. He has worked for many years as an MRAM device engineer at Toshiba and Kioxia. He has been involved in the development of both STT-MRAM and SOT-MRAM and possesses extensive experience in MRAM development. This is my second startup, and every day I struggle with how to advance technological development in the startup.

• Building the Foundation for AI: Semiconductor Innovation in the Age of Frontier AI

Joined Globis Capital Partners in 2020. Leads investments in the Deep Tech and Climate Tech sectors, managing deals including Holoway (semiconductor inspection equipment), SUN METALON (metal recycling), Ookuma Diamond Device (next-generation semiconductors), and ZettaJoule (next-generation nuclear reactors).

After graduating from the Faculty of Commerce and Management at Hitotsubashi University, worked at AGC in overseas sales for electronic materials and was stationed in China, followed by Boston Consulting Group, where they focused on M&A and new business development support.

• What Is "KIDOU,” the Program Accelerating Kansai's Deep Tech Scene? Growth Triggers for Kansai Deep Tech: Lessons from Holoway

Teddy Cross is the Founder & CPO of Playco, a U.S.-based game producer and engineer and a pioneer in early HTML5 gaming. He began his career in the gaming industry in 2011 at the age of 15 as a software engineering intern, where he helped develop an HTML5 puzzle game that attracted thousands of users. He went on to lead software development at several technology companies, gaining recognition in South Korea’s tech scene. While preparing to launch a new startup, he reconnected with Michael Carter and recognized the immense potential of instant social gaming, leading him to co-found Playco.

• Inside the Stanford Innovation Engine — How a Founder-First Ecosystem Builds Unicorns?

Tennin Yan is QunaSys’ founder and Chief Executive Officer, where he leads the company’s strategy, product strategy and development to make quantum computing technology industrially useful. He has deep expertise in R&D and is specialized in quantum computer algorithms and applications. Tennin founded QunaSys in 2018 together with Prof. Keisuke Fujii with the goal to bring out quantum physics to the front stage and use it to tackle problems that cannot be achieved with conventional technology by actively taking advantage of quantum mechanics.

• Quantum to Industry — Implementing Quantum Computing to Create New Industries

Dr. Teruo Fujii is the 31st President of the University of Tokyo (UTokyo). Prior to taking the President’s office in April 2021, he was the Executive Vice President in charge of finance and external relations for the university. He also served as the Director General of the Institute of Industrial Science (IIS) of the university from 2015 to 2018.
He received his Ph.D. in engineering from UTokyo in 1993 and held research positions at IIS and RIKEN prior to becoming a professor of IIS in 2007.
Dr. Fujii was an advisor to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) from 2005 to 2007, the co-director of LIMMS-CNRS/IIS, a joint research laboratory between CNRS of France, and IIS, from 2007 to 2014, and the President of the Chemical and Biological Microsystems Society (CBMS) from 2017 to 2019. He held the position of an Executive Member (part-time) of the Council for Science, Technology and Innovation, Cabinet Office, Government of Japan from March 2021 to February 2024. He has also served as the Chair of the Subdivision on Ocean Development of the Council for Science and Technology (MEXT) from February 2019 until February 2024. He was appointed as President of the Japan Association of National Universities in June 2025.
He received an honorary degree of Doctor of Science from Asian University for Women in Bangladesh.
Dr. Fujii’s research specializes in applied microfluidics systems and underwater technology.

• How Can We Create World-Changing Innovation from Academic Seeds?　From Reseach Excellence to Global Impact

Based in Tokyo, Tetsuya is New Business Development Director at Emerald Technology Ventures, leading its Japan activities: portfolio company market entry, startup sourcing, LP management, and the Tokyo Open Innovation Conference. Previously CEO of Sumitomo Plastics America in Silicon Valley. He has led open innovation from both corporate and VC sides, across the US and European ecosystems.

• AI × Energy: Making the Energy System Itself Smarter — From Pilot to Plant

Theodore Mollinger is a General Partner at East X Ventures, a London-based deeptech VC fund. In 2025, EXV  launched Starmaker, Europe’s first private VC fund dedicated to fusion energy, investing both in fusion reactors and supply chain companies. He recently co-led the EUR 411m Series A-2 of Proxima Fusion, Europe’s largest fusion funding round, alongside XTX, with the participation of Google and RWE.

• Powering the Next Era: Investing in Fusion and the New Energy Frontier

Tim Rowe is the founder and Executive Chairman of CIC, a global leader in building and operating innovation campuses globally, focused on supporting the growth of startups and entrepreneurs. Since 1999, he has grown CIC from a single 2,700 SF location in Kendall Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts to a global company that manages nearly 2 million square feet of shared workspace, wet labs, and event space. Among the notable organizations that spent their early days at CIC are Android and HubSpot. Rowe currently serves as the chair of Venture Café Global Institute, and was the founding chair of LabCentral, MassRobotics, and the first president of the Kendall Square Association.

Rowe holds an MBA from MIT’s Sloan School of Management and a BA from Amherst College. He speaks fluent English, Spanish, Japanese, and basic Mandarin Chinese.

• Beyond the Hub: How Do We Build an Ecosystem Where Startups Flourish?

Todd Stavish is the Vice President of the ventures team at SRI. In this role, Todd manages the overall operations for SRI Ventures, including incubation and deal sourcing.
Prior to joining SRI, Todd was Director of Lab41, a division of In-Q-Tel Labs. Under his leadership, Lab41 developed novel deep learning algorithms, security for machine learning models, and one of the largest real-world audio training datasets. Previously, Todd was co-founder of CosmiQ Works, an applied research lab focused on developing, prototyping, and evaluating open source artificial intelligence capabilities for geospatial use cases. While at CosmiQ Works, he pioneered the SpaceNet Challenge, a corpus of commercial satellite imagery and associated algorithm design competitions. Before working at CosmiQ, Todd led In-Q-Tel’s big data, geospatial, and commercial space investments.
Todd brings a wealth of experience to SRI’s Ventures team, having spent his spent his early career working in Silicon Valley start-ups. He received a bachelor’s degree in Computational Physics from Saint Bonaventure University.
Reach out to Todd directly if you are interested in working with him to identify opportunities for potential successful spin-offs.

• From University Labs to Global Deep Tech Ventures: Crossing the Valley of Death 

Tomas Silicaro is the Co-Founder and CEO of Bioeutectics, a deep-tech company redefining the future of industrial chemistry through the development of high-performance, sustainable solvents and ingredients designed to replace traditional petrochemical alternatives.

Originally from Argentina, Tomas is an entrepreneur and business leader with more than 20 years of experience across the chemical, ingredients, food, and specialty materials industries. Throughout his career, he has focused on international business development, B2B commercialization, supply chains, innovation, and bringing new technologies from concept to market, with extensive experience across Latin America and international markets.

Tomas holds an Executive MBA from IAE Business School and has studied negotiation at Harvard University. His combination of commercial experience and entrepreneurial vision led him to co-found Bioeutectics alongside a multidisciplinary team of scientists and technologists with a shared ambition: to transform one of the most fundamental—and often overlooked—components of modern industry: solvents and ingredients.

Bioeutectics develops a new generation of Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents (NADES) inspired by the way nature creates its own solvating systems. Using renewable raw materials, green chemistry, biomimicry, and artificial intelligence, the company designs high-performance solvent systems that can help industries move away from conventional petrochemical chemistry without compromising functionality or efficiency.

Under Tomas’ leadership, Bioeutectics has evolved from an Argentine scientific startup into an internationally focused deep-tech company. In 2024, the company raised a US$2.1 million investment round led by Fen Ventures and Atento Capital, with participation from GridX, Syensqo Ventures, and SOSV’s IndieBio. The company subsequently expanded its operations to the United States, establishing a presence in Tulsa, Oklahoma, as part of its strategy to scale and commercialize its technology globally.

Bioeutectics is developing applications across industries including personal care and cosmetics, food and nutraceuticals, agriculture, home care, and other industrial sectors where solvents play a critical role. The company has also gained international recognition within the deep-tech ecosystem, including participation as a finalist in the Hello Tomorrow Global Challenge.

As CEO, Tomas is driven by the conviction that sustainability and industrial performance should not be competing objectives. His mission is to build Bioeutectics into a global platform for next-generation solvents and demonstrate that some of the most important transformations in chemistry can come from understanding—and learning from—nature.

A former METI official, he has extensive experience in economic, industrial, and innovation policy, including serving as Consul at the Consulate-General of Japan in San Francisco and as a Director in the Cabinet Secretariat. After leaving METI in 2018, he joined fintech startup Origami and VC firm Scrum Ventures, before rejoining METI in 2024 as Director of the Innovation and Startup Promotion Division.
He is currently Head of Strategy & Partnerships at tech startup Pie Systems Japan, while advising startups in IoT/AI and large corporations. Since February 2026, he has also served as an Advisor to the Minister’s Secretariat, METI.
He holds a degree from the Faculty of Law at the University of Tokyo and a master’s degree from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD IR/PS).

TBD

• Beyond Silicon Valley: Can Japan and Europe Build the Next Global Tech Giant? How Japanese capital, European investors, and global market access can turn breakthrough technologies into category-defining companies

Head of Japan and Advisory Council member, EAIGG (Ethical AI Governance Group), and Japan Advisory member, BGV, USA
Full professor, Aoyama Business School-Tokyo where I teach startups and entrepreneurship, corporate strategy, AI and organizations, and networks and organizational dynamics for MBAs. Investment banking for 8 years & US academia for 10 years+ in California, NYC, Chicago, and Michigan. Visiting professor at Columbia, Copenhagen Business School; ENS Paris/Saclay, Frankfurt am Main, Max Planck Institute-Cologne, and University of San Diego. BA Keio, MA Chicago, Ph.D. Columbia. Biz: startups support, consulting, and corporate training: AI and organization; ecosystems; and management

• Trust as Infrastructure: Scaling AI

Winter Mead is the Founder and Managing Member of Coolwater Capital, an investment firm backing emerging venture managers and early-stage technology companies. Coolwater has made over 40 fund investments and 40 direct investments, helped launch more than 300 emerging managers, and built a global network spanning venture funds, founders, governments, corporations, and institutional investors.
He is also the co-founder of Signal Fund Services, author of two books on venture capital and entrepreneurship, and a former institutional investor at Hall Capital Partners and Sapphire Ventures. Winter holds degrees from Harvard University and the University of Oxford and has taught at Stanford Graduate School of Business and UC Berkeley.

• Backing the Next Deep Tech Breakthroughs: A New Era of Venture Capital

Yael Maguire is VP/GM, Google Maps Platform & Google Earth. In this role, he’s responsible for leading a portfolio of geospatial products that help developers, enterprises, and cities make sustainable decisions and build powerful experiences with Google’s AI and mapping data. His team also brings sustainability features like fuel-efficient routing and air quality insights to Google Maps, which is used by more than a billion people every month.

Previously, Yael was VP of Engineering at Meta and founded Facebook’s Connectivity Lab, the technology and product team that became Meta Connectivity. Before that, Yael co-founded Plum Labs, an early stage mobile innovation lab, and ThingMagic, a market leader in bringing long-range RFID readers to the global market. Yael completed his PhD at the MIT Media Laboratory in the area of near-field electromagnetic measurement through his invention of a new type of NMR geometry for molecular detection using NMR. He also holds a master’s in Media Arts and Sciences from MIT, and an undergraduate degree in Engineering Physics from Queen’s University, Canada. Yael is a named inventor on 82 patents.

• Google AI for Society

Joined Mizuho Financial Group in April 1989.

• Building the Space Economy: Connecting Innovation, Industry and Global Markets

After getting a master’s from Tokyo Tech in March 1981, he joined Fujitsu Limited in April of the same year. He conducted research on the Fifth-generation computer system at the Institute for New Generation Computer Technology (ICOT), parallelizing compiler development, evaluating commercial server performance, and launching the “K supercomputer” project. He was transferred to Fujitsu Laboratories of America (California) in November 2009 and served as CEO, overseeing R&D and commercialization in fields including healthcare, smart energy, SDN, and security. He returned to Japan in November 2015. Since January 2017, he has served as a Principal Fellow at the Center for Research and Development Strategy (CRDS) of the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), conducting surveys on R&D trends in the information technology sector, and left Fujitsu in March 2019. Since July 2019, he has served as an Invited Senior Researcher at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST). He also held positions such as Visiting Researcher at Stanford University (1995), Visiting Professor at the University of Tokyo (2002?2006), and Visiting Professor at Kyushu University (2009). Recipient of the Ohm Technology Award and the Information Processing Society of Japan (IPSJ) Achievement Award. Holds a Ph.D. in Engineering.

• The Venture-Building Playbook: Turning Deep Tech Breakthroughs into Global Companies

I graduated from the Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, The University of Osaka in 1989, and completed Master of Engineering in 1991. Subsequently, I joined Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (now Panasonic Corporation), where I was engaged in research and development as well as standardization activities for Blu-ray Discs. In 1999, I received Doctor of Engineering from The University of Osaka. I was appointed as a Professor at the Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University in 2006. Starting in 2010, I served as an Industrial Strategy Officer in the Fine Ceramics, Nanotechnology, and Materials Strategy Office at the Manufacturing Industries Bureau of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), focusing on technological strategy formulation and industrial policy. I returned to The University of Osaka in 2014, and has been dedicated to industry-academia collaboration, with a particular focus on startup support. Since 2020, within the Innovation Strategy Division which comprises the Venture and Business Development Support Office, the Intellectual Property Office, and the Human Resource Development Office, I have been driving activities related to discovering research seeds, supporting startup creation, and nurturing innovative talent for startups. I have contributed to national science and technology policies, including industry-academia collaboration and startup creation across a wide range of fields.

• What Will It Take for Deep Tech from Japan to Succeed in Global Markets?

Joined East Japan Railway Company (JR East) in 1990 and has primarily been engaged in planning, maintenance, and construction related to railway signaling and telecommunications systems.

Since June 2022, has overseen the company’s Innovation Strategy Division. In July 2026, assumed the position of Senior Managing Executive Officer, responsible for Innovation Strategy (Deputy Chief Officer), while concurrently serving as General Manager of the Innovation Strategy Department.

Leads JR East’s innovation strategy with the aim of realizing Lifestyle Transformation (LX) and enhancing the group’s value as a technology and service company. Responsibilities include promoting digital businesses through the utilization of internal and external technologies, developing and operating core business systems, advancing R&D initiatives, and evaluating emerging technologies.

• Fusion Energy: Unlocking the Future of Regional Industry Clusters and Urban Development

President/CEO, Organization of Future Medicine
Graduated from Osaka University Faculty of Medicine in 1980. In 1989, he studied in Germany as a Humboldt Foundation Fellow at the Department of Cardiac Physiology and the Department of Cardiac Surgery of the Max Planck Institute.
He later served as Professor and Chair of Cardiovascular Surgery at Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, and subsequently as Dean of Osaka University Faculty of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine. During his tenure, he also led the implementation of next-generation medicine as Director of the Center for Future Medical Innovation and Director of the International Medical Center at Osaka University Hospital.
He received the Medal with Purple Ribbon in 2020 and has received numerous other awards, including the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare Award for Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration and the Japan Medical Association Medical Award. He is a globally recognized authority in cardiovascular surgery and regenerative medicine, and will serve as President of the 32nd General Assembly of the Japan Medical Congress in April 2027.

• Shaping the Future of the Bio & Life Sciences Cluster

After working in public sector sales, has been engaged in public-private partnerships and business development initiatives focused on solving regional challenges.

• Beyond the EXPO: Building the Advanced Air Mobility Industry in Kansai-Advancing the Commercial Deployment of Advanced Air Mobility from Osaka and Kansai-

After graduating from university, Yoshinobu Ichimura spent more than 10 years in the electronics and semiconductor industries, working across sales, marketing, supply chain management, corporate planning, and business management, including business turnaround initiatives. In 2014, he founded Prometheus Inc. and has since supported the commercialization of deep-tech research from universities and national research institutions, while also mentoring startups through programs run by organizations including NEDO.
He also serves as General Manager of HAX Tokyo at SOSV, where he supports the sourcing and growth of Japanese deep-tech startups and their global expansion, as well as collaboration between SOSV portfolio companies and Japanese corporations and engagement with companies and investors in Japan.

• Powering the AI Era: Who Holds the Keys to Next-Generation Semiconductor Manufacturing?

After working at Deloitte Tohmatsu Consulting (now Deloitte Tohmatsu LLC), joined White Spark Inc.

• Beyond the EXPO: Building the Advanced Air Mobility Industry in Kansai-Advancing the Commercial Deployment of Advanced Air Mobility from Osaka and Kansai-

Yuki joined VGI in 2020, prior to which he worked for INCJ as a venture capitalist. Before that, he was a consultant for technology, media, and telecom sectors at the Japan Research Institute.

Master’s degree in physics from the University of Tokyo
Deep Tech Professional

• Building the Fusion Energy Industry: Japan’s Path to Global Competitiveness

April, 2008　Initial Career at ANA for 14 years
✓Flight Dispatcher, Ground Handling Contract
✓Network Planning, JV Network with UA/LH/SQ
February, 2022　Manager at Sumitomo Corporation
✓Commercial Aviation Business Development
✓UTM/UATM solutions with OneSky
June, 2024　CEO at Soracle
✓Chief Executive Officer at newly established Soracle (JV of JAL/Sumitomo)
✓Official EXPO eVTOL business provider

• Beyond the EXPO: Building the Advanced Air Mobility Industry in Kansai-Advancing the Commercial Deployment of Advanced Air Mobility from Osaka and Kansai-