A Company Providing Capital to Uncharted Territories

Akihiko served as Director of Euglena Co., Ltd., since the pre-IPO phase and led the company’s business strategy, finance, and the biofuel business. In 2021, he was appointed CEO and retired from the company in 2024.

In 2015, he established the Real Tech Fund to promote deep tech investment to tackle societal and environmental challenges. In 2024, he was appointed Managing Director of UntroD Capital Japan, which operates the fund.

In addition, he is committed to realizing social impact within capitalism through his founding and management of Ame Kaze Taiyo, the first social impact IPO in Japan rooted in an NPO, and his role as an advisor to HERALBONY.

As Leave a Nest’s founder and current CEO, Yukihiro is the innovator behind one of the largest startup ecosystems in Asia.

During his Master’s studies in the University of Tokyo in 2002, he founded Leave a Nest – at the time a small student group comprising of undergraduate and graduate students majoring in science and technology. In creating Leave a Nests’ “Knowledge-based Platform”, Yukihiro pioneered “Cutting-Edge-Science Delivery Lab Classes”, a scientific education platform for kids, and the “Knowledge Manufacturing Business”, an ecosystem that aims to generate commercial value to technologies that lie dormant in universities and local communities. More than 200 projects have taken place to date based on the collaboration of various entities including universities, startups and mature companies. Yukihiro endeavors to uncover deep techs worldwide and resolve global social issues. He has been involved in the launch of Euglena Co., Ltd. and numerous other startups.

Yukihiro has a PhD in Agriculture from University of Tokyo.

He is also an established author, where his major publications are “Deep Tech: The ‘Dormant Technology’ that Will Shape the World’s Future” (Nikkei Business Publications) and “World-Changing Business starts from the “Passion” of just one person” (NIPPON JITSUGYO PUBLISHING)

As president of Real Tech Holdings, Akitaka’s role is to enhance the societal and environmental impact of the company.  He also invests and supports startups as growth manager and helps companies with all talent manners as team developer.
Before joining Real Tech Holdings in 2020, he was at EIT Climate-KIC, a European organization that transforms ideas into climate-addressing businesses. While at the company, Akitaka evaluated more than 200 startups for grants and their environmental impact, making him an expert in frontier innovations addressing climate change. He was involved in recruitment and team building, where he implemented an employee engagement program to improve sustainability from within the EIT community.

Akitaka has a master’s degree in International Studies from the University of Tokyo.

After graduating from Tohoku University Faculty of Economics and working mainly in corporate planning at a R&D-type semiconductor startup, Sou Yanbe joined Real Tech Holdings in 2015. In 2020, Sou led the creation of the Glocal Deeptech Fund, which invests aggressively in local Realtech startups. He aims to resolve global issues and energize local economies by supporting and nurturing startups with outstanding technologies in collaboration with participating companies, such as local financial institutions and operating companies.

Sou’s major portfolio companies include QD LASER (listed on Tokyo Stock Exchange Mothers), which develops retina scanning-type eyewear, Kyulux (Kyushu University-based startup), which develops next-generation organic EL materials, and Ball Wave Inc. (Tohoku University-based startup), which develops innovative chemical sensing technologies.

Naoki joined Real Tech Holdings in 2023, taking on the role of overseeing fund performance management and exit strategy development.

Prior to joining Real Tech HD, Naoki dedicated over 18 years to working as a sector coverage banker in both Japanese and foreign banks, and provided advice on fundraising and M&A. His extensive expertise covers the origination and execution of a variety of cases, including IPOs, equity financing, debt financing underwriting, and M&A advisory.

Following his banking career, Naoki served as the CFO of an IT startup, where he was responsible for directing financial strategy, business planning, and the full range of internal controls.

Naoki holds a MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and is a Certified Public Accountant in the United States.

Satoshi joined Real Tech Holdings in 2022 as the head for the REAL TECH Booster Division.

The REAL TECH Booster provides hands-on support towards deep tech startups through Real Tech Holding’s expertise cultivating from supporting over 70 deep tech startups in the past and present.

Prior to joining Real Tech, Satoshi was involved in three early to late stage deep tech startups（Rapyuta Robotics, Synspective, RFLocus) working in the Sales and Marketing, Management, and Business Development division. He also has experience in product development at Global Logistic Properties (GLP) and insurance sales planning and real estate management at the Nippon Life Insurance Company.

Joined UntroD Capital Asia in 2023 as Executive Director and Chief Investment Officer overseeing fund strategy, establishment of growth acceleration ecosystem, performance management, capital planning and fundraising.
Prior to joining UntroD Capital Asia, worked at a US-based fund and managed over $1bn in biotech / healthcare investments based in Los Angeles then London. After consulting at IFC in development finance across Africa, Middle East and Asia, co-founded a renewable energy venture, scaled and exited, and moved to Singapore to engage in venture investment and venture building as CFO. Most recently, worked as Chief Transformation Officer at a FTSE 100 multinational company in charge of innovation, intrapreneurship, ESG strategy and execution.
BA in General Systems Studies from University of Tokyo, MBA from INSEAD, Master in Corporate Finance from SDA Bocconi

Daiki Kumamoto is the growth manager of UntroD Capital Asia as well as the leader of Global Fund, mainly investing in deep-tech startups in Southeast Asia. He invests in startups that bring solutions to care and welfare, serving as a director of aba; developing sensors for excretion detectors for elderly care. For investments in Southeast Asia, he is in charge of NDR Medical, Austrianova, Karana, ceEntek and many more.

Before joining UntroD in 2018, he was the president of the AIESEC, the largest NPO in Japan that commits in supporting young entrepreneurs globally.

He graduated from Keio SFC University with a bachelor in management.

Fumiharu is one of the founding members of Real Tech Fund, where the fund was originally founded in 2015 as part of Euglena Investment, which specializes in seed-stage technology startups. Fumiharu was the pioneer of Real Tech Fund’s unique LP base, consisting largely of companies with deep expertise in the automotive, infrastructure, aviation, chemical industries and much more. As a result, a robust framework for joint ventures between technology-based startups with large corporations is created for accelerated growth.

Fumiharu now has over two decade worth of experience working in venture capital. Before joining Real Tech Fund, he was in Hikari Tsushin Capital Inc. (Fund size: JPY 57 million), a venture capital subsidiary of Hikari Tsushin Inc and SBI Investment Co., Ltd, where he experienced all aspects of investment operations ranging from overall fund administration, due diligence, monitoring and closing of investments.

Fumiharu has a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Hosei University.

Taro joined Real Tech Fund in 2017 as a growth manager where his main portfolio companies are in the biomedical and robotics field, including ANSeeN (next-generation X-ray sensors that cut radiation dosage by 1/1000), AMI (super stethoscopes that automatically assist with the diagnosis of cardiac diseases by analyzing cardiac sound and electrocardiographic information), and Miraikikai, Inc. (solar panel cleaning robots). Taro also led the establishment of the “Patent Booster”, which aims to offer hands-on IP support for portfolio companies to establish the frameworks for the social implementation of technology.

Prior to joining Real Tech Fund, Taro worked as a researcher at Sumitomo Chemical on the development of organic and inorganic nanocomposite materials for electronics and universal-design-compatible materials. In 2011, he became a member of the JSMS (The Society of Materials Science, Japan) Committee on Polymer Materials where he worked on the development of new medical businesses, such as fostering joint development between startups developing medical devices and a device manufacturer, as well as the planning and executing business strategies for materials used in regenerative medicine. His other roles at JSMS include planning and operating of workshops, editing the Society’s journals, and leading the overseas business sales division for functional resins from Southeast Asia.

Taro has a Master’s degree in Applied Chemistry from Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology.

Hiromi joined Real Tech Holdings as a Growth Manager in 2023. She is responsible for investments, business development and exit strategy.

Before joining Real Tech Holdings, Hiromi was engaged in the investments of primary fund and co-investing to manage general account assets for Nippon Life Health Insurance in New York. She also helped Nippon Life with strategic planning, acquisitions and business collaborations for its asset management business.

Hiromi has a BA in International Liberal Studies from Waseda University.

Henry joined UntroD Capital Asia in 2023 after graduating from Harvard Business School. Before that, Henry worked with Bits x Bites Venture Capital and Temasek on early & growth-stage investments in the Agri-Food sector. Henry started his career with Bayer AG in a global leadership program, where he held roles & responsibilities in Germany, the US and Singapore.
MBA from Harvard Business School
M.S. from Washington University in St. Louis

At Real Tech Fund, Kazuhiro provides business management and commercialization support as a growth manager in the fields of electronics, energy, and robotics. Kazuhiro built the “Manufacturing Booster”, a program consisting of numerous small-factories to support Real Tech Fund’s portfolio companies in trial and mass-production.

He joined Leave a Nest as one of the earliest employee, experiencing the launch, commercialization, and expansion of a company. Leveraging this experience, Kazuhiro took office as the representative director of GLOCALINK Inc., a subsidiary of Leave a Nest that invests in super early-stage technology startups. He currentlys till serves as the CKO of Leave a Nest and Specialist Catalyzer at NEDO’s (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development), Japan’s largest public organisation promoting R&D and deployment for industrial, energy and environmental technologies.

He has a Master of Engineering degree from Tokyo Metropolitan University.

Other: Kazuhiro concurrently holds the offices of Executive Officer and CKO of Leave a Nest Co., Ltd. and Director of GLOCALINK Inc.

Yoshinobu has an extensive track record of providing hands-on support to pre-launch teams as well as investing in and fostering post-launch startups. He is proactively involved in various startups, mainly as an advisor or director.

Prior to Real Tech Fund, Yoshinobu worked in MUFG Bank, Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), Institute of Industrial Science at the University of Tokyo as a researcher, and Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) as an ACCEL program manager. Outside of his role at Real Tech Fund, he is working concurrently with Leave a Nest Co., Ltd. and GLOCALINK Inc.

Yoshinomu has a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Keio University.

Hiroyuki covers life sciences as a growth manager at Real Tech Fund.

Since joining Leave a Nest in 2009, Hiroyuki has established programs that bridge academic research into social implementation. For example, he founded the “LNEST Grant”, a research grant for researchers aged 40 or younger that is funded primarily by the private sector, and the “Hyper Interdisciplinary Conference”, a forum that aims for accumulation of knowledge by encompassing entities from academia, startups, large companies, and small factories.

As a member of NEST iPLAB Co., Ltd., Hiroyuki also handles the IP strategies of universities and startups, and utilizes the “patent prosecution highway” to expedite the patent prosecution of intellectual properties for Southeast Asian startups.

He also serves as Executive Officer of Leave a Nest Co., Ltd. and Director of NEST iPLABCo., Ltd.

Hiroyuki has a PhD in science from Yokohama City University Graduate School.

Yuji joined Leave a Nest Co., Ltd in 2008.  Since 2016, he has been involved in the launch and operation of the “Kumamoto Tech Planter” by the Kumamoto Prefecture Next Generation Venture Creation Support Consortium, working to build an ecosystem that will generate new industries from the region.

Prior to joining Leave a Nest Co., Ltd, Yuji worked at a pig farm introducing technologies to farms for efficient pig management. Leveraging on this experience, he worked on the conversion of unused local resources into animal feed at Leave a Nest’s Okinawa office and experienced the launch of the production and sales business of brand pigs.

Yuji holds a Master’s degree in Bioscience from the Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST).

Yoshifumi joined Real Tech Holdings in 2023 as a Fund Manager. He is responsible for the overall performance management of the fund, as well as devising and executing exit strategies. Prior to joining Real Tech, Yoshifumi was engaged in M&A brokerage and advisory services at an M&A brokerage firm and an accounting advisory firm for about 15 years, consistently handling everything from origination to execution. As head of the industry sector, Yoshifumi handled numerous transactions in fields such as construction, manufacturing, and food.

BA in Economics from Hitotsubashi University.

Yuki provides hands-on branding support for portfolio companies through his role as a Representative of KANDO, a creative consulting firm, to enable scientific communication of deep-tech startups through a multi-disciplinary lens combines the three elements of creativity, technology, and finance.

Some examples of such startup support projects include the procurement of JPY 2.02 billion for cyborg startup MELTIN, and the MaaS Vision movie for personal mobility startup WHILL.

Yuki’s art projects include “KOHTEI”, a joint project with sculptor Kohei Nawa, and “UNITY of MOTION”, artwork commissioned by Hyundai.

www.kando.vision

Shinya joined Real Tech Fund in 2018, and is in charge of public relations and branding. He provides hands-on support in vision creation, branding, public relations, and other creative strategies to maximize the values of portfolio startups.

Prior to joining Real Tech Fund, he engaged in a broad spectrum of work ranging from sales, product planning and merchandising to public relations and branding at interior design companies and electronics manufacturers. Since 2013, Shinya has been working as a scientific mediator that links scientists with creators, such as collaborating artwork by visual artists with physics professors.

Narita graduated from Nihon University College of Humanities and Science.

Masayuki provides IP and legal support to technology startups such as large-scale patent litigation and IP disputes.

He passed the patent attorney examination during his undergraduate studies and worked on the acquisition of Japanese and foreign patent rights at a patent office after graduating. He passed the Japanese bar examination in 2014. Masayuki registered with the Tokyo Bar Association in December 2015 (68^th class). He has been with Uchida & Samejima Law Firm since January 2016.

Masayuki graduated from the University of Tokyo Faculty of Engineering.

After the bankruptcy of the airline company Mami joined as a fresh graduate, she became interested in the art of building a “strong organization, people, and business”.

After that, Mami moved to the U.K. to work for a global DMC. As a Manager and Corporate Planner in a BPO in Malaysia, she set up an Offshore Shared Service Centre for organizational restructuring, and achieved growth from 0 to 100 employees in 2 years.

After returning to Japan, Mami joined a startup and launched the HR division from scratch where she was responsible for the entirety of HR operations such as recruitment, labor, evaluation, system, and rules, etc and designing the team structure.

Before joining Real Tech, Mami was in a startup bringing the HR functions in-house which had previously been dispersed and sourced externally. Two years later the company was listed on Mothers (now Growth).

Currently, she is engaged in HR support for the company and its portfolio companies.

Hiroyuki joined Real Tech Holdings in 2022 as VP of Operations in the Corporate division. Prior to joining real tech, he was at Softbank working on business development, management planning, M&A, talent development and as CFO in a subsidiary company. He also has experience working in banks and overseas support public affairs.

At Sekisui house, he led new business developments and promoted D&I related activities. Currently, he is also a researcher on positive psychology and innovation.

Graduated with a Masters in System Design Management from Keio University.

Saki joined Real Tech Fund in 2016 and is in charge of overall back-office operations, including accounting and general affairs.

Prior to joining Real Tech Fund, she was in charge of the full range of fund administration work at venture capital Hikari Tsushin Capital Inc. (fund size: JPY 57 billion).

Saki graduated from the Nihon University College of Commerce.

After graduating from Kyoto University with a bachelor’s degree in engineering, he joined Nissan Motor Co in 1984, and became President of Nissan Technical Center North America Inc. in 2004. For 8 years, he served as the Alliance EVP (Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Motors) and as the Chief R&D Officer of Nissan Motor Co. As Chief R&D Officer of Renault Automobiles, he was responsible for all R&D organizations in Japan, France and worldwide. He has comprehensive experience in engineering in the automotive industry, in particular, he has a strong track record in the development of next-generation technologies that will drive the future transformation of the automotive industry, and he has deep insight and vision into these technologies and the new value they will create. He also has extensive experience in engineering method innovation and globalization of R&D organizations.
He retired as Vice President of Nissan Motor Co. in 2022, and currently serves as an advisor to several companies, providing a wide range of management and R&D support.