COMPANY
| Company Name | MIYAKO CAPITAL Co., Ltd. |
|---|---|
| Date Founded | September 2013 |
| Officers |
President and Managing Director Hiroyuki Misawa Managing Director Satoshi Yamaguchi Managing Director Tsunesaburo Sugaya Director Hisatoshi Fujito (Attorney at Law, Hibiya Avenue Law Office; Former Member of the National Police Agency) Auditor Hidetaka Kawakita (Professor Emeritus, Kyoto University; Director, Japan Exchange Regulation) |
| Main Business Activities | Management and Operation of Venture Capital Funds *Kyoto University–affiliated fund management company |
| Operating Funds | MIYAKO Kyoto University Innovation L.P. (established November 2015, total 7.33 billion yen) MIYAKO Kyoto University Innovation II L.P. (established in October 2019, total amount: 14.21 billion yen) MIYAKO Kyoto University Innovation III L.P. (established in August 2023) |
| Address |
Kyoto Head Office
Tokyo Office
Silicon Valley Office |
STRATEGY
We are an independent, private venture capital firm that invests in ventures leveraging cutting-edge IP
from Kyoto University and other academic and research institutions to develop new technologies.
We aim to create the next-generation of leading industries and innovations by supporting industry-academic
collaboration that will lead to the practical application of these new technologies in society.
With a focus on seed and early-stage ventures, we invest at all stages across a wide range of
technological domains and industrial sectors including life sciences, biotechnology, IT, electronics
(including AI, IoT), agriculture, food, environment, energy, chemicals, and materials.
We invest in ambitious teams from Japan that have the potential to succeed in the global market.
Once an initial investment is made, we continuously strive to support each venture by carefully
considering their needs for industry-academia collaboration, even if their technological seeds or research
outcomes are not being fully utilized.
Strategies on how to approach the global market are then developed and implemented at our Silicon Valley
office. Our team has extensive global experience in VC and managing startups and will provide thorough,
hands-on support.
TEAM
Partner
For seven years, Hiroyuki Misawa was involved in research and education in the life sciences as a
university faculty member.
In 2002, he joined a subsidiary of Japan Asia Investment Co., Ltd. (JAIC) during the founding stage of
an incubation-type fund specializing in regenerative medicine and medical devices. There, he played a
critical role at all stages from establishment of the fund through to project discovery and overall
investment operations. In 2007, he was transferred back to JAIC where he served as an investment and
fund manager focusing on Quality of Life (QOL) related sectors.
In 2020, he was awarded the Japan Venture Awards (JVA) Venture Capitalist Encouragement Award after
boasting one of Japan's leading track records of success after numerous investments ranging from
regenerative medicine and drug discovery to medical devices and health related services.
Ph.D., Saitama University
Partner, Founder
Satoshi Yamaguchi has been involved in management and investment projects for ventures and small to
medium-sized enterprises consistently for over 30 years.
Since 1988, he has held various positions including Investment Director and Head of Investment
Department at the prominent VC firm JAFCO. During his tenure, he established and managed a fund totaling
over 100 billion yen and facilitated investments, mentoring, and public listings or capital tie-ups of
more than 100 companies in Japan, the U.S., and China.
After retiring from JAFCO, he established and operated a group company as part of the management team of
a media and distribution conglomerate with ties to Japan and China. Simultaneously, he served as a
director for numerous ventures and small to medium-sized enterprises, supporting business development
and growth. Additionally, he handled several M&A transactions and secondary financings for multiple
listed companies.
B.A. in Economics, Yokohama National University
Partner
Since joining JAFCO in 1999, Tsunesaburo Sugaya has been involved as a General Partner in the
establishment and operation of six, high performing U.S. funds totaling approximately 140 billion
yen.
Serving as CEO of JAFCO USA (now Icon Ventures) since 2003, he restructured the firm, which now ranks
among the top 25 VC firms in the U.S. (The Top 25 VC Firms 2013, AlwaysOn). He was also the first
Japanese to be named among the Top 100 Venture Partners on the planet in 2013 (The Top 100 Venture
Partners on the Planet 2013, AlwaysOn).
B.S. in Science and Technology, National Defense Academy of Japan
Visiting Professor, Yamagata University
California Fellow, Kyushu University
Partner
Since the establishment of the Miyako Kyoto University Innovation II L.P., Rui has been responsible for the full range of investment operations, from deal sourcing to exit. He has track records of IPO and trade sale of investees under his charge.
Prior to joining Miyako, he held technical positions at a global manufacturer and business development roles at a consulting firm specializing in environment and energy. Later he joined JAFCO, where he led the Japan market entry of prominent U.S. and Chinese startups and supported numerous Japanese startups in expanding overseas. His track records then included capital and business alliance deal between a Chinese unicorn (later listed) and a Japanese publicly listed company, as well as a cross-border M&A transaction involving a Japanese firm, which helped him gain wide experiences in deal sourcing, business due diligence, and post-investment value creation.
B.S. from Department of Engineering Physics, Tsinghua University, China
M.S., Tokyo Institute of Technology
Ph.D. Candidate (coursework completed), Graduate School of Energy Science (Energy Economics Sector), Kyoto University
Senior Associate
Takayuki Otani was engaged in cardiovascular research as a Research Associate at Baylor College of Medicine in the U.S.
After returning to Japan, he joined a chemicals company where he achieved success in various aspects of the drug discovery business including development of reagents for research and regenerative medicine related products as well as marketing, sales, and new business development.
Since 2020, he has been supporting the commercialization of advanced technologies and investing in startups, mainly in the life sciences field.Drawing on his practical experience in operating companies, he works closely with entrepreneurs to help them grow their businesses from both management and technical perspectives.
M.S., Kagoshima University
Ph.D., Okayama University
Associate
Taiga Tamiya has been engaged in supporting the commercialization of life science technologies and investing in startups since October 2023, leveraging his scientific expertise and hands-on experience to drive innovation and growth.
Prior to joining the company, he gained extensive experience in drug discovery and functional food research at a leading Japanese chemical manufacturer. He later served as R&D Manager at a biotechnology startup, where he led projects from inception to non-clinical proof of concept (PoC), established proprietary platform technologies, and oversaw multiple patent applications.
Ph.D. in Medicine, Keio University
JSPS (Japan Society for the Promotion of Science) Research Fellow DC1
Head of Administration
Ayako Tani became a partner at wizz Fund Associates (wzFA), which specializes in middle and back-office operations for fund management, after working for JAFCO, Ant Capital Partners, and fund management company Fund Management Services. She has over 20 years of experience in management operations within the VC/PE industry.
PORTFOLIO
IPO 東証マザーズ: 4599
（2019年8月）
IPO 東証マザーズ: 4599
（2019年8月）
㈱本田技術研究所によるM&A
（2019年9月）
㈱本田技術研究所によるM&A
（2019年9月）
科研製薬㈱によるM&A
（2021年11月）
科研製薬㈱によるM&A
（2021年11月）
IPO 東証マザーズ: 4265
（2021年12月）
IPO 東証マザーズ: 4265
（2021年12月）
同社主要株主への譲渡
（2022年3月）
同社主要株主への譲渡
（2022年3月）
㈱SCREENホールディングスによるM&A
（2023年9月）
㈱SCREENホールディングスによるM&A
（2023年9月）
同社他株主への譲渡
（2023年10月）
同社他株主への譲渡
（2023年10月）
シスメックス㈱によるM&A
（2023年12月）
シスメックス㈱によるM&A
（2023年12月）
IPO 東証グロース：218A
（2024年7月）
IPO 東証グロース：218A
（2024年7月）
CONTACT
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