みやこキャピタル

COMPANY

Company Name	MIYAKO CAPITAL Co., Ltd.
Date Founded	September 2013
Officers	President and Managing Director Hiroaki Okahashi Managing Director Satoshi Yamaguchi Managing Director Tsunesaburo Sugaya Director Hiroyuki Misawa 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 certified 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 36-1 Yoshida Honmachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto Kyoto University International Science Innovation Building 2F Tokyo Office Shin-Marunouchi Building 10F, 1-5-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Kyoto Academia Forum Silicon Valley Office Riverpark Tower, 333 W San Carlos St, San Jose, CA 95110

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.

Investmet Target

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.

Points for growth support

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, Founder

Hiroaki Okahashi

Hiroaki Okahashi has been involved in promoting venture business and industry-academia collaboration policies by planning amendments to the Investment Limited Partnership Act, related financial regulations, tax laws, and corporate laws at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

After managing multiple startup companies, he subsequently engaged in investment and management support for domestic and international venture companies at a major financial institution-affiliated VC firm.

B.A. in Economics, The University of Tokyo
Master of Business Administration (MBA), Columbia University

Researcher, Graduate School of Business Administration, Kyoto University
Member of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's "Study Group of University-Generated Ventures"
Member of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's i-Construction Promotion Consortium Planning Committee
Director, Japan Venture Capital Association (JVCA), Chair of Policy Committee

Partner, Founder

Satoshi Yamaguchi

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

Tsunesaburo Sugaya

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

Hiroyuki Misawa

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

Principal

He Rui

He Rui joined JAFCO after working in technical roles at a foreign multinational manufacturer and business development roles at an environmental and energy-focused consulting company. He has led initiatives to facilitate the entry of prominent ventures from the U.S. and China into Japan as well as supported numerous Japanese ventures expand overseas.

He has been involved in deal sourcing, business evaluation, and investment / support activities, with achievements including capital partnership projects between Chinese unicorn ventures and Japanese listed companies, as well as overseas divestment projects of Japanese firms.

B.S. in Physical Engineering, Tsinghua University, China
M.S., Tokyo Institute of Technology
Coursework completed, Graduate School of Energy Economics, Kyoto University

Senior Associate

Takayuki Otani

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.

M.S., Kagoshima University
Ph.D., Okayama University

Associate

Taiga Tamiya

Taiga Tamiya has experience in drug discovery, functional food research, and research and development for a major chemicals manufacturer. Later, he served as a research and development manager for a biotechnology startup where he oversaw projects from launch to non-clinical proof of concept (PoC). He also successfully established propriety platform technologies and applied for patents.

Ph.D., Keio University
JSPS Research Fellow DC1

Management Partner

Ayako Tani

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）

㈱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）

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）

㈱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）

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）

CONTACT

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