KYOTO- iCAP appoints Kyoto Fusioneering Ltd. Co-Founder, Mr. Taka Nagao as Chief EIR Officer (CEO) of ECC-iCAP. The appointment aims to create global startups by building Japan's largest EIR system which currently has 100 members.

Kyoto University Innovation Capital Co. Ltd. ("KYOTO- iCAP") is pleased to announce that Mr. Taka Nagao, Co-Founder of the Japanese fusion startup Kyoto Fusioneering Ltd. ("Kyoto Fusioneering"), has been appointed as the Chief EIR (Entrepreneur in Residence) Officer (CEO) of the Entrepreneur Candidate Club ("ECC-iCAP"), KYOTO- iCAP’s startup community. ECC-iCAP aims to maximize the number of startups that can expand globally, while strengthening the recruitment of entrepreneurial human capital, an important factor in the establishment of deep tech startups.

The Rise of Deep Tech Startups and Managerial Human Capital Challenges
In the Japanese government's "Five-Year Plan for Startup Development," deep tech carries the promise of creating a new industrial field that could become the core of next-generation industries. In this context, a major challenge for the establishment of deep tech startups is to secure management personnel who understand the advanced expertise of researchers and can take responsibility for the implementation of such expertise for society. To attract corporate executives to university-based startups, a number of acceleration programs and Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR) programs are being enhanced.

See also,
METI Guidance on Using the Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR) Program (https://www.meti.go.jp/policy/newbusiness/startup_eir_guidance_vF.pdf)

KYOTO-iCAP's start-up ecosystem
Since KYOTO-iCAP’s establishment in 2014, it has been focusing on building a start-up ecosystem, and has been operating a start-up human capital community called "ECC-iCAP". The EIR program, which began operating the year before last year, currently has 25 entrepreneurs being trained in tech commercialization and are preparing to start their own businesses.

Background of CEO Nagao's Appointment
KYOTO- iCAP has established one of the leading deep tech startup ecosystems in Japan, and has established and supported numerous deep tech startups. To support more startups and increase the number of startups entering the global market, KYOTO-iCAP decided that it needed a person who could provide appropriate and effective advice to management personnel. Accordingly, Mr. Nagao, an entrepreneur from ECC-iCAP and a co-founder of a global deep-tech startup, has been appointed as CEO of ECC-iCAP.

Introduction of CEO Mr. Taka Nagao
Mr. Taka Nagao co-founded Kyoto Fusioneering in 2019. As Kyoto Fusioneering’s CEO and Chairperson, he played a central role in launching the company’s fusion energy business, starting from lab scale R&D, while also overseeing strategic planning, fundraising, and talent acquisition. Leveraging the expertise gained at Kyoto Fusioneering, Mr. Nagao has shifted his work to supporting startups and developing entrepreneurial talent.
Prior to co-founding Kyoto Fusioneering, he worked at Arthur D. Little Japan, specializing in strategic consulting for new business development, and at the energy startup Eneres, where he led strategic partnerships, R&D initiatives and the company’s listing on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Growth Market. He holds a Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering and Science from Kyoto University.

Comments from CEO Mr. Taka Nagao
We believe that the creation of new industries in the deep tech domain is necessary for Japan to achieve further development. However, there are not many managers with experience in deep tech startups, which limits the opportunities for the next generation of entrepreneurs to obtain appropriate advice and networking. Therefore, I would like to contribute to their success by sharing my management experience and knowledge with future deep tech startup managers and aspiring entrepreneurs. My dream is to "create industries through technology”. Kyoto University/KYOTO-iCAP has a wide range of technological fields, so this is a challenge for me, but I hope to deepen my research on startup management that is as reproducible as possible and share it with you.

Comments from Mr. Ko Kusumi, President of KYOTO-iCAP
We are very pleased to welcome Mr. Nagao, founder of Kyoto Fusioneering, a startup from KYOTO-iCAP, who has grown the company into a world-class nuclear fusion technology company, to join ECC-iCAP as CEO.
As the nucleus of the start-up ecosystem that KYOTO-iCAP has built, ECC-iCAP is a place where entrepreneurs who aspire to realize their research results for society can gather and accelerate the commercialization of world-changing technologies through friendly competition. Mr. Nagao is a leader who truly embodies the vision of ECC-iCAP with his own experience as a founder of a deep-tech startup in raising funds, building an organization, and promoting global expansion. We are confident that Mr. Nagao's knowledge and network will encourage the next generation of entrepreneurs to take on challenges and further accelerate the development of the Kyoto-based deep tech ecosystem.

About ECC-iCAP and the EIR System
KYOTO-iCAP is looking for ECC-iCAP members and EIRs. If you are interested in joining our corporate human capital community, please click here to apply.
https://www.kyoto-unicap.co.jp/recruit/

 

About Kyoto University Innovation Capital Co., Ltd. (KYOTO-iCAP)
As a wholly owned subsidiary of Kyoto University, KYOTO-iCAP provides investment and other business support to companies that utilize research results generated by Kyoto University and other national universities. The company currently has two investment funds: the Innovation Kyoto 2016 Investment Limited Partnership ("KOYTO-iCAP No. 1 Fund") (established in January 2016) with a total value of 16 billion yen, and the Innovation Kyoto 2021 Investment Limited Partnership ("KYOTO-iCAP No. 2 Fund") with a total value of 18.1 billion yen. -The KYOTO-iCAP No. 1 Fund has a maturity of up to 20 years and the KYOTO-iCAP No. 2 Fund has a maturity of up to 17 years. In addition, a portion of KYOTO-iCAP No. 2 Fund can be invested in startups originating from national universities other than Kyoto University.

Contact information for inquiries
Kyoto University Innovation Capital Co., Ltd.
36-1 Yoshida Honmachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8317, Japan
Osami Kono, Senior Officer, Business Development Department
TEL: 075-753-7588 FAX: 075-753-7592
E-mail: info@kyoto-unicap.co.jp