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  • 2025.8.22
  • ECC-iCAP

9/25@Tokyo Event|Founding Researchers x Founding Presidents Deep Tech Pitch on the eve of founding

 

ECC-iCAP #23 Pitch Event with Deep Tech CEOs on the eve of the launch [Local only].

Academia's research results x CxO human resources and co-creation partners

Kyoto iCAP's "Connecting Academia and Society with Deep Tech" pitch event has been ongoing since 2017. To date, we have hosted Japan's first nuclear fusion startup, "Kyoto Fusioneering" and the development of farmed fish through genome editing.regional fishand 21 other deep tech startups that are driving social change.

At this event, from the management personnel who are promoting the preparation for the establishment of the company while accompanying the university faculty,Prestart-up pitches that have not yet been released to the publicWe are looking forward to your participation! Potential future CxOs and collaborative partners are welcome to attend!

Date: Thursday, September 25, 2025, 18:00-20:00
Venue:SAKURA DEEPTECH SHIBUYA *Only for local events
    (1-1 Sakuragaoka-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, etc., Central Building, 12F)
Objectives:Willingness to engage in university startups as a CxO or supporter.
Application:https://ecc-icapevent23.peatix.com/
Admission: Free
Capacity: About 100 people
    In case of oversubscription, a lottery will be held.
    Those who are unable to attend due to the lottery will be notified the day before the event.
Admission: Free
Sponsored by Kyoto University Innovation Capital Corporation (Kyoto iCAP)

Program

18:00-18:20 Opening Introduction of Kyoto iCAP's program to support university start-ups

18:20-19:20 Pre-startup showcase (10 minutes x 5 per person) *Names are listed in alphabetical order

"Building a Circular Valley with High Purity Technology for Aluminum."
  Presenter: Kohei Takimoto, Founding President, LOOPARTS

  Researcher: Prof. Hong-Min ZHU (Department of Advanced Materials Physics and Chemistry (Materials Process Design), Division of Metallurgy, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University)
  Keyword: #Aluminum #Upcycling #Tohoku University

Real-time multi-monitoring chemical sensors for application to all living organisms.
  Presenter: Ryo Matsumoto, Founding President, BioSpark

  Researcher: SONGWA Yoshimori (Assistant Professor, Department of Applied Bioscience, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University)
  Lecture keywords: #conductive enzymes #chemical sensors #Kyoto University

Green Revolution 2.0", a startup from Kyushu University
  Presenter: Shinya Murakami, Founding President, SACMOTs

  Researcher: Dr. Yuushi Ishibashi (Professor, Department of Bioresource Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University)
  Lecture Keywords: #agriculture #seed epigenomics #Kyushu University

"Bio-based low-cost key raw materials that contribute to a broad-based low-carbon transition in the chemical industry."
  Presenter: Masahiro Shinohara (PJ-nkjm Accompanying Capitalist, Manager, Kyoto iCAP Investment Department)

  Researcher: Kiyotaka Nakajima (Professor, Catalysis Research Institute, Hokkaido University)
  Keyword: #Bio-derived key raw materials #PEF #Hokkaido University

CO2 hydrates enable ultra-efficient waste heat power generation."
  Presenter: Masahiro Shinohara (PJ-obr Accompanying Capitalist, Manager, Kyoto iCAP Investment Department)

  Researcher: Shinya Obara (Professor, Department of Earth and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kitami Institute of Technology)
  Keyword: #Waste heat power generation #CO2 hydrate #Kitami Institute of Technology

19:20 - 20:00 Discussion Exchange of ideas and business cards

Introduction of Speakers and Researchers

Kohei Takimoto
He aspired to become an entrepreneur who implements technology in society, triggered by the paradigm shift caused by the widespread use of smartphones. While in school, he was engaged in a wide range of research fields including electronic control, chemistry, and technology management, such as "impedance measurement of bone-conducting vibrators using music signals," "oxidative removal of CO using plasma and catalysts," and "systematic review of technology implementation in the construction industry and evaluation of its field applicability. After joining SBI Investment Co., Ltd. as a new graduate, he invested in startups in the deep-tech area.

Zhu Hung-Min
Professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Tohoku University
 Visiting Scholar, MIT
 Visiting Researcher, Norwegian University of Science and Technology
 Professor, Beijing University of Science and Technology
He has been a leader in the molten salt field for 30 years. A world-renowned researcher. Conducted numerous near implementation scale studies in molten salt electrolysis of titanium, aluminum, lithium, and rare earths. Molten Salt Prize (2021), Vice-Chairman of the Molten Salt Committee.

Ryo Matsumoto
After graduating from the Graduate School of Engineering at Nagoya University, he joined Ajinomoto Co. He was involved in research and development related to taste and smell, and after being selected for the in-house entrepreneurship program, he developed the world's first "electric seasoning" that adjusts the taste of food using electricity. D. (Drug Discovery Science), Kyoto iCAP, which aims to realize Japan as No.1 again by creating a new industry through deep tech in January 2025.

Song Wa Keisheng
Graduated from the Faculty of Agriculture, Kyoto University in 2012, and received his PhD from the Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University in 2017. After working as a researcher in the private sector, he has been an Assistant Professor at the Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University since 2021 (current position), and a third-term Fellow of the Kyoto University Program for the Development of Next-Generation Top Researchers with Global Vision (commonly known as L-INSIGHT) since 2022. His specialty is bioelectrochemistry. In 2024, The Bioelectrochemical Society (BES), headquartered in Europe, will honor one researcher every other year with the "Young Researcher In 2024, he will be awarded the "Young Researcher Prize of BES 2024″ by the Bioelectrochemical Society (BES), which is headquartered in Europe. He also received the Outside Front Cover of ChemCommun in 2022, the Supplementary Cover Art of ACS Catalysis in 2023 and 2025 (3 reports), the Encouragement Award of the Japan Society for Analytical Chemistry in 2024, and the Progress Award (Sano Award) of the Electrochemical Society of Japan in 2025.

Shinya Murakami
In 2016, he completed his Master's degree in Agriculture at Kyushu University, Graduate School of Bioresource and Environmental Sciences. During his university days, he engaged in research on environmental adaptation of legume crops such as cowpea and soybean. Through his research life at the university, he aimed to become a person who can contribute to the social implementation of university-originated technology seeds, and he started working for a general trading company at his first company. He was engaged in trading of chemical products and new business development in the life science field. Later, he experienced two companies as a consultant specializing in agri-food. Moved to Fukuoka at the end of 2024 to establish a start-up company using the seeds of technology from his laboratory.

Yuushi Ishibashi
D. in Agriculture from Kyushu University in 2008. After serving as a Research Fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (PD), Specially Appointed Assistant Professor at the Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Kyushu University, and Associate Professor at the same institution, he became Professor at the Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Kyushu University in 2023. In addition to conventional agricultural research methods, he is actively introducing various technologies, including those from other fields, with the aim of achieving stable food production under global environmental change.

Masahiro Shinohara
After completing his graduate studies at the Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, he worked as a materials development sales representative for Teijin Limited, where he gained experience in acquiring new customers in Japan and overseas and in considering investments in new production lines. After that, he worked for Arthur Di Little Japan, Inc., providing consulting services such as business strategy studies, new business development, business due diligence, and market research to companies, government agencies, and investment funds in the chemical and healthcare industries. Since April 2021, he has been in charge of investment at Kyoto University Innovation Capital Co.

Kiyotaka Nakajima
After receiving his B.S. degree from Tokyo Institute of Technology in 2006, he worked at Toyota Central R&D Labs, Tokyo Institute of Technology, and Nagoya University before assuming his current position at the Institute of Catalysis Chemistry, Hokkaido University. He specializes in synthetic organic chemistry using catalytic reactions, and is highly regarded both in Japan and abroad for his research on environmentally friendly molecular conversion technologies and value-added conversion of unutilized resources. He has published numerous papers in leading journals and received several academic awards. He is also active in industry-academia collaboration, and has recently developed a unique catalytic reaction process that enables effective utilization of renewable resources, and is accelerating efforts to implement this process in society. He envisions the creation of a startup that will transform the chemical industry into a sustainable one.

Shinya Obara
Born in Sapporo in 1964. After completing his master's degree, he worked in technology development at two companies before obtaining a degree in mechanical engineering from Hokkaido University in 2000, after which he became a researcher. Specializing in energy technology, he is currently conducting research at the Kitami Institute of Technology on the local production and local consumption of electricity, hydrogen, and heat energy. He specializes in mechanical and electrical engineering, and has conducted research on next-generation energy systems at the Showa Station in Antarctica. He has devised a waste heat power generation system that can be widely used in cold regions, and aims to contribute to solving energy problems through social implementation of this technology.

 

Would you like to accompany university researchers as an EIR (visiting entrepreneur)?

Kyoto iCAP is always looking for people to be involved in the founding projects of university-launched startups. We are currently operating a start-up preparatory community of over 50 people, where various management talents are striving to create deep-tech start-ups through discussions with professors and customer development. Whether you aim to become the CEO of a university-launched startup or want to be involved as a CxO or supporter, we are waiting for you with an appropriate follow-up system for each of you.

*If you are interested inECC-iCAPPlease register at

 

About Kyoto iCAP

Kyoto University Innovation Capital Corporation (abbreviated as Kyoto iCAP) was established in December 2014, 100% funded by Kyoto University. The Company will provide investment and other support to companies aiming to commercialize "knowledge" (including research results, technologies, etc.) by researchers belonging to Kyoto University and other national universities in Japan.

Please note that this event is subject to change or cancellation due to various circumstances. In such cases, we will notify you of the change or cancellation by posting on the website and by e-mail to all applicants.

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