Kyoto iCAP appoints Kyoto Fusion Founder Nagao as Chief EIR Officer (CEO) of ECC-iCAP. Aiming to create global startups by building Japan's largest 100-member EIR system.

　Kyoto University Innovation Capital Corporation ("Kyoto iCAP") is pleased to announce that Akira Nagao, founder of the Japanese fusion startup Kyoto Fusion Engineering Co. ("Kyoto Fusion"), has been appointed as the Chief EIR Officer (CEO) of the Entrepreneur Candidate Club ("ECC-iCAP"), the company's startup community. ECC-iCAP aims to maximize the number of startups that can expand globally, while strengthening the recruitment of entrepreneurial human resources, an important factor in the establishment of deep-tech startups.

The Rise of Deep Tech Startups and Management Human Resources Challenges
　In the government's "Five-Year Plan for Startup Development," deep tech carries the expectation 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 social implementation of such expertise. In order 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 Visiting Entrepreneur (EIR) Program (https://www.meti.go.jp/policy/newbusiness/startup_eir_guidance_vF.pdf)

Kyoto iCAP's start-up ecosystem
　Since its establishment in 2014, Kyoto iCAP has been focusing on building a start-up ecosystem and has been operating a start-up human resources community called "ECC-iCAP". The EIR program, which began operating the year before last, currently has 25 entrepreneurs studying commercialization and 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. In order to support more startups and increase the number of startups entering the global market, we decided that we needed someone who could provide appropriate and effective advice to management personnel. Mr. Nagao, an entrepreneur from ECC-iCAP and a founder of a global deep-tech startup, has been appointed as CEO of ECC-iCAP.

Introduction of CEO Akira Nagao
　In 2019, he founded Kyoto Fusion Engineering as a founder. He has served as President and Chairman of the Board, launched fusion businesses starting from lab-scale R&D, raised a cumulative total of over 13 billion yen in funding, hired more than 120 personnel, and promoted the establishment of subsidiaries in the UK and the US. He has also expanded his activities to startup support and entrepreneurship education based on the know-how he has cultivated at the company.
　Prior to founding Eneris, he worked at Arthur D. Little Japan, where he provided strategic consulting for new businesses, listed Eneris, Inc. on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Mothers market (now the Tokyo Stock Exchange Growth Market), and led capital and business alliances, R&D, and other activities. He holds a Master's degree in Mechanical Science and Engineering from Kyoto University.

Comments from CEO Akira 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 Kimi Kusumi, President of Kyoto iCAP
　We are very pleased to welcome Mr. Nagao, founder of Kyoto Fusion Engineering, a startup from Kyoto iCAP, who has grown the company into a world-class 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 implement their research results in 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 EIR System
　Kyoto iCAP is looking for ECC-iCAP members and EIRs. If you are interested in joining our corporate human resources 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 ("KYOTO-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. The KYOTO-iCAP 1 Fund has a maturity of up to 20 years, and the KYOTO-iCAP 2 Fund has a maturity of up to 17 years. In addition, KYOTO-iCAP No. 2 Fund will invest a portion of the funds 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