TECH PLANTER(en)

Judges from 2018 Season

• Dr. Yukihiro MaruFounder and Group CEO, Leave a Nest

  profile

  Leave a Nest Co., Ltd. is a leading knowledge based platform company in Japan. The company is comprised of Mastersʼ and Doctorate degree holders. Leave a Nest works on extensive projects relating to Science and Technology. Dr. Maru has great experience in supporting startups. One of the startups he was supporting called Euglena Co., Ltd. was listed in the First section of Tokyo Stock exchange. He is expert in advising young entrepreneur in business development and venture spirit.

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  Dr. Taku NakaharaDirector, Glocalink Inc.

  profile

  Dr. Nakahara is worked for Nagahama Bio and Hokkaido U as an Assist. Prof. Then he served Director of Bioinformatics in Ezose Sciences Inc., a glycomics startup in USA. He holds a Ph.D. in Sciene from Hokkaido U. and an MBA from Rutgers Business School.

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  Mr. Mitsuru IzumoCEO, euglena Co., Ltd.

  profile

  Mitsuru Izumo is a founder and CEO of euglena Co., Ltd., the world’s first biotechnology company that succeeded in outdoor mass cultivation of microalgae Euglena in 2005. Company now established US$100 million Euglena market in Japan by offering functional food and cosmetics, and is working to supply bio-jet fuel for the first time in Japan in 2020. Company also distributes nutrition-rich biscuits containing Euglena to children in Bangladesh as a first step to achieve his mission.

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  Dr. Devang ThakorFounder and Principal Consultant, Anioplex, LLC.

  profile

  Received PhD in Biomedical Engineering from UCLA. After which he did postdoctoral fellowships at Kyoto University and Harvard Medical School. His research areas were regenerative medicine, stem cells, gene therapy, biomaterials, pain, and spinal cord injury. He incorporated Anioplex, LLC, which advises companies of all sizes and also university departments on business development, research design, publication, and funding. Now he also works as a patent examiner at the US Patent and Trademark Office, where he currently makes patentability decisions and grant patents in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and cosmetics.

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  Mr. Daisuke IkehataCEO, SOMPO Digital Lab Inc.

  profile

  Daisuke, “Dan”, Ikehata joined The Yasuda Fire & Marine Insurance Co., Ltd. (Current: Sompo Japan NipponKoa Insurance Inc.). After his serving at Planning Development Department, he moved to Sompo Seguros S.A. / Brazil from 2010. Since 2016, he has lead digital transformation of SOMPO group from Silicon Valley.

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  Ms. Masumi NishizawaAssistant General Manager, Corporate R&D Department, Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.

  profile

  Masumi Nishizawa has served material development in Dai Nippon Printing (DNP). DNP as a leading printing companies in japan, challenges to create new businesses beyond just printing. With her synthetic organic chemistry research background, now she leads open innovation strategy of DNP head quarter to make new business happen.

Finalists from 2018 Season

• neuroFit

  The eyes are windows into health

• VerifEye

  Authenticity for All Merchandise

• Fiat Lux Labs

  A Revolutionary IoT Enabled, Biosensor Platform

• Raydiant Oximetry

  Better fetal monitor to improve outcomes for mothers and babies

• WellBrain

  Digital Chronic Pain & Disease Management

• OneSkin

  Reversing skin aging

• Pheronym

  Nemastim and Pherocoat

• Vibe Imaging Analytics

  Trusted Platform For Grain and Seed Quality Analysis and Grading

• Finless Foods

  Sustainable Seafood, Without the Catch