VC Mentoring Hours for Researchers: UTokyo IPC

In collaboration with leading venture capital firms, OIST Innovation offers startups and entrepreneurial researchers or students the opportunity to connect directly with venture capitalists for one-on-one mentoring and discussion.
Each round begins with an open seminar-style introduction, where participants can learn about the VC firm's investment focus and characteristics. This is followed by private, closed-door mentoring sessions between startups/researchers/students and the VC representatives.

The featured VC for this round is UTokyo IPC.

Since UTokyo IPC focuses on supporting pre-founders and researchers, this time we are prioritizing researchers who have not yet established a company for the mentoring sessions.

*Registration is required: If the number of applicants exceeds the available slots, OIST Innovation will select participants based on the information provided in the registration form and the strategic fit with the VC.

About UTokyo IPC

UTokyo IPC was established in 2016, wholly owned by the University of Tokyo as its first investment company. Through initiatives ranging from startup creation to growth-stage support, they aim to foster the development of an innovation ecosystem originating from academia.

All of the companies that UTokyo IPC invests in are deep tech startups that aim to resolve social issues and have the potential to deliver significant impact.

Five major fields they support:
(1) Life science, Healthcare and Agritech
(2) Space
(3) Robotics and Hardware
(4) IT and Services
(5) Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Mentor Profile

Junji Takaoka (Kevin)
Incubation Partner

Junji Takaoka (Kevin) is Incubation Partner, where he leads initiatives to create startups from the ground up. His responsibilities span a wide range of areas including the Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) program, commercialization of academic technology seeds, and building bridges between university research and global VCs, incubators, and accelerators.
Kevin began his entrepreneurial journey in Shanghai immediately after graduating from university in 2005. He returned to Japan in 2007 to join the strategic consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton (now Strategy&). In 2009, he joined the President’s Office at Alibaba Japan, where he played a key role in launching new ventures during Alibaba’s rapid ascent to becoming a global IT powerhouse.
In 2016, Kevin served as an EIR at Draper Nexus (now DNX USA), a venture capital firm in Silicon Valley. The following year, he founded UsideU, a company specializing in remote customer engagement and AI. He successfully exited the business through a sale in 2020.
He currently serves as a board member at Komehyo Co., Ltd.
Kevin holds a degree from the University of Tokyo Faculty of Law, an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, and a Master’s in Design Innovation from Northwestern’s McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science.
Outside of work, Kevin is an avid jazz enthusiast and considers playing the double bass a lifelong passion.

Kojiro Takayama
Director (Incubation/1stRound)

He joined UTokyo IPC in 2024.
He worked as a management consultant at IMS Health (currently IQVIA) and Bain & Company and delivered consulting services in the areas of business strategy, marketing strategy, business due diligence, and company-wide transformation for a wide range of industries including pharmaceutical, healthcare, manufacturing, and private equity funds.
After leaving the consulting industry, he joined Kyoto University and was engaged in business development to accelerate industry-academia collaboration. He also co-founded Anylom Inc., a MedTech startup, which was adopted at 1stRound incubation program.
He holds BS from University of Tsukuba, MPH from Kyoto University, and MBA from IE Business School.

Registration Form

https://forms.office.com/r/EB40CPkUt0

Event Overview

Event Title:
VC Mentoring Hours for Researchers: UTokyo IPC

Date:
Monday, September 22, 2025
14:00–16:00

Timetable:
14:00–14:30 – Introduction to UToyo IPC / Q&A
14:30–15:00 – Mentoring Session 1
15:00–15:30 – Mentoring Session 2
15:30–16:00 – Mentoring Session 3

Guest VC:
The University of Tokyo Innovation Platform Co., Ltd. (UTokyo IPC)

Who is elligible:

• Mentoring session is for OIST faculties, researchers, or students interested in startup but have not yet established a company.
• Introduction session is open to anyone from OIST community.

Language:
English / Japanese