VC Mentoring Hours: D4V (Design for Ventures)

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 D4V (Design for Ventures).

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 D4V

D4V (Design for Ventures) is a Tokyo-based early-stage venture capital firm that invests in disruptive, consumer and enterprise technology startups. Partnering with the global design company IDEO, D4V provides both hands-on assistance and coaching to help startups create value via human-centered customer experiences and interactions.

Mentor Profile

Asumi Ota
Partner

Asumi Ota is a Partner at D4V where she co-manages operations from sourcing and due diligence, to investment and support. Prior to D4V, Asumi worked as a Business Design Lead at IDEO Tokyo where she developed a passion for helping Japanese startups grow by leveraging human-centered design tools. She began her career as an M&A advisor at Nomura Securities, then worked at Man Group, a UK-based hedge fund. At Orbis Investments, she launched a new retail platform to make investments more accessible. Asumi holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a BC from Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.

Event Overview

Event Title:
VC Mentoring Hours: Introduction to D4V

Date:
Monday, January 19th, 2025
14:00–16:00

Timetable:
14:00–14:30 – Introduction to D4V / 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:
D4V (Design for Ventures)

Who is elligible:

• OIST Startups
• OIST Innovation Incubator Tenants
• Deep-Tech startups in Okinawa
• OIST researchers or students interested in startup

Language:
English / Japanese

Registration Form:
https://forms.office.com/r/ugAMYcSuYN