MENTORS

FINOVATORS Founder & President

Masakazu MASUJIMA

FINOVATORS Founder & President

Masakazu MASUJIMA

Attorney-at-law, Partner at Mori Hamada & Matsumoto
FINOVATORS Founder & President

Mr. Masujima specializes in M&A and corporate governance consulting for financial institutions. He has previously served at the Financial Services Agency of Japan as compliance legal head of insurance division and deputy director at the Bank division. He was ranked as the best lawyer in Japan by Chambers Asia Pacific 2016 for insurance.

FINOVATORS Founder

Mio TAKAOKA

FINOVATORS Founder

Mio TAKAOKA

Partner, DNX Ventures

Ms. Takaoka worked for several investment banks, including Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Lehman Brothers, after graduating from Cambridge University. She then joined Monex Group to launch Corporate Venture Capital arm and to manage the group’s strategic acquisitions and investments. She then became a partner of Arbor Ventures and served as CFO for MedicalNote Inc. before her present position. In addition to her current role at DXN Ventures, she is serving as an Outside Director for Septeni Holdings Inc., and Kayac, Inc.

FINOVATORS Founder

Toshio TAKI

FINOVATORS Founder

Toshio TAKI

Executive Officer, Group CoPA （Chief of Public Affairs）, Head of Sustainability and Head of Money Forward FinTech Institute, Money Forward Inc.

After graduating from the Keio University Faculty of Economics in 2004, Toshio Taki joined Nomura Securities Co., Ltd. At the Nomura Institute of Capital Markets Research, he engaged in research on household behavior, the pension system, and financial institution business models among other themes. After receiving his MBA from Stanford University and working in the planning division of Nomura Holdings, Inc., he joined in the launch of Money Forward, Inc., in 2012. He is also an expert member of the Council for Digital Administrative and Fiscal Reform (Cabinet Secretariat), expert committee member of the Council for Promotion of Regulatory Reform (Cabinet Office), a Representative Director of the Japan Association for Financial APIs, an adviser of Fintech Association of Japan, a member of the Dementia Innovation Alliance Public and Private Sector Working Group (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry), etc.

FINOVATORS Founder

Hisanori OGAWA

FINOVATORS Founder

Hisanori OGAWA

Mizuho Securities Co., Ltd. Innovative Startups Strategy Dept.
Director

Prior to joining Mizuho Securities in 2016, Mr. Ogawa worked at Nomura Research Advisory engaged in research and support activities for IT start-ups in charge of unlisted companies. He has written over 560 corporate reports and has been involved in dozens of IPOs.

FINOVATORS Founder

Tetsuya ISOZAKI

FINOVATORS Founder

Tetsuya ISOZAKI

General Partner, Femto Growth
FINOVATORS Founder

Mr. Isozaki is a founder and CEO of Tetsuya Isozaki & Associates since 2001, board member at Kabu.com securities company, Corporate Auditor at Mixi, and a part-time faculty at Chuo University Law School.

FINOVATORS Founder

Mitsunobu OKUBO

FINOVATORS Founder

Mitsunobu OKUBO

Senior Digital Strategist, Incubation Project Team, Mizuho Financial Group, Inc.
Manager of Incubation Office, Business Development Department, Mizuho Bank, Ltd.
FINOVATORS Founder

Mr. Okubo is responsible for the planning, development and operation of various financial systems in compliance with regulatory requirements. Prior to joining Mizuho Bank, he was instrumental in implementing the public cloud at Sony Bank which was the first initiative of its kind by a Japanese financial institution.

FINOVATORS Founder

Tetsuo IIDA

FINOVATORS Founder

Tetsuo IIDA

Business Development Manager, Financial Services, Amazon Web Services Japan K.K.
FINOVATORS Vice-President

Prior to his current role, he has been in charge of venture investment and global business development for financial businesses especially in the payment area for ISI Dentsu. He initiated the Financial Innovation Business Conference (FIBC) in 2012 to drive innovation in the financial industry.

FINOVATORS Founder

Chie ITO

FINOVATORS Founder

Chie ITO

Executive Officer, Dentsu Soken Inc.

After joining Information Services International-Dentsu, Ltd. (now Dentsu Soken Inc.), Ms. Ito primarily worked on IT system development in Capital Markets. Subsequently, engaged in new business development within the company. From 2014, she was involved in collaborating with FinTech startups, including organizing the pitch contest “FIBC,” and participated in founding FINOVATORS. In 2016, she launched the FINOLAB project, established it as a corporation in 2019, and became CEO. In 2024, she was appointed as an Executive Officer at Dentsu Soken.

FINOVATORS Founder

Tatsuto FUJII

FINOVATORS Founder

Tatsuto FUJII

Mizuho Financial Group, Executive Officer, General Manager of the Digital Planning. Department

At IBM, Mr. Fujii was engaged in the development of core financial systems for major banks, launching internet banking projects, and providing consulting services for financial institutions. Afterward, he joined Microsoft and later participated in the innovation business of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, focusing on FinTech adoption. He led Japan’s first accelerator program, “MUFG Digital Accelerator,” laying the groundwork for FinTech implementation. Since 2019, he moved to KDDI/au and, as Executive Officer and Chief Digital Officer at au Financial Holdings, spearheaded the launch of new smartphone-based financial services. He later returned to Microsoft, serving as Executive Officer and Head of Financial Innovation, before assuming his current role at Mizuho.

FINOVATORS Founder

Makoto SHIBATA

FINOVATORS Founder

Makoto SHIBATA

Head of FINOLAB, Chief Community Officer
FINOVATORS Founder

Mr. Shibata is currently in charge of FINOLAB community operation. In his former position at The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, he was leading R&D initiatives in emerging technology and online/mobile financial service. He also held positions in corporate planning, accounting, corporate finance and retail customer services at the bank.He became an external Audit and Supervisory Board Member at UI Bank since 2021.

FINOVATORS Member

Takahisa OHIRA

FINOVATORS Member

Takahisa OHIRA

Partner, Deloitte-Tohmatsu Venture Support, Ltd.

Mr. Ohira supports business activity of startup (in FinTech, media, video, EC sectors) and provides business development consulting service towards large corporations. In the area of FinTech, he is closely linked to a vast network of Japanese domestic startups and frequently presents on this subject to heads of major financial institutions.He is currently stationed in India.

FINOVATORS Founder

Toshiaki HASUMURA

FINOVATORS Founder

Toshiaki HASUMURA

Manager Innovation & Investment Dept, Sumitomo corporation / Visiting Associate Professor Graduate School of Information Sciences, Tohoku University
FINOVATORS Founder

From 2019, he has been engaged in the establishment and operation of HAX Tokyo at Sumitomo Corporation.
From 2020, he promotes the establishment of an business ecosystem for new business development originating from various business sites in general trading companies. From 2021, he launches the Quantum Transformation Project to promote social transformation through quantum technology and promotes its activities.
Previously, at Dentsu, he was engaged in various new business development projects for the company and its clients. As a example, he conceived the project of the FinTech Center of Tokyo “FINOLAB”, the first and largest FinTech industrial base in Japan, and established it jointly with Mitsubishi Estate and ISID.

FINOVATORS Member

Yusuke MANABE

FINOVATORS Member

Yusuke MANABE

General Manager, Mizuho Capital Co., Ltd

Born in 1977. After Mizuho Bank (Lending, Corporate Bond, Security Alliance) and Mizuho Corporate Bank (Corporate Banking), joined Mizuho Capital from 2012. In charge of investment mainly in online venture firms, and conducting research of emerging areas such as FinTech and Sharing Economy as an analyst. Since 2016, managing Mizuho FinTech fund with Mizuho Bank.

FINOVATORS Member

Junichi KANDA

FINOVATORS Member

Junichi KANDA

Member of the House of Representatives（Elected from Aomori）, Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Justice

Born in Aomori in 1970. Graduated from University of Tokyo (Economics) in 1994. Worked in Bank of Japan from 1994 to 2017. Temporally transferred to Nippon Life Insurance Company from 2011 to 2012 and to Financial Services Agency from 2015 to 2017., where he was involved in FinTech policy planning. Worked for Money Forward, Inc. from 2017 to 2024. He served as a Director of Fintech Association of Japan during the term. He was elected as a member of house of representatives in 2021 and served as a Parliamentary Vice-Minister of the Cabinet Office, before current position. He obtained MA from Yale University.

FINOVATORS Mentor

Takafumi OCHIAI

FINOVATORS Mentor

Takafumi OCHIAI

Attorney-at-law, Partner at Atsumi & Sakai

Graduate of Keio University (BSc, 2004), was admitted as an attorney in 2006, and worked in the Beijing office of another leading Japanese law firm in 2013. He has extensive experience in Japanese and international transactions ranging from financial and information technology, to dispute resolution and regulatory matters. He is a member of the administrative board of the Fintech Association Japan, a member of the dispute-settlement committee of the Trust Companies Association of Japan and an adviser to the Incubation & Innovation Initiative.

FINOVATORS Mentor

Tadaaki KIMURA

FINOVATORS Mentor

Tadaaki KIMURA

CEO founder, addlight Inc.

After graduating from graduate school of the University of Tokyo, started to work for major accounting firm and engaged in various areas such as IPO support service and legal issue auditing. In 2008, founded addlight Inc. and providing advisory services for corporate planning, business administration and finance. Director of some Japanese Startups and have helped two of them to be listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange market. Certified Public Accountant (JAPAN).

FINOVATORS Mentor

Noboru MIZUTA

FINOVATORS Mentor

Noboru MIZUTA

Attorney-at-law, Katayama Law Office

After graduating from graduate school of the University of Tokyo, worked for Nomura, Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank as derivative trader. During Deutsche days, he was in charge of Yen bond trading and involved in the establishment of online JGB trainding house, Ensai.com and became executive member. After leaving Deutsche, he went to Waseda graduate school and became Attorney-at-law after passing BAR Examination. With his rich experiences in financial institutions and online trading firm, he is providing advise to corporates from legal and business point of view.

FINOVATORS Mentor

Takane HORI

FINOVATORS Mentor

Takane HORI

Attorney-at-law, Partner at Mori Hamada & Matsumoto

She is specializing in financial regulations/compliance and dispute resolution. Involved in the enactment of Payment Services Act, while being seconded to the Financial Services Agency’s Planning and Coordination Bureau (2008-2010). A specialist member of the Financial System Council (Working Group on Payments and Transaction Banking) (2014-2015). Currently a Director of Fintech Association Japan. Graduated from Keio University (LL.B., 2001).

FINOVATORS Mentor

Hiroshi AZUMA

FINOVATORS Mentor

Hiroshi AZUMA

Attorney-at-law, Partner at Tanabe & Partners

Mr. Azuma is a Partner at Tanabe & Partners, a Tokyo-based law firm, where he is focusing on corporate legal issue especially in the financial sector. Previous to this, he spent almost 30 years at The Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi-UFJ including 8 years at its New York branch and he has extensive experience in cross-border financing transactions and structured finance area. He is a CPA in Japan and US, and a Certified Fraud Examiner.

FINOVATORS Mentor

Atsushi KITAGAWA

FINOVATORS Mentor

Atsushi KITAGAWA

Managing Director Japan, Sony Ventures Corporation

Mr.Kitagawa has been leading venture investment activities in Japan and globally focusing on Fintech, Logistics, as a founding member of Sony Innovation Fund since 2016. He is also in charge of supporting business development activities between startups and not only Sony Group but also outside Sony. He worked in Sony Network Communication from 2005 to 2016, with leading corporate/business strategy development, M&A, subsidiary listing support, and venture investment.