Real Tech Holdings Announces New Leadership Team

REAL TECH Holdings | 執行役員制度の導入および新経営体制のお知らせ

Real Tech Holdings Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Sumida-ku, Tokyo; Representatives: Akihiko Nagata, Yukihiro Maru, hereinafter referred to as “Real Tech HD”) is pleased to announce the appointment of Sou Yanbe as a Director and the introduction Executive Officer roles to strengthen its operational capabilities.

Background of the Change

Real Tech HD has been actively investing in and providing hands-on support to over 90 deep tech startups to solve global and societal challenges. In February 2022, we also established “RTHD Singapore Pte. Ltd.” to expand our global footprint.

With the increasing number of portfolio companies, enhancing support functions, and widening geographical scope of our activities, Real Tech HD has decided to strengthen its management and operational structure to create exponential and sustainable social impact.

Changes in the Board of Directors

Sou Yanbe, who has been at the core of the investment team since the establishment of Real Tech Fund, has been appointed as a Director, succeeding Kazuhiro Hasegawa who has been serving as Deputy President and Director since May 2020.

Along with co-representatives Akihiko Nagata and Yukihiro Maru, Akitaka Wilhelm Fujii and Sou Yanbe will lead a more autonomous and sustainable corporate growth. Hasegawa will continue to support our portfolio startups as a Growth Manager, leveraging his rich expertise.

Introduction of Executive Officer System

Real Tech HD has gradually expanded its team to increase its fund size and hands-on capabilities. In order to build a more dynamic and agile organization that can adapt to changes, we have newly appointed four Executive Officers.

Akitaka Wilhelm Fujii has been appointed as President, Director and Executive Officer (Head of Corporate), Sou Yanbe as Director and Executive Officer (Head of Investment), Naoki Higashizono as Executive Officer (Head of Fund Management) and Satoshi Uejima as Executive Officer (Head of Value-Up).

Comments from the Newly Appointed Executive Officers

Sou Yanbe (Director and Executive Officer)

Ever since my student days when I got involved with University spin-off startups, I have been working in the high-tech industry. One question that’s consistently intrigued me, even though I’m not a researcher, is, “How can we leverage valuable startup technology for societal benefit?” This has been at the forefront of my thoughts since I joined Real Tech in 2015. In alignment with our new management team, I remain steadfast in our collective effort to harness deep tech solutions to address global and societal challenges.

Naoki Higashizono (Executive Officer)

As a venture capital fund 100% dedicated to deep tech startups and providing full hands-on support, Real Tech HD plays a vital role in injecting much-needed capital into this sector. I will leverage my experience from the capital market to maximize the portfolio value, generate strong return on investment, and incentivize reinvestment in groundbreaking technologies with positive social impact.

Satoshi Uejima (Executive Officer)

Since joining in November 2022, I have been building a team of specialists to strengthen and expand the full hands-on support we have been providing. We are dedicated to solving challenges and difficulties faced by entrepreneurs, increasing startups’ corporate value, and enabling startups to create maximum societal impact as quickly as possible.

Directors and Executive Officers (As of August 1, 2023)

Name	Position
Akihiko Nagata	Chairman
Yukihiro Maru	Chairman
Akitaka Wilhelm Fujii	President, Director and Executive Officer (Head of Corporate)
Sou Yanbe	Director and Executive Officer (Head of Investment)
Naoki Higashizono	Executive Officer (Head of Fund Management)
Satoshi Uejima	Executive Officer (Head of Value-Up)

Retiring Director (As of July 27, 2023)

Name	Position
Kazuhiro Hasegawa	Vice President

Biographies of Newly Appointed Directors

Name	Position	Biography
Sou Yanbe	Director and Executive Officer	Sou joined Real Tech Fund in 2015, as was one of the earliest members. Sou’s major portfolio companies include QD LASER (listed on Tokyo Stock Exchange Mothers), which develops retina scanning-type eyewear, Kyulux (Kyushu University-based startup), which develops next-generation organic EL materials, and Ball Wave Inc. (Tohoku University-based startup), which develops innovative chemical sensing technologies. In 2020, Sou led the creation of the Glocal Deeptech Fund, which invests proactively in local Realtech startups. He aims to resolve global issues whilst energizing local economies by supporting startups with participating companies of the fund, such as local financial institutions and operating companies. Prior to joining Real Tech Fund in 2015, Sou was in charge of corporate planning at a R&D-type semiconductor startup. Sou has a Bachelors in Economics from Tohoku University.
Naoki Higashizono	Executive Officer	Naoki joined Real Tech Holdings in 2023, taking on the role of overseeing fund performance management and exit strategy development. Prior to joining Real Tech HD, Naoki dedicated over 18 years to working as a sector coverage banker in both Japanese and foreign banks, and provided advice on fundraising and M&A. His extensive expertise covers the origination and execution of a variety of cases, including IPOs, equity financing, debt financing underwriting, and M&A advisory. Following his banking career, Naoki served as the CFO of an IT startup, where he was responsible for directing financial strategy, business planning, and the full range of internal controls. Naoki holds a MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and is a Certified Public Accountant in the United States.
Satoshi Uejima	Executive Officer	Satoshi joined Real Tech Holdings in 2022 as the head for the REAL TECH Booster Division. The REAL TECH Booster provides hands-on support towards deep tech startups through Real Tech Holding’s expertise cultivating from supporting over 70 deep tech startups in the past and present. Prior to joining Real Tech, Satoshi was involved in three early to late stage deep tech startups（Rapyuta Robotics, Synspective, RFLocus) working in the Sales and Marketing, Management, and Business Development division. He also has experience in product development at Global Logistic Properties (GLP) and insurance sales planning and real estate management at the Nippon Life Insurance Company.

■About Real Tech Holdings:

Real Tech Holdings Co., Ltd. is committed to addressing societal challenges through the investment and nurturing of deep tech startups with innovative technologies (Real Tech). Our venture capital fund, “Real Tech Fund,” was established by Akihiko Nagata, CEO of Euglena Co., Ltd., who has a proven track record of successfully guiding deep tech startups, and Yukihiro Maru, CEO of Leave a Nest Co., Ltd., who possesses extensive experience in supporting deep tech startups from their early stages. We work closely with governments, companies, and municipalities both domestically and internationally, providing hands-on support to enhance the value of deep tech startups. With over 20 billion JPY in managed assets, Real Tech Fund has invested in over 90 startups in Japan and globally. In 2021, it established the first impact investment fund in Japan focused on the deep tech sector.
Website: https://www.realtech.holdings