Born and raised in Tokyo in 1976. After dropping out of university, he taught himself web design. Following a winding path, he joined a newly founded startup in 2004 at the invitation of a friend. He served as a director and president of a subsidiary, contributing to the company’s growth. In 2014, he made a fresh start by moving into venture capital, joining East Ventures, a firm specializing in seed and early-stage investments. Appointed as a Fellow, he has since been engaged in value creation for portfolio companies as well as sourcing new investments. From around 2020, he began traveling across Japan, actively supporting entrepreneurs in various regions. In addition to his main work, he also writes a blog and contributes regular columns to web media and print publications, pursuing a wide range of activities.

He gained experience in startup investment and value-up support at Rakuten and Rakuten Capital, mainly in the e-commerce and healthcare sectors. In 2018, he joined Incubate Fund, where he was responsible for sourcing new investment opportunities, supporting portfolio companies, and talent acquisition. In 2021, he founded Zeroichi Capital. Since 2025, he has been with Partners Fund, where he serves as Managing Partner.

As Head of Open Innovation at KDDI, he spearheaded numerous startup investments, leading the company to be ranked No.1 for seven consecutive years in the “Most Innovative Large Corporations” ranking. He played a key role in driving major initiatives such as the metaverse and Web3 projects “Virtual Shibuya” and “αU,” as well as the urban development initiative “Kukan Jizai Project.” Currently, he serves as Executive Officer and Chief Business Development Officer (CBDO) at Mizuho Financial Group, Inc., overseeing the group’s new business initiatives. He has also served in various government and business association committees, as a university lecturer, and as a board member of multiple industry organizations.

After beginning his career in GE’s leadership development program, the Financial Management Program (FMP), where he engaged in corporate planning and management, he went on to launch the financial services business at BASE, Inc. In 2019, he founded Crezit Holdings, Inc. He later joined Mercari, Inc., where he served as Head of the Merpay CEO Office, focusing on new business planning. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from Keio University.

After launching the career change service "Doda" at Intelligence, Ltd. (currently Persol Career Co., Ltd.), in 2016 he established NET jinzai bank, Inc. (currently for Startups, Inc.) to engage in support services for growth industries, and became its president and CEO. Also in 2016, in the Japan Headhunter Awards, he was named Japan's first Hall of Fame headhunter. He has served since 2019 on the venture ecosystem committee of the Japan Venture Capital Association, and in 2020, he was appointed to a task force on startup policy under Keidanren's Sub-committee on Startups. Vice-chairman of Global Startups Ecosystem Committee.