Appointment of Partners

Mar 1, 2018

News

Corporate

We are pleased to announce that JAFCO has converted its business structure from corporate model to partnership model. The following six partners will be responsible for managing funds and start investing their own capital from the next fund. Optimum team members will be selected for each investment target, who will commit themselves to launching and expanding business with entrepreneurs.

Introduction of partners

(From left Kitazawa, Fujii, Minamikurosawa, Sato, Miyoshi and Isaka）

Shozo Isaka	Joined JAFCO in 2007. Main investments include UUUM, Encourage Technologies, FreakOut Holdings, Peroli, QUOINE, dely, and Medical Note, focusing on businesses and technologies capable of changing the market. Graduated from Graduate School of Energy Science, Kyoto University. “Decentralized, Disrupt, Giant-killing ― I wish to embody whatever lies underneath these words by investing in start-ups.”
Tomotake Kitazawa	Joined JAFCO in 2010. Main investments include Aiming, GameWith, Aperza, CAMPFIRE and MUJIN. Graduated from Graduate School of Decision Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology. “I have found joy and pleasure in working with entrepreneurs and overcoming numerous difficulties that they encounter. I wish to be a resourceful and reliable partner for entrepreneurs with high aspiration.”
Naoki Sato	Joined JAFCO in 1992. Has constantly been at the front line of investment/ exit activities, involving in various deals at all stages from startup to buyout and contributing in refining JAFCO’s status as a VC firm. “As a true, reliable partner of determined entrepreneurs, I want to create new, unprecedented value by leveraging on business and people.”
Atsushi Fujii	Joined JAFCO in 2003. Main investments include colopl, BizReach, MedPeer, etc. “As long as there is a strong desire for business growth, resources will never suffice. As a member of a portfolio company, I wish to play an active role in achieving success by supplementing the resources they need based on my experience and expertise in management and business administration.”
Ko Minamikurosawa	Born in 1973. Joined JAFCO in 2012. Introduced new investment approaches, including Venture-LBO Hybrid Investment, Full-equity Buyout of Startups, Carveout, and Real Estate Private Equity Investment. Carries out everything from investment negotiations and asset management to a strategy to recoup investment. “As an integral part of the management team, I will endeavor to enhance corporate value.”
Keisuke Miyoshi	Joined JAFCO in 1993. Been involved in growth strategies of venture companies for the past 25 years, including startup investment, business launch, M&A and IPO. “We are now at a turning point of Japan’s industrial history. While maintaining the DNA shared by all JAFCO members, JAFCO will move on to the next level as a VC firm. As a Co-Founder, a startup member, and a venture capitalist, I pledge to take on new challenges with entrepreneurs.”