UTEC 20th Anniversary

Congratulations on the 20th anniversary of the founding of UTEC. I deeply appreciate your significant contributions to startups originating from UTokyo and your support for basic research. As we face various global challenges, it is crucial to expand the application of academic knowledge to solve these issues. I look forward to UTEC's continued development and our collaborative efforts to build a better future society.

I believe that the ideal role of a venture capital firm should not merely be to search for investable companies but to create and nurture them. It is crucial to provide support from the pre-inception phase and engage in a truly hands-on manner. UTEC is one of the few venture capital firms that can embody this approach. I look forward to your continued contribution to the growth of our nation's startups.

Congratulations on 20th anniversary. I remember a meeting with President Goji at the University of Tokyo's Kashiwa Campus shortly after UTEC was established, and we hit it off about basic research and startups at the university. I am grateful for the great support he has given in my own startup. I wish UTEC continued growth and success in the future.

Since joining IPC, the question I'm most frequently asked is, 'What's the difference between UTEC and IPC?' My response is simple: No UTEC, no Japanese university startup ecosystem. Congratulations on 20 years!

I came to know UTEC in 2014 when I saw a respected professional colleague join and truly enjoy their work there. Since 2021, we have collaborated closely through bitBiome, receiving earnest advice during challenging times, as well as various forms of support, including assistance with international expansion. I sincerely celebrate UTEC's 20th anniversary and pray for your continued success.

Achieving scale in the medical world requires support and guidance from partners who understand the global importance of deep tech. UTEC has been instrumental in crafting the Tricog journey to becoming a global leader in Healthcare AI. Congratulations on two decades of being the trailblazer of the Venture Capital world.

Congratulations on your 20th anniversary. Following the corporatization of national universities, a new structure emerged at UTokyo with the Division of University Corporate Relations, TLO, and UTEC, each with the new mission of returning research results to society. Over 20 years of trial and error, and through accumulating achievements, the University of Tokyo has evolved into a university with a strong entrepreneurial spirit. UTEC's social impact as one of Japan's leading venture capital firms is profound. I express my deep respect for the dedication and efforts of all involved. I wish you continued growth and success.

Congratulations on UTEC's 20th anniversary! Your support and insightful advice were invaluable during my time at Naked Technology. The experience continues to inspire me as I now invest in startups at Animal Spirits. Thank you, UTEC!

I extend my heartfelt congratulations on UTEC's 20th anniversary. In 2004, the same year that national universities were corporatized, the number of university-launched startups was relatively small. Since then, the number has grown significantly, thanks to UTEC's efforts. This has led to the emergence of entrepreneurs who have achieved significant success, and The University of Tokyo is now known as an entrepreneurial university. However, the journey toward a global presence is still long. I hope for further development through enhanced collaboration and cooperation with the University of Tokyo and other domestic and international players.

UTEC and the TLO worked under the same roof at The University of Tokyo's Division of University Corporate Relations (DUCR) Plaza for 15 years, starting in 2004. We collaborated to create many startups, including PeptiDream, based on various UTokyo inventions. Today, more than half of the licensees of sole inventions are startups. This success stems from our early collaboration to explore the potential of startups, and I look forward to your continued efforts to bring the University of Tokyo's technology to society.

Congratulations on your 20th anniversary! When I joined in 2005, UTEC was just a small team. Since then, under the leadership of Goji-san, a fantastic team has developed, achieving many milestones, and I have had the privilege of experiencing UTEC's growth into a leading tech-focused VC firm in Japan as part of the team. This experience has been a treasured part of my life. I pray for UTEC's continued prosperity and success.

Congratulations on your 20th anniversary. As a venture capital firm that invests in seed and early-stage technology startups, you have played a crucial role in bringing numerous innovative technologies to the world with conviction and perseverance. Let's continue to empower the Japanese startup industry together!

Congratulations on UTEC's 20th anniversary! During the global chaos of 2021, as I was relocating my lab from the University of Geneva amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the UTEC-UTokyo FSI Research Grant Program provided invaluable support in establishing my lab in Japan. I wish you success in continuing to inspire dreams with your transformative work, from university-based basic research to startups!

Today, I am proud to celebrate UTEC's 20th anniversary, and I'd like to raise a toast to both its achievements and its promising future. TODAI TLO and UTEC, like siblings, have faced various challenges together. I look forward to continuing our journey towards realizing a nation built on innovation. Heartfelt congratulations!

From our first meeting for Violet Therapeutics, your deep scientific expertise and active engagement in your companies was immediately apparent. This has only been reinforced as we've worked together. UTEC is not merely an investor, but a true company partner. Happy 20th Anniversary!

Our company, ARCH, is a team dedicated to the digital transformation and supporting startups in the infertility treatment sector, tackling the challenging task of increasing birth rates. We have been steadfastly supported by the UTEC team, led by Sakamoto-san, who is experienced and has been committed to finding a team to solve the issue of declining birth rates. The journey is still long, and we look forward to your continued support.

Congratulations on your 20th anniversary! As pioneers and practitioners in nurturing deep tech investment in Japan, and central figures in this field's ecosystem, I deeply respect the sincere sense of mission that Goji-san and all members of the UTEC team have exhibited, working tirelessly to elevate the entire industry. We look forward to your continued leadership in the development of Japan's next-generation industries.

The amazing team at UTEC saw and understood the importance of increasing industrial automation technologies and gave Mujin a shot at changing the world when few other investors would at the time. As a result, throughout these 10+ years, Mujin has been able to galvanize so many other VCs, companies, and end users to follow in its path, that its actions have led to billions of dollars of investment in the industry and pushed the boundaries of what's possible. All thanks to Ted and Tommy.

In 2011, when the term 'deep tech' didn't even exist, UTEC believed in the potential of our technology and business and invested in us. At a time when our company's name was still not well-known in the industry, UTEC acted not just as a shareholder, but as a business partner, helping us drive top-tier sales. This support allowed us to break through with major European and American companies like BASF, leading to significant progress.

We are truly honored to celebrate UTEC 20th anniversary. In these 20 years UTEC has contributed greatly to the development of global industry by working together to create new technologies and services and implement them in society. Our company is not the exception, the strong team who is skilled in deep-tech knowledge and understanding, has accompanied us hands-on in not only finance, but also management and business from the seed stage. We wish them all the best in their future endeavors as a VC who will continue to innovate at the forefront of the global market.

Happy 20th anniversary, Team UTEC! Please keep being the entrepreneurs behind the entrepreneurs and pioneering UTEC way by taking risks with many entrepreneurs and co-investors for the bright and sustainable future!

From 2016 through to our public listing, we received considerable support from UTEC, especially from both Goji-san, the representative, and Sakamoto-san, who served as a director. When other entrepreneurs ask me about the type of investor UTEC is, I tell them that you are a 'royal road' investor—a term that denotes your exemplary leadership and dedication in the field. As an alumnus, I expect you to continue being a leading 'royal road' investor, representing Japan. Congratulations on your 20th anniversary.

The UTEC team inspired us to actually start our company, Fyusion, one year earlier before we even incorporated! They simply told us “if you ever start a company, let us know”. They are true visionaries and have been the most value add investors we had on our cap table. We built friendships and are still in touch years later, after we got acquired.

Congratulations on your 20th anniversary. The passion and action of everyone at UTEC, who has continuously taken on unprecedented challenges by investing in startups centered around innovative science and technology, strong teams, and critical human issues, have been the driving force behind reaching this 20-year milestone. I deeply respect all who have contributed to this remarkable development and pray for your continued growth and success as the most advanced venture capital firm.