MEMBER

INVESTMENT PROFESSIONAL

Managing Partner, CEO and President

TOMOTAKA GOJI

  • PROFILE
  • CAREER
  • MEDIA/PUBLICATION
Tomotaka (“Tommy”) Goji is the Co-founder, Managing Partner, CEO, President & Representative Director of The University of Tokyo Edge Capital Partners Co. Ltd. (known as “UTEC”), Chairman of Japan Venture Capital Association (JVCA). Since the inception of The University of Tokyo Edge Capital Co. Ltd. in April 2004, he has raised and managed five funds totaling approximately JPY 85 billion (USD 800 million), built the team, and guided investments, value-up and exits of UTEC portfolio companies. 20 of which went public and 20 of which achieved other forms of substantial exits, mainly in the form of M&As.
These UTEC funds are established on the premise of the Japanese law called "The Limited Partnership Act for Investment" that he authored to enact in 1998 at the then Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI, now known as METI: the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) and became the foundation for Japanese VC funds thereafter. He left the government to implement the law in technology seed investments by initiating UTEC, after engaging in legislation at the Agency for Cultural Affairs and the Financial Services Agency.
Tommy has performed research in data science to presume the success of scientific startups and analyze its factors, and verified the importance of academic papers.
Tommy has also served Japan Venture Capital Association as Managing Director (July 2015 – July 2022) , Vice Chairman (July 2022 - July 2023), and Chairman (July 2023 - present).
Tommy graduated from the University of Tokyo’s Faculty of Law in 1996, earned his MBA at Stanford University in 2003, and received his Ph.D. from the University of Tokyo’s School of Engineering in 2020 by his research in data science to simulate the success factors for scientific startups.
Prior to UTEC, Tommy authored laws and drafted policies in the Japanese government until 2004 including:
- "The Limited Partnership Act for Venture Capital Investment" (enacted in 1998) and its related accounting/tax rules as well as VC fund performance measurement reports (at MITI)
- "The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program" (enacted in 1999, as part of "Industrial Revival Act", at METI)
- "Copyright Management Business Act" (enacted in 2001, at Cultural Agency)
- Intellectual property-related articles of "Trust Business Law" (enacted in 2003, at Financial Services Agency)
He left the government to initiate UTEC in 2004.

TOMOTAKA GOJI’S
PORTFOLIO