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UTEC NEWS
Inaugural Science2Startup Japan 2024 Symposium is a Success
On Friday, November 8, 2024, the 'Science2Startup Japan Final Symposium 2024' was held at the Nihonbashi Life Science Hub, attracting over 200 industry professionals from all over Japan and the world.
Science2Startup (S2S) is a global program founded in 2018 by Boston-based investors. It aims to accelerate the development of pharmaceuticals and life sciences through startups built on academic research. By sharing startup establishment and business development know-how with researchers worldwide, S2S has empowered numerous researchers to participate and network with entrepreneurs and investors. More than 13 startups have emerged from this program.
Science2Startup Japan (S2S Japan) was established in 2024 in collaboration with the original S2S organizers and AN Ventures, with organizing support from LINK-J, CIC, delight ventures, and UTEC. S2S Japan supports cutting-edge technology seeds in the Japanese life science field. The program offers Japanese researchers conducting innovative life science research the opportunity to refine their research into business plans, with the goal of applying them to drug development and the life science industry. This is achieved through the cooperation of global investors.
The symposium showcased the final startup-ready presentations of six finalists selected from numerous researchers who applied to the first call for applications for S2S Japan. The finalists were:
- Dr. Masanori Nakayama, Okayama University
- Dr. Yoshikazu Nakaoka, the National Cardiovascular Center Research Institute
- Tomoko Nakatani, Kagoshima University
- Dr. Hiroshi Abe, Nagoya University
- Dr. Masahito Matsumoto, Juntendo University
- Dr. Tomonobu Koizumi, RIKEN
Dr. Andrew Levin and Dr. Josh Resnick of RA Capital Management, Dr. Aiden Aceves of Insight Partners, Dr. Eric Shiozaki of DCVC Bio, and Dr. Ari Nowacek of Arch Venture Partners visited Japan to participate in S2S Japan. Azusa Shiohara of UTEC, a Japanese mentor, moderated the event and interviewed Dr. Yoshikazu Nakaoka and his US mentor Dr. Andrew Levin, as well as Tomoko Nakatani and her US mentor Dr. Aiden Aceves. They discussed their experiences in the program and their future commercialization goals.
A panel discussion moderated by UTEC’s Dr. Atsushi Usami featuring Tadayuki Mizutani, Director of the Pharmaceutical Industry Promotion and Medical Information Planning Division at the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW); Hirokazu Shimoda, Director of the Bio-Industry Division at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI); and Sho Ito, Assistant Deputy Commissioner of the Science and Technology Policy Bureau at the Cabinet Office, was held. The discussion focused on the global expansion of Japan's life science ecosystem.
In addition, there were presentations by Dr. Paul Rothman of Johns Hopkins University on efforts to foster an entrepreneurial spirit in academia, Josh Seidenfeld of Cooley LLP and Phil Howard of EY on legal and financial matters for starting a business in the United States, and Rob Wishnowsky of Cruxio on effective communication.
After the event, a networking reception provided an opportunity for participants to interact and exchange information.
The Science2Startup Japan Final Symposium 2024 was a significant step forward in applying Japanese academic life science research to the pharmaceutical industry.UTEC will continue to support Japanese researchers and global partners, fostering innovation and advancing Japan's life science sector on the global stage.
Science2Startup (S2S) is a global program founded in 2018 by Boston-based investors. It aims to accelerate the development of pharmaceuticals and life sciences through startups built on academic research. By sharing startup establishment and business development know-how with researchers worldwide, S2S has empowered numerous researchers to participate and network with entrepreneurs and investors. More than 13 startups have emerged from this program.
Science2Startup Japan (S2S Japan) was established in 2024 in collaboration with the original S2S organizers and AN Ventures, with organizing support from LINK-J, CIC, delight ventures, and UTEC. S2S Japan supports cutting-edge technology seeds in the Japanese life science field. The program offers Japanese researchers conducting innovative life science research the opportunity to refine their research into business plans, with the goal of applying them to drug development and the life science industry. This is achieved through the cooperation of global investors.
The symposium showcased the final startup-ready presentations of six finalists selected from numerous researchers who applied to the first call for applications for S2S Japan. The finalists were:
- Dr. Masanori Nakayama, Okayama University
- Dr. Yoshikazu Nakaoka, the National Cardiovascular Center Research Institute
- Tomoko Nakatani, Kagoshima University
- Dr. Hiroshi Abe, Nagoya University
- Dr. Masahito Matsumoto, Juntendo University
- Dr. Tomonobu Koizumi, RIKEN
Dr. Andrew Levin and Dr. Josh Resnick of RA Capital Management, Dr. Aiden Aceves of Insight Partners, Dr. Eric Shiozaki of DCVC Bio, and Dr. Ari Nowacek of Arch Venture Partners visited Japan to participate in S2S Japan. Azusa Shiohara of UTEC, a Japanese mentor, moderated the event and interviewed Dr. Yoshikazu Nakaoka and his US mentor Dr. Andrew Levin, as well as Tomoko Nakatani and her US mentor Dr. Aiden Aceves. They discussed their experiences in the program and their future commercialization goals.
From left: Tomoko Nakatani of Kagoshima University, Dr. Aiden Aceves of Insight Partners, and Azusa Shiohara of UTEC
A panel discussion moderated by UTEC’s Dr. Atsushi Usami featuring Tadayuki Mizutani, Director of the Pharmaceutical Industry Promotion and Medical Information Planning Division at the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW); Hirokazu Shimoda, Director of the Bio-Industry Division at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI); and Sho Ito, Assistant Deputy Commissioner of the Science and Technology Policy Bureau at the Cabinet Office, was held. The discussion focused on the global expansion of Japan's life science ecosystem.
From left: METI’s Hirokazu Shimoda, MHLW’s Tadayuki Mizutani, Cabinet Office’s Sho Ito, and UTEC’s Dr. Atsushi Usami
In addition, there were presentations by Dr. Paul Rothman of Johns Hopkins University on efforts to foster an entrepreneurial spirit in academia, Josh Seidenfeld of Cooley LLP and Phil Howard of EY on legal and financial matters for starting a business in the United States, and Rob Wishnowsky of Cruxio on effective communication.
After the event, a networking reception provided an opportunity for participants to interact and exchange information.
Networking Session
The Science2Startup Japan Final Symposium 2024 was a significant step forward in applying Japanese academic life science research to the pharmaceutical industry.UTEC will continue to support Japanese researchers and global partners, fostering innovation and advancing Japan's life science sector on the global stage.
