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Introducing the members behind NEC Open Innovation
We drive new business development and open innovation through diverse collaborations with startups and partners both in Japan and around the world.
Together with our team, we will continue working with many of you to create new value-because the future is ours to shape.
Feel free to reach out anytime.
Naohisa Matsuda
General Manager, Business Innovation
Challenging the creation of new businesses through startup studios, business contests, and strategic investments with cutting-edge startups.
Kenei Tanabe
Startup Studio
Gained extensive experience across multiple IT companies, from R&D to rapid operational improvements.
After joining NEC, responsible for strengthening engineering capabilities in the development research lab and the generative AI division.
Currently focused on co-creation with startups, aiming to create new value by skillfully integrating advanced technologies.
Sou Fukui
Startup Investment
After working at a consulting firm on technology and innovation strategy development and engaging in business development at a startup, joined NEC.
Currently responsible for open innovation initiatives, including corporate venture capital, aiming to create new businesses through collaboration with startups.
Kosuke Fujimura
Startup Investment
Joined NEC in 2003, responsible for sales and business strategy for overseas telecom carrier operations.
Later promoted new businesses such as Machine-to-Machine (M2M)/IoT development and co-creation leveraging 5G/6G technologies.
Currently leading open innovation initiatives with startups.
Hikari Ashida
Startup Studio
Joined NEC in 2019, working on co-creation and new business development using next-generation communication technologies such as 5G/6G. Since 2024, based at NEC X in Silicon Valley, engaged in startup support and the planning of programs for Japanese companies. Returned to Japan in May 2026, and currently leads collaboration activities with startups.
Yuki Isobe
Startup Investment
Gained experience in performance management for overseas subsidiaries and in accounting, finance, and planning for domestic business operations.
Currently engaged in back-office operations for a corporate venture capital fund.
Eriko Imai
Startup Investment
Part of the Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) team, managing the NEC Orchestrating Future Fund and driving co-creation with domestic and international startups. Focused on business partnerships in high-growth areas such as healthcare and actively implementing the Venture Client Model.
Kazuhiro Imazato
Startup Investment
After working as a system engineer for overseas mobile operators on 3G, WiMAX, LTE, and 5G, promoted new businesses leveraging NEC technologies such as local 5G and ear acoustic authentication, as well as initiatives with overseas startups for telecom operators.
Currently engaged in corporate venture capital activities.
Ryo Kaneko
Startup Studio
Led multiple commercialization initiatives for research assets at NEC since 2013. Based in Silicon Valley since 2018, collaborating with entrepreneurs on customer discovery, market validation, product development, and fundraising. Has extensive global business development experience, including vertical SaaS, AI agents, wireless devices, and machine control systems.
Noriko Takahashi
Startup Investment
Since joining NEC, engaged in accounting, finance, and business planning for domestic and international telecom operations.
Since 2023, responsible for corporate venture capital (CVC), mainly handling middle- and back-office operations for CVC funds and driving planning and promotion for the next fund.
Yuumi Nagai
Startup Studio
After joining a major human resources company, gained experience in sales, HR, recruitment, and corporate venture capital investments in startups.
Subsequently joined an investment fund at a listed securities firm, responsible for investing in startups across diverse industries and providing post-investment support.
Currently at NEC, engaged in co-creation initiatives with startups and new business development.
Satoshi Hanawa
Startup Studio
After working as a system engineer for government agencies and municipalities, gained experience leading multiple business development projects both domestically and internationally.
Having learned from past failures about the low success rate of single-company initiatives, became deeply interested in building mechanisms to improve the reproducibility of zero-to-one innovation.
Currently engaged in constructing co-creation models through innovation challenges and studio-based initiatives.
Yusuke Muroshima
Startup Investment
Joined NEC in 2018 and spent approximately seven years in channel sales. Currently engaged in corporate venture capital activities, focusing on identifying collaboration opportunities with startups and driving new business development. Assumed the current role in 2025.
Naoshi Yamamoto
Startup Studio
Joined NEC in 2000, engaged in internet services and solution proposal support for government agencies.
Currently driving new business development through open innovation, focusing on co-creation with startups and business development toward commercialization.
Leveraging expertise in business model design and service planning to create new value.
Driving business development across diverse fields through collaboration among members with varied backgrounds and expertise and world-class researchers.
Megumi Eto
Sustainability
Joined NEC in 2021 with the vision of “Together Sustainable Economy.”As a challenger in creating businesses within the sustainability domain, experienced in developing new business opportunities across diverse areas such as industrial gases, automotive manufacturing, hydrogen energy, carbon credits, and recycled plastics.
Masaya Kikuchi
0→1
Joined NEC in 2020, engaging in the exploration of NEC's mid- to long-term growth areas based on social issues and R&D, and incubating high-impact new business domains.
Specializes in driving the 0→1 phase of new business development, creating innovative business ideas by leveraging internal and external assets, and promoting collaborative ventures with startups.
Takehiro Kozushi
Business Development DX
Responsible for 0→1 new business development leveraging NEC's proprietary AI technologies.
Through co-creation with major financial institutions, planned, developed, and launched the marketing support service “BestMove.”
Currently striving to create world-first innovative services.
Shukichi Tanaka
R&D
Since joining NEC, engaged in R&D of plant-derived materials (bioplastics), contributing not only to applying these materials to NEC products but also to launching the new material business NeCycle.
Currently leading the materials informatics research and business development team, taking on the challenge of applying AI technologies to the materials domain.
Kazuya Hirata
AgriTech
Joined NEC in 2000, starting as a system engineer before moving to the research lab and engaging in new business development, gaining experience across multiple projects.
Currently serving as the leader of the agritech business, leveraging expertise in product development, quality management, delivery, and CSM processes, while driving organizational optimization through technical knowledge in data analytics and AI.
Mao Matsumoto
Vital
After working in government agencies and telecommunications companies, joined NEC in 2021. Advanced the establishment of digital ethics frameworks and promoted public affairs to drive the social implementation of DX. Since 2025, has overseen business development leveraging vital sign estimation technology. Previously served as a World Economic Forum Fellow and Advisor to the Organization of SDGs Digital Society Promotion.
Kousuke Ishida
Business Development DX
Engaged in new business development since 2016.
Launched customer success for agritech, leading local teams and driving service delivery to customers worldwide.
Currently responsible for the marketing support service “BestMove,” focusing on building customer success frameworks and strengthening client engagement.
Tomoki Inoue
Business Development DX
Worked as an application engineer developing core and information systems for telecom operators.
Later engaged in various system integration and proposal projects overseas, and currently driving new business development initiatives, including Web3.
Syuma Iwata
0→1
Joined NEC in 2025, working on new business planning that reframes social issues as business opportunities.
Main focus is on the power sector, aiming to connect R&D outcomes to real-world implementation through cross-domain collaboration.
Kenkoh Endoh
R&D
Active as both a pianist and an AI researcher. Debuted in Germany in 2018, achieving a top-five seasonal sales ranking at a local theater and receiving positive reviews from the regional newspaper Bergsträßer Anzeiger. Continuing performances in Japan while working at NEC, focusing on developing AI models for predicting the physical properties of recycled plastics.
Kiichi Obuchi
R&D
Has a long-standing background in data mining research in the field of chemistry, followed by experience in polymer material development in the manufacturing industry. Joined NEC in 2021 and has since been engaged in advanced feature engineering and few-shot representation learning in materials science. Currently leading research on novel modeling techniques centered on transfer learning.
Kaori Kawauchi
AgriTech
After contributing to the planning, launch, and growth of in-vehicle communication services for mobility in the automotive industry, joined NEC in 2023.
Leveraging over 10 years of experience in global ICT deployment, currently working on creating new businesses aimed at addressing social challenges in African agriculture, which is heavily impacted by climate change.
Naoki Kawata
Healthcare
I joined NEC in 2017 and began my career in the wireless communications business, supporting international customers through technical demonstrations, training, and technical support. I later moved to NEC’s healthcare business, where I was responsible for product management and business development for digital healthcare services. Currently, I focus on business development and sales in the eldercare sector.
Masami Kawana
Healthcare
Driving DX and new business creation across the public sector — from Japan to North America, China, and Southeast Asia. Turning government networks into real-world impact. Now taking on the next challenge: solving social issues through bold new ventures.
Toshio Koide
Business Development DX
After joining NEC, engaged in research on distributed systems and next-generation networks at the research lab.
Led the design and development of the world's first distributed network control device in Silicon Valley, and later spearheaded applied research and commercialization of blockchain in collaboration with European research teams.
Currently driving new business development under the theme of “Business Development DX.”
Hanako Takashima
Business Development DX
After joining NEC, spent about 10 years in sales for domestic telecom carriers, promoting co-creation businesses based on hardware, system development, and technology.
Experienced launching new network services during a secondment to a telecom carrier.
Currently engaged in sales and partnering for the marketing support service “BestMove.”
Kiyohiko Toyama
R&D
Engaged in research and commercialization of polymer materials, particularly bioplastics.
In recent years, leveraging this expertise to advance both technological and business development in the field of materials informatics.
Currently focusing on materials discovery and feature engineering using generative AI.
Ryo Tomaru
Healthcare
Joined NEC in 2019, engaged in new business development leveraging facial landmark detection technology, a core component of facial recognition.
Currently leading business expansion in the healthcare domain, focusing on applying gait analysis and vital sign estimation technologies to non-insurance rehabilitation and elderly care.
Pooja Dhomse
Sustainability
Joined NEC as a Researcher in 2018. I was engaged in blockchain related research and standardization for a couple of years. During this time, I also represented NEC as an Expert in TC307 ISO standardization committee. Moved to BID in April 2021 and have been engaged in new business development in the field of Education and Sustainability. Currently engaged in Material Informatics based solution development to improve efficiency of plastic recycling process
Masatoshi Nakamura
AgriTech
Joined NEC in 2009, responsible for product development related to launching agricultural services in the telecom carrier domain.
After gaining experience in system development for new service launches during a secondment to a telecom carrier, currently engaged in service operations for the agritech business.
Wataru Hara
R&D
After experience in corporate planning and marketing, as well as business development through M&A, venture investments, and launching new categories at foreign companies, currently focusing on business intelligence for the process industry.
Kenji Hirata
Sustainability
After joining NEC, worked in systems development before moving into consulting for IT department transformation.
Provided consultation on mission and vision restructuring, IT talent development, and establishing DX promotion functions.
As a key driver of DX, contributed to NEC's own digital transformation and co-creation with clients, and most recently, taking on the challenge of new business development in the sustainability domain.
Shingo Hirota
Business Development DX
Joined NEC in 2019 after experience in sales and corporate planning.
Worked as a new business developer in the space industry, engaged in planning and sales for Synthetic Aperture Radar (satellite SAR), free-space optical communication, and robotics.
Currently taking on the challenge of expanding the marketing support service “BestMove.”
Chisato Funayama
Vital
After engaging in R&D on automatic image enhancement, video clarity improvement, and light adaptation for authentication, currently working on applied system development for iris recognition.
Since 2024, also taking on the challenge of evaluating and conducting market research for vital sign estimation using facial imagery.
Takumi Furuichi
AgriTech
After building a career in finance, management consulting, and international development, joined NEC in 2024. Leveraging experience in project management across both public and private sectors, driving the creation of impact-driven businesses in the Global South.
Atsushi Honda
Vital
Since 2025, engaged in new business development.
Leveraging experience as a product manager for biometric authentication and video analysis products, currently responsible for business development of facial video-based vital sign estimation technology.
Driving this initiative not only from a business perspective but also by collaborating with research labs to lead technical development.
Mutsumi Miuchi
R&D
Joined NEC in 2025, leveraging experience in inorganic solid material simulation in the semiconductor field.
Currently focusing on structural analysis of low- and high-molecular materials and advancing expertise in machine learning applications.
Yutaro Minami
AgriTech
After a career in mass communication and international development, joined NEC in 2023.
Currently working on agritech business development in Global South markets, with a focus on Africa.
Committed to creating solutions that empower smallholder farmers by addressing on-the-ground challenges and expanding their potential.
Passionate about Africa, with nearly a decade of experience in African business.
Ryo Murayama
Sustainability
Joined NEC in 2018, contributing to customers' digital transformation in the food and construction industries through sales initiatives leveraging facial recognition and infrastructure solutions.
Currently taking on the challenge of new business development in the sustainability domain.
Yuta Yahagi
R&D
Engaged in research and development of material simulation technologies and machine learning techniques.
Currently focusing on theoretical analysis of solid materials, developing and applying machine learning methods for small datasets, and advancing automation technologies for simulations.
Midori Yamashiro
R&D
Specialized in polymer materials, with experience in R&D of environmentally friendly bioplastics and lithium-ion battery materials. Since 2024, part of the New Business Development Division, responsible for technology development and commercialization strategies for plastic resource recycling, as well as startup collaboration through Tokyo Metropolitan Government's "Tokyo Cross Lab" initiative.
Ruriko Yamada
Sustainability
After working as a buyer in the retail industry, joined NEC in 2019.
Gained experience in new business development for both domestic and international markets, and currently taking on the challenge of launching new businesses in the sustainability domain.
Yoshitomo Warashina
Business Development DX
Since joining NEC, engaged in R&D of digital radio circuits for firefighting and cognitive radio networks, as well as supporting IT/OT security research.
Later transitioned to business development at the research lab, and currently working as a product development lead, driving new business initiatives under the theme of “Business Development DX.”
Accelerating business creation by combining specialized knowledge and strengths to generate new value.
Daisuke Mizuno
Engineering
Joined NEC in 2002, initially engaged in software development for the mobile business, followed by experience in security-related operations at an Internet service provider.
Since 2015, dedicated to systems development for agricultural ICT solutions.
Yusuke Morishita
Engineering
Joined NEC in 2008 and contributed to research and development of image recognition and AI technologies, including facial recognition, gateless biometric authentication, and visual estimation at the company's research laboratories.
Since 2025, responsible for engineering support in new business development, driving MVP creation and product/service development. Currently exploring AI-native business models to accelerate innovation.
Daichi Ogawa
Engineering
Over 10 years of experience at NEC, dedicated to the development of authentication products and services.
Currently engaged in building data analytics platforms and providing engineering support for new business development.
Haruka Ochi
Engineering
Joined NEC in 2012, starting with middleware development. Since 2019, responsible for UI development in the agricultural ICT business, covering user analysis for Android and iOS applications as well as web services, UI and service design, agile development, and delivery.
Etsuko Katsuda
Design
Joined NEC in 2012, engaging in R&D of services and security applications leveraging sensor data.
Later gained experience in promoting commercialization of research outcomes. Currently leading new business creation as a designer.
Hiroya Sato
Engineering
Built systems for telecom carriers and worked on multiple agile development projects. Engaged in new business development since 2024.
Currently working on application development for the marketing support service “BestMove” and specification design for an AI-based proposal review service, taking on the challenge of business development under the theme of “Business Development DX.”
Takaaki Sugio
Engineering
Joined NEC in 2015, engaged in proposing facial recognition solutions for major telecom operators, building next-generation virtualization platforms, and designing base station layouts using AI.
Currently focused on service and system architecture design, engineering support, and establishing MVP (Minimum Viable Product) development environments and proof-of-concept initiatives to drive social implementation of cutting-edge technologies.
Takuya Takaseki
Engineering
Joined NEC in 2016, initially responsible for software development for telecom operators, then engaged in technology development and commercialization of data security and natural language processing AI at the research lab.
Currently driving new business creation through engineering support and MVP (Minimum Viable Product) development, focusing on accelerating innovation from a technical perspective.
Eri Nishido
Design
Experienced in validation activities and UX design for new business and product development, primarily leveraging smartphones.
Joined NEC in 2025 and currently responsible for UX/UI design of an AI-based proposal review service, aiming to identify issues from the user's perspective and enhance overall experience value.
Yuka Yamamoto
Design
Joined NEC in 2021 as a UI/UX designer. Specialize in the Surface Phase of Design, including UI/UX for multi-device environments and graphic production for both domestic and international markets, and responsible for a wide range of design work. Also focused on enriching people's lives in the future by further enhancing visual design.
Yukina Yoshida
Engineering
Joined NEC in 2020, engaging in new business initiatives across multiple domains including caregiving, healthcare, and agriculture. Experienced in customer interviews, MVP (Minimum Viable Product) development, PoC planning and execution, as well as iOS coding and testing.
Currently supporting new business development as an engineer, driving no-code MVP development and PoC planning.
Feel free to contact us.
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