Founding Partner
Yusuke is a founding partner of Animal Spirits, investing in seed and early-stage startups. His background includes experience as an entrepreneur and former president of a public company.
After graduating from a jockey training school, he completed his law degree at the University of Tokyo before joining McKinsey & Company. He then returned to Naked Technology, a startup he had founded during his university years, assuming the role of CEO. Following the company's acquisition by Mixi, he joined Mixi and was appointed as Representative Director, President, and CEO. He successfully led the company's business restructuring and revitalization through a pivot in its business model.
Subsequently, after serving as a visiting scholar at Stanford University, he founded Signifiant with the goal of creating startups that continue to grow even after their IPOs. Through this company, he established the growth capital fund "THE FUND," focusing on providing risk capital to late-stage startups. Subsequently, he founded Animal Spirits, which invests in seed and early-stage ventures under the theme of "social transformation for future generations."
He has served as an independent outside director for various listed and unlisted companies, including Septeni Holdings, Raksul, and Loco Partners. Currently, he is a partner at Tokyo Founders Fund and an advisor to the Japan Startup Ecosystem Association.
His major publications include "The Analects, the Abacus, and Me," "Finance Thinking," and "Finance Thinking from Zero."
Hobbies: Horseback riding, polo, and listening to music
Favorite animal: Horse
General Partner
Graduated from the School of Political Science and Economics at Waseda University. Started his career as a Certified Public Accountant at Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu LLC before obtaining an MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management.
Subsequently, he worked at Goldman Sachs Securities, both in the Tokyo office and New York headquarters. His focus was primarily on the technology, media, and industrials sectors, where he engaged in M&A advisory and fundraising activities for a wide range of clients, from large corporations to startups.
Following his tenure at Goldman Sachs, he joined Signifiant Inc. upon the establishment of "THE FUND," an independent growth capital fund. In this role, he has been involved in investments in over 10 startups, with a particular emphasis on later-stage companies.
Hobbies: Sauna, reading, traveling, gourmet dining, and watching movies
Favorite animal: Dog
Director
Graduated from the School of Creative Science and Engineering at Waseda University. During her university years, she gained experience as a founding member of a startup venture.
After graduation, she joined Boston Consulting Group (BCG), a strategic consulting firm, where she engaged in consulting projects across a wide range of sectors including technology, consumer goods, and healthcare.
Subsequently, she accumulated experience as a capitalist and in managing accelerator programs at GREE Ventures (now STRIVE), Rakuten Capital, and Antler. Through these roles, she has been involved in startup investments across various stages, from pre-founding phase to later stages.
Hobbies: Hot yoga, traveling, and intricate handwork
Favorite animal: Unicorn
Corporate Manager
Graduated from the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Tokyo and completed a master's degree at the Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Tokyo.
At Hakuhodo, she was responsible for advertising and public relations for central government agencies (including the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry), affiliated organizations, and local governments.
As the management representative for Dai Tamesue and secretary of Athlete Society, she managed the track and field athlete development project for the Kingdom of Bhutan. She was dispatched to Ethiopia and Cambodia as a surveyor for JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) commissioned projects. Since 2020, she has served as the management and back-office manager for Dai Tamesue at Deportare Partners, where Tamesue is the representative.
In 2023, she joined Animal Spirits.
Hobbies: Oriental medicine (acupuncture and moxibustion), traveling, and enjoying fine alcoholic beverages
Favorite animal: Squirrel
Venture Capitalist
After studying abroad at a university in New Zealand, she collaborated with a major general contractor to develop services for a house brand, which was later sold to a large real estate company. From 2017, she served as the president of a subsidiary of TKP Corporation. Subsequently, as an individual entrepreneur, she has been comprehensively handling brand planning and development, design, and promotional PR in the high-end real estate sector, including hotels, residences, and members-only vacation homes.
Additionally, she engages in angel investments for startups in their founding phase and assists with business launches from a branding perspective. Her angel investments and design collaborations include companies such as Timee and Unito.
Hobbies: Watching sumo wrestling, exploring hotel saunas, and playing table tennis
Favorite animal: Koala