A comprehensive portal site for Medical Innovation Support Office (MEDISO).Medical Innovation Support Office

Hirohumi Shido

I am a UI/UX design expert and specialize in driving product development. As a product manager at a medical startup, he was in charge of renewal and new planning for multiple SaMD products. My experience ranges from planning to obtaining regulatory approval, and I have won a Good Design Award for a healthcare product. These experiences have made me realize the importance of experience design and usability in SaMD products with a diverse mix of stakeholders.

Tomokatsu Hongo

Keio Innovation Initiative, Inc
Corporate Officer

Ph.D. in Biological Chemistry from Nagoya University. At Summit Pharmaceuticals International Corporation, I was engaged in VC fund management, investment and sales support for bio-ventures, and domestic sales agency business for overseas bio-ventures. In 2016, I joined Keio Innovation Initiative (KII) as an investment manager in the medical and health field. I have been investing in drug discovery, regenerative medicine, and medical device ventures by leveraging his business experience in the pharmaceutical industry and career as a researcher, and providing a wide range of hands-on support, not only in terms of funding, but also in business development.

Masashi Matsunaga

Biospire Japan Ltd. / Biospire UK Ltd.
CEO

As an experienced global business development strategist, Dr Masashi Matsunaga provides business soft-landing, clinical and regulatory support to the UK and European market. He also enables to support IP management, marketing and pitch-deck brush-up in the MEDISO support package. He is based at Harwell Science & Innovation Campus, a core UK innovation hub located near Oxford.

Kenji Harada

Director & Chief Venture Capitalist, Medical Incubator Japan K.K

He graduated with a Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, the University of Tokyo, and is an immunologist by training. He is also a licensed pharmacist and a licensed first-class radiation supervisor. After obtaining his doctorate, he performed a wide range of tasks from basic research to preclinical research as a team leader at Toray Basic Research Laboratories (currently Pharmaceutical Research Laboratories), during which he was developing anti-inflammatory and central nervous system drugs. Subsequently, he was involved in planning and promoting collaborative research with universities and making assessments of platform technologies and drug candidates of American and European biotech startup companies from the technological and intellectual aspects. Furthermore, he conducted GMP inspections in pharmaceutical products and medical device areas multiple times. After starting his career as a venture capitalist, he consistently invested in the biotech sector in the U.S. and Japan. He served as a board member in some of the investees of the U.S. and Japan. Since August 2020, He has expanded his investments into European countries at his current company. He is also engaged in several Japanese governmental projects supporting Japanese startups and research projects.

Hidehiro Ando

President & Representative, Andy Pharma Partners Inc.

He graduated from the Department of Veterinary Medical Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tokyo. He joined Tanabe Pharma Corporation (present Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation). After being assigned to the research department of pharmacokinetics, he was involved in partnership-related business of international development department, research and development planning department, etc., including establishment of a joint venture with overseas companies. Subsequently, he worked in the technology transfer department of RIKEN (Institute of Physical and Chemical Research), a regenerative medicine venture, Bayer Yakuhin, a drug discovery venture, and he established a personal office. He has engaged in business development and licensing work for 40 years, and now, based on his experience and networks, he is supporting business development activities, such as licensing agreements and joint research of domestic and foreign pharmaceutical companies/ventures. He provides comprehensive support services ranging from looking for appropriate partners, preparing the draft of contract outline, contract negotiation, and alliance management with partners after the partnership agreement. Especially, based on experience of practicing on both sides of venture and pharmaceutical companies, he keeps in mind providing informative advice and proposals for specific action plans.