医療系ベンチャー・トータルサポートオフィス：MEDISO ( Medical Innovation Support Office )

What is MEDISO

MEDISO provides support for business ventures, academia,
and individuals intending to put into practical use medicines,
medical devices, and regenerative medicinal products.
Click here for further details.

About the Medical Innovation Support Office

The medical innovation support office matches medical venture companies and academic institutions facing challenges in the practical application of medical products and devices for specialists* who provide detailed consultation and support for solving problems at each stage from research and development to practical use, as well as insurance coverage at clinical sites, while looking ahead to the overall comprehensive advances and dissemination into the global market.
* Specialists in each field provide support for the response to laws and regulations, marketing, business planning, fund rasing, management strategy, intellectual property management, and international development, etc.

This website is operated by Mitsubishi Research Institute, Inc., as a trustee under instructions from the Economic Affairs Division, Health Policy Bureau, and Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare as a part of the total support for the medical ventures program sponsored by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.

Support targets

Ventures, academic institutions, and individuals aiming to put into practical use the medicines, medical devices, regenerative medicinal products, and novel drug-discovery technologies or medical materials subject to the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Law.

Details of support

MEDISO provides support for the practical application of medicines, medical devices, regenerative medicinal products, and other products subject to the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Law.
That support includes business planning, financing, advice on laws and regulations, and other assistance as required.

●Support method：We provide support via online meeting or e-mail.
●Support source：Support is provided in cooperation with experts in R&D, consultants in pharmaceutical affairs, and experts from related organizations including the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.
●Remarks：Consultation and support services are free of charge.

Click here for inquiries

In case the link does not work, please contact us at the email address below
mediso@ml.mri.co.jp

Specialists Introduction

We will introduce registered specialists
(updated as necessary).

Tamaki Nara

Lecturer, Medical Technology Innovation Center, Juntendo University
Director, Orbis Planning Co., Ltd.

Main specialty areas

medical devices

Specialized support fields

Regulatory compliance
Marketing
Business planning
Business operation systems

Master of Business Administration（MBA）. Field of expertise is innovation management. While working at a major precision equipment manufacturer, engaged in new business, product planning, and corporate planning. Mainly engaged in commercialization in the medical equipment and healthcare field (such as Medical IT), as well as the establishment and management of internal joint ventures. During this time, I became acutely aware of the great significance of building an appropriate collaborative development system between medical researchers and companies, and the necessity of a place for co-creation for both parties to work together. Since then, I have been involved in providing guidance on the implementation of research and development in the medical field and building plans for industry-academia collaboration, leveraging corporate technology and academia's knowledge at medical graduate schools and hospitals. Also have been supporting Start-ups mainly from academia.

Kenji Harada

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

Main specialty areas

medicines
regenerative medicine products

Specialized support fields

Regulatory compliance
Marketing
Business planning
Funding
Business operation systems
Specialized support fields

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.

Satoshi Ogawa

TMI Associates Partner (Attorney)

Main specialty areas

medicines
medical devices
regenerative medicine products

Specialized support fields

Regulatory compliance
Funding
Business operation systems
Specialized support fields
Etc

Satoshi Ogawa, Ph.D., is a partner at TMI Associates specializing in life sciences and healthcare. After earning his Ph.D. in Life Sciences from Kyoto University, he joined TMI Associates as an attorney. Following a three-year secondment at a law firm in New Delhi, India, he has been based at TMI’s Kyoto Office since 2019. Dr. Ogawa advises both Japanese and international clients on cutting-edge technologies, including regenerative medicine, digital health, and AI-driven healthcare solutions. His work covers startup support, patent licensing, industry–academia collaboration, regulatory compliance, and intellectual property disputes. He works extensively with universities, startups, pharmaceutical and medical device companies, venture capital firms, and public institutions. He also serves as an advisor to BioCommunity Kansai (BiocK) and HVC KYOTO, and contributes to conflict-of-interest (COI) committees and institutional review boards (IRBs). Dr. Ogawa is passionate about advancing innovation and helping clients navigate complex legal and regulatory challenges in the life science ecosystem. His publications include “Startup Intellectual Property and Legal Guidebook – Key Points for Early-Stage Bio and Life Science Ventures” (METI-Kansai) and “Healthcare Business Legal Consultation Handbook” (Chuokeizai-sha).

Takahiro Mizumoto

Ant innovations Co., Ltd

Main specialty areas

medicines
medical devices
regenerative medicine products

Specialized support fields

Marketing
Business planning
Funding
Business operation systems
Specialized support fields

Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Master’s Program in Intellectual Property Management.
After passing the Japanese Patent Attorney Examination, gained venture investment experience in high-tech sectors including IT and healthcare at NIFS SMBC Capital (later split into Daiwa Corporate Investment and SMBC Venture Capital).
Subsequently joined Showa Shell Sekiyu, where he led the planning and development of multiple new services spanning payment solutions, retail electricity, and mobile app businesses. With the launch of the University of Tokyo Innovation Platform (UTokyo IPC), he joined the firm and founded 1stRound, a cross-university incubation program. He later spearheaded the establishment of an approximately JPY 25 billion open-innovation promotion fund and served as its Chief Investment Officer.
In November 2025, he founded Ant Innovations, a newly established venture capital firm and subsidiary of the private equity firm Ant Capital Partners, and assumed the role of Representative Director and Partner.

Shinichi Watanabe

WNW IP ATTORNEYS

Main specialty areas

medicines
medical devices
regenerative medicine products

Specialized support fields

Specialized support fields

Shinichi Watanabe began his career as a patent attorney in 2003, and with the valuable experience gained at global patent law firms. His practice primarily deals with filing and prosecution of domestic and international patent applications in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology fields. Backed up by a wealth of practical experience and technical expertise, he is actively engaged in IP counselling and advises start-up pharmaceutical and biotech companies on patent filing strategies. Recently, he is interested in AI and machine learning, and now also working on support in the interdisciplinary area between life science, IT and AI.

About details of specialists

Introduction of measures implemented by public institutions

We will describe the measures from public institutions for pharmaceutical companies,
medical device companies, companies manufacturing regenerative medicinal products, and venture companies.

See more about measures implemented by public institutions