TEAM
Board of Directors
Representative Director
Co-Founder & CEO
Masatoshi Nagasaki
In Sept 2017, Masatoshi co-founded Space BD Inc. where he assumed the position of Co-Founder & CEO. As a seasoned expert in business development, he embarks on his new challenge in the space industry.
Previously he founded Nagasaki & Co. in 2014 where he mainly engaged in business development in the field of education. Notable projects include AOKI Global Entrepreneurship Project, and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry Entrepreneur Education Promotion Project. He is also an invited researcher at Waseda University Transnational HRM Research Institute, and a research fellow for Yokohama National University Growth Strategy Research Center.
Prior, he served at Mitsui & Co., Ltd., one of the biggest conglomerate in Japan, and spent 11 years working in steel making and mineral resources (iron ore) industries, covered trading and business development positions including joint venture development in Brazil and Australia for 4 years in total.
He graduated from Waseda University with a bachelor’s degree in education.
Director COO
Mac Kanazawa
Mac joined Mitsui & Co., Ltd. in 2011. Working for the head office, he worked on new business development and investment management activities for the recycling business and renewable energy business in the Asia-Pacific region.
He subsequently worked for PwC Advisory LLC, before joining Space BD in 2017.
Mac graduated from Waseda University School of Political Science and Economics, and holds an MBA from University of Technology, Sydney.
Director
Chief Marketing Officer
Kenichi Kawamoto
Kenichi graduated from Hitotsubashi University in 2003 and joined Sony Corporation.
He led sales & marketing and market development, corporate planning, and organizational transformation in the Japan market and Indian and German entities. Afterwards, he worked on mid-term business planning and new business plan execution for business departments. He joined Space BD in July 2021.
Director
General Manager
Administration
Tomonobu Akita
Graduated in March 2001 from Hokkaido University’s Graduate School of Environmental Science with a degree in Environmental Materials Science.
Upon graduation, Tomonobu entered NEC Solution Innovators Ltd. and supported installations of accounting package software. Worked on various accounting-related operations and projects for clients including auditing firms and consulting firms, and provided internal control auditing for banks and financial securities firms, accounting consulting, and due diligence.
Joined Space BD in May 2022 as Manager of Business Development.
Originally from Gifu Prefecture. Certified public accountant/auditor/information systems auditor.
Outside Director
Co-Founder
Tohru Akaura
IncubateFund General Partner
Worked for 8 and a half years in the investment department at JAFCO Co., Ltd., involved in investment development tasks in the front line. Started their own venture capital business in 1999. Since then he launched and managed 13 venture capital funds with a total of 40 billion yen. Consistently specialized in the initiation period, while also carrying out investment development.
Since July 2019, he is the Chairman of the Japan Venture Capital Association.
Outside Director
Ko Ogasawara
During his over 25 years working for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, he participated in design, development and operation of series of launch vehicles. After taking charge of design and development of the Japanese space shuttle HOPEX and ISS Kibo, he was dedicated to promoting the H2A rocket launch service in overseas market. From 2021, he has started to work at the Tokyo University of Science to train the next generation of space engineers and conduct research on space transportation systems. Member of the Board of Directors at the Japan Space Liner Association. A fellow at the Japan Society for Aeronautical and Space Sciences.
Audit & Supervisory Board Member
Audit ＆Supervisory Board Member
Sayaka Oyama
Sayaka engaged in accounting audit and advisory services, etc. at Aarata Audit Corporation (now PricewaterhouseCoopers Aarata LLC) from 2006, and subsequently handled the development and operation of internal controls and compliance in the administrative department of a foreign telecom company’s Japanese entity. After that she engaged in forensic services, among others, at PwC Advisory LLC. She was appointed corporate auditor at Space BD in August 2021.
Sayaka is a Certified Public Accountant.
Audit ＆Supervisory Board Member
Kendo Watanabe
Kendo graduated from Hokkaido University Law School in 1995, and joined Nippon Long-Term Credit Bank (now Shinsei Bank).
In 2000, he joined the subsidiary company of Intelligence (now Persol) as a director, after which he became the managing director in 2002. In 2006, he established Executive Board Co., Ltd., and Juristic Co., Ltd., where he currently serves as the representative director.
Kendo has been providing organisational and business support from the time of Nagasaki & Co., the predecessor of Space BD.
Audit & Supervisory Board Member
Kenichi Koyanagi
Joined Mitsubishi Corporation, Energy Business Group in 1980 where he was engaged in retail business of petroleum products, including wholesale to gas stations in Japan, then in global marketing of carbon materials with over 70 countries.
He was then assigned, in 1994, to Mitsubishi International Corporation, New York, for almost 6 years, and during this term, he was involved in the antitrust trial, U.S. vs. Ucar International, to negotiate with the Department of Justice, and took the stand in the grand-jury and the federal court in Philadelphia to defend Mitsubishi Corporation.
Back to Tokyo in 2000, he supervised variety of investment businesses in Japan and overseas, including the U.S., Mainland-China, and South Korea, then appointed as Chief HR Officer of the Group, and further assigned to a member of the Advisory board of Investment & Credit Committee of the Company to actively participate in decision-making process of every investment business and project of the Company.
In 2012, he was named as Executive Officer in charge of E&P business of worldwide petroleum and natural gas, then in 2015, he took office as president of Chubu office, covering central regions of Japan, to promote various projects of MRJ (Mitsubishi Regional Jet) and many others.
And in 2017, he was assigned to standing Advisor to the Energy Business Group.
In October, 2018 to date, he has served CEO of Dainichi Concrete Company, cum Group COO of Dainichi group of companies.
Business Development
General Manager
Business Development
Genki Hiraga
Genki graduated in 2012 from Osaka University. He started his career at HANWA Co., Ltd., and developed his experience in the steel export business. He further developed his career at Deloitte Tohmatsu Consulting LLC by taking in charge of formulating and executing sales strategies, DX promotion, business sprocess reengineering, etc. for the customers in the manufacturing industry. Genki joined Space BD in February 2020 after working with Japanese Mega Bank.
General Manager
Engineer
Takuma Terada
Takuma graduated from the Tokyo Institute of Technology Graduate School in 2014, where he completed a Master's degree in Earth and Planetary Sciences. Prior to joining Space BD, he gained experience in satellite user integration such as safety reviews and ICD modifications for SmallSatellite deployment and technical coordination for the development and operation of ISS re-fueling vehicles. In July 2019, Takuma joined Space BD as an engineer and in charge of the user integrations for J-SSOD, i-SEEP, and rideshare launch with the H3 launch vehicle, as well as technology review for the new business development.
Senior Engineer
Tetsuya Honda
Tetsuya joined Space BD in April 2021 as a senior engineer.
He had engaged in developing the ISS Kibo external experiment platform at IHI Corporation from the early stage. Later, he had worked at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to develop the IVA-Replaceable Small Exposed Experiment Platform (i-SEEP) and other experiment equipment.
Manager
Business Development
Mia Lee
Graduated from the University of Washington in 2016 majored in Aeronautics and Astronautics Engineering. During her undergraduate study, Mia was engaged in designing and analyzing shock absorption mechanisms of Origami-based metamaterials.
After graduation, Mia started her career at National Instruments Corporation as an engineer, then took her role as an account manager for a major automotive OEM, electrical equipment manufacturer, and research institute providing from the development strategy centering on test automation to engineering support for the operation phase. Since March 2020, Mia has participated in Space BD and is engaging in expanding overseas business opportunities and collaborative opportunities with companies around the world.
Manager
Business Development
Keiichiro Yasukawa
Keiichiro was appointed the General Manager, Marketing in October 2021, and he is in charge of expanding sales of the satellite deployment service in Japan and abroad. He aims to develop a business model that is based on the network and intelligence built on trust in Space BD’s business. He joined his previous company, Sumitomo Corporation, as a new graduate, and worked for eight years on steel pipe trading. Subsequently he consistently assisted in the strategic planning and execution for the same business, and was involved in the establishment, acquisition, and management support of numerous overseas companies as a professional in investment execution and business management. For the five and a half years he lived in Dubai until September 2020 he served as the General Manager of the Tubular Business Unit in the Middle East region and led a multinational team of experts in SCM and business development for the oil and gas industry. Keiichiro graduated from the Department of Business Administration in the Faculty of Economics at Kyoto University in 1997. He is originally from Kitakyushu City in Fukuoka Prefecture.
Engineer
Kyoichi Akiyama
Kyoichi graduated from the Tohoku University Graduate School in March 2019. He subsequently joined Japan Airlines Co., Ltd. He engaged in aircraft airframe inspection and maintenance (mainly in charge of engines), multiple business improvement projects in the maintenance department, business management, and promotion of digital transformation (DX).
He joined Space BD in November 2021, where he engages in satellite integration and technical coordination for the smallsatellite deployment business from the ISS. He also utilizes his experience in multiple technical fields to develop new businesses as an engineer aiming to connect space and non-space. He is from Shizuoka Prefecture.
Business Development
Momori Imamura
Graduated from Nippon Sport Science University (NSSU), Faculty of Sport Science, in 2020. Participated in activities to help primary and junior high school students learn to become independent and was also involved in the planning and operation of university events during her university years. Focused on studying the academic and physical difference in the performances of primary, junior and senior high school students in Japan and abroad.
After graduating from NSSU, Momori worked for the theme park, Legoland Japan, and took charge of the operation of assembly and programming workshops using Lego® blocks.
Joined Space BD’s educational projects team in April 2022.
Business Development
Shoki Kawata
After graduating from the Faculty of Engineering at Chiba University, Shoki joined SIGMAXYZ Holdings Inc. in 2018, where he worked on new business development, cost reductions, digital transformation (DX), and formulating and executing business operations transformation. He worked with numerous companies, including major Japanese IT companies, telecom, logistics, and manufacturing companies. Shoki joined Space BD in August 2021, where he works on developing microgravity environment experiment services for the International Space Station Kibo at the Business Development. Shoki aims to make using space more familiar to people.
Business Advisor
Business Development
Ryuichi Sato
Ryuichi graduated from a bachelor degree in Aerospace Engineering from University of Queensland, and a master degree in Space Engineering Delft University of Technology. After conducting his research on space mission design research at OHB Systems, a major German space company, he worked as a satellite data analysis engineer at the Portuguese Institute of Ocean & Atmospheric Studies, where he gained gained experience with satellite data. He returned to Japan in 2016 to take on a position as the MINERVA research fellow at the Japan-European Industrial Cooperation Center, where he conducted research on EU-Japan cooperation in the field of Earth observation products and services. Japan-Europe cooperation, involving market research, policy analysis, and user needs analysis. As the expert on European space sector, he provides analysis on business trends and policy developments for companies and ministries, and holds a broad range of knowledge and insight on not only on the technical aspects of space, but also on satellite data, space policy / international relations, and space business.
Business Development
Shogo Suzuki
After graduating from the School of International Liberal Studies at Waseda University in 2017, Shogo joined Mitsubishi Corporation. During his time there he engaged in management of investment target companies in the iron and steel industry, exports to Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, Southwest Asia, and Australia, and trilateral transactions. He also worked to secure stable procurement of chemicals that serve as raw materials for the semiconductor industry.
He joined Space BD in November 2021. He aims to further grow the space industry through partnership with companies in Japan and abroad through the satellite deployment project.
Business Development
Daisuke Takahashi
Daisuke graduated with a Master’s Degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Alabama in 2008. He then joined IHI Co., Ltd. and took part in a wide range of operations related to aircraft engine life cycle business as an engineer of aircraft engines. In 2018, he moved to the company's space division and participated in new business development using satellite data.
Daisuke joined Space BD in 2019 and experienced international sales and business development. From February 2020 to October 2020, he engaged in the developing new business such as environmental testing equipment export services at Corporate Strategy. Since November 2020, he has led overseas exporting projects of the space equipment and related services at the Business Development team.
Hoshiko Nakata
Engineer
Hoshiko Nakata
Hoshiko graduated in 2014, majoring in Risk Engineering from the Graduate School of Systems and Information Enginesering, from the University of Tsukuba. She then joined Advanced Engineering Services Co., Ltd. as an engineer to work on engineering design and manufacturing. In 2017, she was in charge of coordination work with Asian countries to utilize the Kibo, Japanese Experiment Module. Hoshiko joined Space BD in December 2019, where she was involved mainly in the space education business at the Corporate Strategy Department. Since November 2020, she has been engaged with the user integration for J-SSOD and i-SEEP projects as an Engineer.
Education
Business Development
Nishi Shinichiro
Shinichiro graduated from the Faculty of Education at Kyoto University. He worked for two years in Osaka Prefecture as a junior high school teacher, and then he served as an attendant at the Japan Pavilion at the Milan Expo 2015. Upon his return to Japan he worked in the IT monozukuri department at LITALICO Inc. developing content and operating classrooms for children. After this Shinichi worked on developing workshops that used Lego® blocks at the amusement park LEGOLAND Japan. He also facilitated classes at elementary schools and universities. He joined the education business at Space BD in July 2021.
Engineer
Ryota Fujita
Ryota worked as a project leader for a 50-kg student microsatellite project during university and graduate school. He joined Space BD in 2019 as an engineer to work on the company's ISS small satellite deployment business.
Engineer
Business Development
Masanari Fujimura
Originally from Aichi Prefecture, Masanari graduated with a master’s degree in Management of Technology and a doctorate in the field of thermal fluid (graduated from the Program for Leading Graduate Schools).
Joined an IT firm and developed technologies for thermal fluid simulation and machine learning, worked on national R&D projects, and supported model base development for automobile manufacturers. He then moved to a research center of a heavy electric machinery manufacturer, helping to promote the reform of the development process of power generator plants and power electronics products and the organizational culture at the research center.
Joined Space BD in January 2022 and is in charge of the development and sales of new projects that involve new technologies.
General Manager
Engineering, Business Development
PMI Project Management Professional (PMP)
Shougo Matsuda
Shougo started his career at Hitachi, Ltd. in 2008. He first worked on circuit design for high-frequency analog LSI and hardware design development for optical communication devices, and also gained experience launching & growing a new business for an anomaly detection system using machine learning. He then joined SoftBank Corp. and worked to develop AI/IoT/data technical strategy. In February 2021 Shougo joined Space BD. He is a project manager and technical coordinator for the ISS extravehicular exposed experiment service and smallsatellite deployment business. Shougo believes that the industrialization of space will lead to the flourishing of the Japanese manufacturing industry that nurtured him, and eventually to the flourishing of Japan itself, and thus he aims to expand the industrialization of space.
Shougo graduated from the University of Electro-Communications. He is a PMI Project Management Professional (PMP), an IPA network specialist/embedded systems specialist, and First-Class Technical Radio Operator for On-The-Ground Services.
Engineer
Business Development
Takayuki Monobe
Takayuki joined Space BD in April 2020 and has engaged in multiple satellite integration operations for the smallsatellite deployment service from the ISS and the rideshare launch service with the H-IIA / H3.
Takayuki started his career at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. He engaged in a Japan-US joint project as a manufacturing engineer for the aircraft, defense, and space segment. He worked for a production improvement system construction and factory startup.
At the Tohoku University, he took the role of a representative and project manager for a student group to produce and launch the rockets.
Takayuki holds a Master's Degree from the Department of Mechanical Systems Engineering at the School of Engineering, Institute of Fluid Science, Tohoku University.
Born in Fukuoka Prefecture.
Business Development
Shuji Yamazaki
Joined AGC Inc. in 2012, and worked on the development of glass material at the firm’s main research center. In 2016 Shuji proposed the establishment of a new business category in the life science field, and gained experience in R&D, production, and sales. He was appointed as leader of the business development team and took charge of project management.
Moved to Space BD in April 2022 and works on developing business themed on ‘space x life science’.
Business Development
Yuichiro Yamada
Originally from Osaka, Yuichiro graduated from Waseda University in 2018 and started working for C. Itoh and Company, importing pork mainly from North/Central America and Europe for three years, and spent another year in the sales of ingredients used at restaurants.
Joined Space BD in April 2022 and is in charge of satellite launch projects.
Engineer
Hirokazu Yokoyama
Hirokazu started his career at Japan Airline Co., Ltd. where he was involved with the management and procurement of aircraft parts. He then joined Amil Co. Ltd., and was subcontracted to JAXA Tsukuba Space Center and worked on projects related to the International Space Station. He was responsible for cargo integration of refueling equipment, and international coordination related to operational resources for on-orbit experiments. After working at Axelspace Corporation, Hirokazu joined Space BD as an engineer in January 2020. Hirokazu engages in multiple satellite integration operations in the SmallSatellite deployment service from the ISS, as well as the rideshare launch service with the H-IIA and H3 launch vehicle for the SmallSatellites.
Business Development
Ryo Yoshizawa
After graduating from Hosei University in 2016, Ryo joined Deloitte Tohmatsu Consulting LLC where he was in charge of formulating strategies (new business development, mid-to-long-term management strategies, etc.) and overseeing operations (operational reform, cost reduction, new company establishment, etc.) of a wide range of projects, gaining extensive experience in the import/export, consumer goods, electric machinery, and food industries.
Joined Space BD in February 2022. His goal is to develop Space BD as Japan’s first global leader in space business and to help people gain a closer relationship with space.
Engineer
Akihiro Wakimura
Completed a master’s course in Applied Science at Waseda University.
Worked for IHI Aerospace developing the space station system and the on-board experimental device. A certified first-class radiation protection supervisor, Akihiro was in charge of the CALorimetric Electron Telescope (CALET), a device to perform high precision observations of electrons and gamma rays.
Joined Space BD in May 2022.
Senior Engineer
Tetsuro Mizuno
Tetsuro graduated from Kyoto University with a Master’s Degree in the School of Engineering, Department of Civil and Earth Resources Engineering , and a Bachelor’s in the School of Global Engineering.
Before joining the company, Tetsuro joined Japan Manned Space Systems Corporation, where he engaged in user integration for controllers and experimental equipment installed on the ISS.
Cooperation with JAXA / United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs from the experience of technical support for selected countries from the first time of KiboCUBE, he decided to contribute to the wider space development of the international community and joined Space BD. Hobbies are diving, climbing and watching movies.
Public Relations
Public Relations & Recruiting
Haruna Iizuka
Graduated from Sophia University in 2012, majoring in Science and Technology and studied neuronal migration in the brain.
Upon graduation, Haruna worked for Recruit Co., Ltd., and assisted clients in formulating their strategy for hiring staff and supported their recruitment process. Appointed in 2016 to work at the organising committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 where she was put in charge of organizational development and volunteer management. After returning to Recruit, Haruna served as a liaison for government relations, supporting the communications with government ministries and agencies.
Communication & Public Relations
Marin Hara
Marin has been with Space BD’s Public Relations team since 2019 where she takes charge of media relations and creative content production.
Formerly worked for LIXIL Corporation where she worked in the Global Communications Department and gained experience in providing information to domestic and international media about the company and its corporate responsibility (CR) activities.
Graduated from the University of Minnesota with a bachelor’s degree in Urban Studies and Earth Sciences. Studied public space design and the use of roads as a communication site for citizens.
Creative Advisor
Creative Advisor
Hiroto Hori
Born in 1979. Marketing strategist and Brand consultant. After graduating the university in Tokyo, Horry joined an US based global advertising agency, McCANN ERICKSON group. After agency work, he had several marketing leadership experiences at best-in-class global brands such as adidas, Levi Strauss, Nike, LVMH, and Rakuten. His unique and broader experiences from Luxury, Fashion, Sports, FMCG to IT will enrich our value to be the best brand in its industry.
Administration
Administration
Naohiko Kurihara
Born in 1980, raised in Sapporo City, Hokkaido.
Attended the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (majoring in Italian).
After graduating in 2005, entered Gracchus & Associates, Inc., to work on M&A, provide support in financial affairs and due diligence for business restructuring projects, and taking charge of corporate valuation. Moved to Advantage Risk Management Co., Ltd., in 2011 where he worked mainly on management accounting and IR and was put in charge of projects with firms listed on the Prime Segment of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Promoted to the head of Business Management in April 2018, overseeing the firm’s administration, legal, finance, and accounting departments in addition to management accounting. Joined a company listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Growth Segement where he was in charge of finance and accounting.
Joined Space BD in April 2022.
Manager
Administration
Kazuma Momoo
Kazuma joined Space BD in December 2017, where he provides a one-stop service, including business development, marketing, project management, and technical coordination of smallsat deployment from the ISS Kibo module. He also engages other satellite launch services.
Before joining Space BD, he joined Sumitomo Corporation, where he got exposed to a range of business models in communication, sustainable energy, export of infrastructure systems, and business investments. He stayed in Beijing for a total of three years, during which he was involved in a wide range of national space development projects through the
sale of satellite components by major Japanese satellite manufacturers after he studied at Peking University.
Kazuma graduated from Osaka University Graduate School of Engineering in 2012. He aspires to create a world like Star Wars, which he admired as a child.
Administration
Fumiya Yasui
Worked in the management division of a specialized trading firm, taking charge of promoting DX and operational reform.
Joined Space BD in May 2022.
Administration
Hiromitsu Takahashi
Graduated from Tokyo University, Faculty of Economics, in 2002 and worked on high-speed railway projects in Japan and abroad for a major railway company. Joined the Japan Overseas Infrastructure Investment Corporation for Transport & Urban Development (JOIN) and gained experience in international infrastructure projects with his involvement in the high-speed railway project in the US and various harbor development projects in Southeast Asia. Moved to Accenture and worked on business process outsourcing (BPO). In 2020 took charge of the international human resources operation for an IT firm listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime Segment.
Joined Space BD’s Business Development Management team in June 2022 to pursue the goal of contributing to the development of a new frontier in space.
Graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a master’s degree in City Planning.
