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.

Business Development Manager

Makoto Kanazawa

Makoto 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 natural energy business in the Asia-Pacific region. He subsequently worked for PwC Advisory LLC, before joining Space BD in 2017.

Makoto graduated from Waseda University School of Political Science and Economics, and holds an MBA from University of Technology, Sydney.

Business Development Manager

Kazuma Momoo

Kazuma graduated from Osaka University Graduate School of Engineering in 2012, after which 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. In 2014, he was selected for the in-house Chinese language training program and studied at Peking University. 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. Kazuma joined Space BD in December 2017, where he is involved in the market research for small satellite industry, strategic planning of launch service projects, etc. He aspires to create a world like Star Wars which he admired when he was a child.

Business Development Manager

Daimon Tashiro

Daimon graduated from the Faculty of Commerce at Keio University and joined Sumitomo Corporation in 2003. After gaining practical experience in sales accounting, he engaged in strategy planning and budget controlling at Metal Products Division. In 2010, he moved to Riken Dengu Seizo Co., Ltd. as a director, where he was responsible for import sales in the field of defense, aeronautics and space, and management planning etc. From February 2018, he is seconded to Space BD, where he is involved in a wide range of activities ranging from project coordination, business planning, and others.

European Office (Business Advisor)

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.

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 2013 he is on the Japan Venture Capital Association Board of Directors. Since July 2015 he is the executive director of the Association, and since July 2017, he is the Vice Chairman. Tohru is the representative partner of Incubate fund, a venture capital fund in Japan.

Senior Advisor

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. In Sept 2017, he took on the role as a senior advisor to assist with expanding Space BD's business domain in space.