KDDI Open Innovation Fund's director of investment, DK Mitani, will leave the firm next month for a new role based in Tokyo.

Daisuke “DK” Mitani, director of investments at KDDI Open Innovation Fund and 2022 Rising Stars award winner, will be leaving his post next month.

Mitani said he will be starting a role at a new firm but has not detailed which one. He will be moving back to Tokyo from his current base in San Francisco. Mitani has said in the past that he’d like to at some point work in the Japanese ecosystem.  

“Since I have my roots in Japan, I am eager to contribute to the sustainable growth of the Japanese economy.

“Bridging startups between the different markets definitely stimulates each market. I want to be the connector of innovations amongst those regions.”

Tomonori Nishina and Nozomi Isshiki will be taking over Mitani’s role after he leaves.

Before becoming senior director, Mitani had already been at KDDI for over 17 years, first as assistant manager from 2001 to 2010, before serving as M&A manager until late 2018 when he moved over to the fund.

KDDI’s investments so far this year include property timeshare platform Not a Hotel, manga creation platform Sorajima and delivery robot producer Yogo Robot.

Fernando Moncada Rivera

Fernando Moncada Rivera is a reporter at Global Corporate Venturing and also host of the CVC Unplugged podcast.