Yasuo Miyazawa, who had spent five years in the US as head of Nitto Denko's Nitto Innovations investment vehicle, is set to develop a similar initiative for Sekisui Chemical.

Yasuo Miyazawa, previously a general manager for electronics parts manufacturer Nitto Denko, is forming a corporate venturing unit on behalf of Japan-based chemical producer Sekisui Chemical.

Miyazawa led Nitto’s US-based corporate venturing vehicle, Nitto Innovations, from 2012 before returning to its headquarters in Osaka, Japan in 2018 to oversee new business development.

Sekisui Chemical has already been involved in corporate venture capital, funding contract pharmaceutical manufacturer PeptiStar in March 2018 having participated as a limited partner for venture capital firm Pangaea Ventures a year earlier.

Miyazawa told Global Corporate Venturing that many Japan-based corporates were keen on exploring corporate venture capital lately, confirming: “I will move back to San Francisco Bay Area in the near future to start a CVC arm for Sekisui there.”

Photo of Yasuo Miyazawa courtesy of LinkedIn.

Edison Fu

Edison Fu is head of Asia development at Global Corporate Venturing.