About

Ted Yamamoto has been a venture capitalist for over 25 years, specialising in founding companies based on breakthrough scientific advancements. He was ranked first on Forbes Japan’s Midas List 2020, a prestigious venture capital ranking based on annual capital gains. Ted currently serves on the board of Tres Alchemix and has been an advisor to the Office of the President at Waseda University since 2021.

Until 2020, Ted was a partner and board director at UTEC (University of Tokyo Edge Capital) for 12 years, a leading deep-tech venture capital firm affiliated with the University of Tokyo. At UTEC, he focused on seed and early-stage information technology investments, spearheading numerous ventures and serving on the boards of companies such as Fyusion, Inc. (acquired by Cox Automotive in December 2020), Mujin, Inc. (MBO in February 2019), Autonomous Control Systems Laboratory Ltd./ACSL (IPO in December 2018, 6232:TYO), Phyzios, Inc. (acquired by Google in February 2013), and Naked Technology, Inc. (acquired by mixi, Inc. in September 2011), among others.

Before joining UTEC in July 2008, Ted spent 14 years at Mitsui & Co., Ltd., where he was a key member of its venture capital operations in the US and Japan. In 1997, he was seconded to Nippon Venture Capital Co. as Deputy General Manager. Ted’s other roles at Mitsui included establishing FeliCa Pocket Marketing, Inc.—a joint venture with Sony Corporation—where he served as a Senior Manager for Sales, advancing new business opportunities centred on Sony’s contactless IC chip, FeliCa technology.

Ted read Physics at the University of Oxford, holds an MA (Oxon.), and has also read for an Executive MBA as an Oxford Alumni Scholar.