【Announcement of Entrepreneurship Course in 3-4Q and early registration】
＜Understanding the reality of entrepreneurship through social needs and founder motivations,
while practically mastering its essence＞
● Courses Covered by this announcement:
・For undergraduate students: ENT.B201 Introduction to Entrepreneurship （0-1-0）
・For master's students: ENT.V401 Master’s Introduction to Entrepreneurship 1 （0-1-0, GA0M）
・For doctoral students: ENT.V601 Doctoral Introduction to Entrepreneurship 1（0-1-0, GA0D）
・For Academy for Leadership ("ToTAL") students：TAL.S508 Professionals & Value Creation D（0-1-0, GA0M）
This is an announcement regarding the courses listed above, which will be offered in the 3rd and 4th quarters of the 2026 academic year, as well as the opening of advance registration for the program. Please note that students who register in advance will be given priority during official course enrollment.
Launched last year, this unique program is open to all students—both undergraduate and graduate. In today’s world, cultivating an "entrepreneurial mindset"—the drive to create and deliver new value—is essential for everyone, whether you pursue a career in research or excel in the business world.
The world of startups may not seem immediately familiar to you. However, it embodies the very core of today's economic landscape, and it is undoubtedly a path worth exploring as a potential future option. Through these courses, you will certainly broaden your horizons and discover the vast possibilities that await you.
A Groundbreaking Entrepreneurship Course
This course serves as the foundation for Science Tokyo’s entrepreneurship courses and features the following unique characteristics:
● Industry-Leading Instructors: The course content is developed and delivered by DNX Capital, a world-class venture capital firm operating in both Japan and the United States.
● Firsthand Insights from Entrepreneurs: Several successful entrepreneurs who are leading rapidly growing startups will be invited as guest speakers to share their real-world experiences.
● Vivid, Real-World Information: The curriculum is packed with firsthand insights from the daily operations of venture capitalists investing in new ventures, as well as the entrepreneurs creating them.
● Interactive Discussion & Contribution: We highly value active student engagement, including asking questions, participating in discussions with instructors, and collaborating with peers. In essence, students are expected to actively contribute to every session. Therefore, final evaluations will factor in both attendance and overall class contribution.
● Broadened Horizons for the Future: Whether or not you plan to start a business, this course will help you grasp cutting-edge societal trends and expand your future career options.
● Open to All Students: This program is open to all Science Tokyo students, regardless of major or grade level. Undergraduate students can register for this course as the 200-level "Introduction to Entrepreneurship," while graduate students can take it as the 500/600-level "Master’s/Doctoral Introduction to Entrepreneurship 1." Students are also welcome to participate without enrolling in a course.
● A Personal Blueprint for Entrepreneurship: You will gain a realistic and concrete understanding of what our university's core objective of entrepreneurship education—developing the capability and drive to "explore and define new value"—means for your personal and professional growth.
Lecturers
Akira Kurabayashi (PhD)
Managing Partner, DNX Capital
Mr. Kurabayashi was involved in investing in Japanese and U.S. B2B startups in Tokyo and Silicon Valley, as well as supporting business development at portfolio companies at Fujitsu and Mitsui & Co. He subsequently served as the Japan Representative at Globespan Capital Partners and Salesforce Ventures. He joined DNX Capital in 2015 and has served as Managing Partner & Head of Japan since 2020. His major portfolio companies to date include Sansan, Money Forward, Andpad, Kakehashi, FLUX, TechTouch, and DataX.
He graduated from the Faculty of Commerce at Doshisha University and completed the doctoral program in Technology and Innovative Management at the Graduate School of Policy and Management, Doshisha University. He holds an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He also completed the Business Law program at the Graduate School of Law, Hitotsubashi University. In addition, he completed the Executive Management Program (17th cohort) at the University of Tokyo and the General Management Program (GMP36) at Harvard Business School.
He is a part-time lecturer at the Institute of Science Tokyo and Doshisha University.
Yoshiki Shiraishi
Partner, DNX Capital
After working at Fujitsu, Mr. Shiraishi became an executive officer at a venture capital firm specializing in the biotech and hardtech sectors. He subsequently joined one of the firm’s portfolio companies as vice president and led the sale of the business to a publicly traded company in Australia. After serving as an outside director for companies in the manufacturing and B2C sectors, he co-founded the edtech company CLEARNOTE in 2010. As vice president, he was responsible for fundraising, capital and business partnerships, general administration, and domestic business development. In 2021, CLEARNOTE was acquired by a major stationery company, and he joined DNX Capital in 2022.
He graduated from the Faculty of Economics at Keio University and earned an MBA from the Graduate School of Business Administration at the same university.
He is a part-time lecturer at the Institute of Science Tokyo and Doshisha University.
(Reference：DNX Capital website）
"Lectures and discussion with guest entrepreneur speakers (1) & (2)"
- Lectures and discussion with guest entrepreneur speakers (1) (to be held on 29/Oct (Thu)):
● Motoharu Nagai, Representative Director and CEO, FLUX, Inc.
・Joined Bain & Company, where he worked on strategic planning for a major telecommunications carrier, due diligence for investment funds, and M&A transactions for a trading company.
・Founded FLUX, Inc. in May 2018 and became its Representative Director.
・Selected for Forbes’ “30 Under 30 Asia” list in 2020.
・Graduated from the Department of Law, Faculty of Law, Keio University.
FLUX Inc （https://en.flux.jp/）
Established in May 2018. By leveraging cutting-edge technologies—including AI—through a team of professionals with expertise across diverse fields, the company solves a wide range of corporate management challenges, spanning from strategy formulation and execution/improvement to talent recruitment and development. FLUX is not a company that utilizes just AI as a tool, but an AI company that creates standard businesses for the era of AI. - Lectures and discussion with guest entrepreneur speakers (2) (to be held on 19/Nov(Thu)):
● Shota Tashiro , Representative Director and CEO, SimpleForm, Inc.
・Joined the Development Bank of Japan in 2011. After working in fund management and domestic and international investment operations at affiliated companies, began engaging in new business development at the bank in 2017.
・Founded SimpleForm, Inc. in October 2020.
SimpleForm, Inc. (https://www.simpleform.co.jp/)
Established in October 2020. In order to conduct healthy transactions, companies must have an up-to-date understanding of their clients' existence and business activities. By using specialized AI to comparatively analyze all corporate entities, the company detects high-risk information or positive changes that might otherwise be overlooked. It leverages technology and data to support decision-making, enabling even less experienced personnel to perform screening tasks that typically require specialized expertise.
Class schedule and outline (The schedule is subject to change.)
| Time | 5:30 p.m. - 7:10 p.m. |
| Classroom | Lecture Theater (WL1-301, West Lecture Building 1), Ookayama Campus |
| Language used | Japanese |
| Grading criteria and methods | 1. Grades are based on a comprehensive evaluation of attendance, responses to session surveys, and active participation, such as asking questions and engaging with instructors and guest speakers. (Undergraduate course will be given a numerical grade.) 2. In many cases, it is best to process the information provided by instructors and guest speakers during the session. Because the course is designed to build comprehension cumulatively and heavily emphasizes direct communication with them, full attendance is strongly encouraged. |
Early Registraion
■Please pre-register using this early registration form (https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/uem8iNUFKR) or the QR code below.
(Please note that you must still officially enroll in the course through the Kyomu Web System during the course registration period next semester.)
Students who register early through this form will be given priority during official course enrollment.
Early Registration Form (QR code)
Flyer
Click on the image or HERE to view the PDF.
Contact
Keisuke Yamada, Specially Appointed Professor
Center for Entrepreneurship Education (CEE)
Email: yamada.k.9f82@m.isct.ac.jp
Office: S6-309B, Ookayama Campus
