UPWARD is a team that continuously strives to create a world where field workers around the globe are not constrained by location or time, and can engage in truly creative work.
Born in Tokyo in 1973. An expert in GIS (Geographic Information Systems) and LBS (Location-Based Services), he founded UPWARD in 2016—a mobile SaaS solution for field sales that highly integrates Salesforce with LBS. Adopted by approximately 450 companies globally, primarily large enterprises, it now holds the top market share in Japan as an "AI Agent Service" specialized for field sales.He has received numerous IT awards from Salesforce, Microsoft, Forbes JAPAN, and others.
Graduated from the Faculty of Economics at the University of Tokyo. Joined Nomura Securities Co., Ltd. in 2006, and after engaging in branch sales and marketing operations for bonds and derivatives, he was in charge of financial accounting operations. Joined Mitsui Bussan Co., Ltd. in 2014. After being in charge of financial planning and treasury in Tokyo, he was involved in general financial operations as Deputy General Manager in Singapore. Holds US Certified Public Accountant and Securities Analyst qualifications. Joined UPWARD in December 2019. Currently resides in Singapore.
Graduated from Hitotsubashi University, Faculty of Economics. Joined Mitsubishi UFJ Bank in 2005, working as a foreign exchange trader in Tokyo and Singapore. Subsequently led the acquisition and integration of Ayudhya Bank in Bangkok. After returning to Japan, engaged in formulating the mid-term management plan for the group's overall market operations, then returned to Singapore to oversee strategic planning for Asia. Joined UPWARD in 2022.
After graduating from UCLA in 2009, joined Trend Micro. Engaged in marketing and sales for new business ventures before starting his own company. Joined Salesforce.com (now Salesforce Japan) in 2015. Served as an Inside Sales Representative, Account Executive, Sales Manager, and Branch Manager. Subsequently, at Slack Japan, Inc., was responsible for the enterprise sector, focusing on the automotive and high-tech industries. Joined UPWARD in 2021.
After graduating from Chuo University in 2011, he joined Nomura Research Institute. He was responsible for enhancing back-office systems for securities firms and overseeing large-scale system renovation projects. In 2019, he joined UPWARD.
Graduated from the Faculty of Science, Tokyo University of Science; Master of Science from the Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo. During his student years, he researched Earth and planetary science at the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), JAXA. Joined NTT Laboratories in 2007, where he engaged in research and development of mathematical optimization for communication networks. Subsequently worked at Accenture and Amazon Web Services Japan before joining UPWARD in 2023. Holds a Doctor of Engineering degree from Nagoya University.
After handling venture capital operations in Japan and the U.S. at Fujitsu and Mitsui & Co., he served as Japan Representative for Globespan Capital Partners and Salesforce Ventures. He joined DNX Ventures in 2015 and currently serves as Managing Partner and Japan Representative. He holds a Ph.D. from Doshisha University and graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Graduated from the University of Tokyo, Faculty of Agriculture. Joined Kirin Brewery in 1983. Engaged in beer production and quality control, then gained experience in new business development and launch (including in Brazil) and M&A.Served as President of the Indonesian joint venture company in 2009, Head of the Intellectual Property Department at Kirin in 2013, Managing Executive Officer and Head of the Production and SCM Division at Mercian in 2014, and Full-time Auditor at the same company in 2017. Appointed as Full-time Auditor at UPWARD in 2021.
After completing the Graduate School of Advanced Judicial Studies at Osaka University, he worked as an attorney for five years. At the Kanto Local Finance Bureau and the Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission, he gained extensive experience in a wide range of duties, including off-site monitoring of securities firms, on-site inspections, transaction reviews, and investigations into unregistered activities. Currently, while working again as an attorney at Dojima Law Office, he also serves as an outside director and auditor for various companies. In 2025, he assumed the position of part-time auditor at UPWARD.
Graduated from Kyoto University Faculty of Law. Practiced as an attorney at a major international law firm (Morrison & Foerster Foreign Law Office (Ito Mitomi Law Office)), specializing in corporate legal affairs, and at the Kanto Local Finance Bureau of the Ministry of Finance, which oversees and inspects financial institutions, before establishing his own practice. Founded Unite Law & Accounting Office in 2015 and became its managing partner. Provides legal services to various startups and financial institutions.
In 1982, he joined Hewlett-Packard Japan. He served as Director, Managing Executive Officer, Senior Managing Executive Officer, and Representative Director, Executive Vice President.In 2015, he became Vice President of Salesforce.com (now Salesforce Japan). As leader of the Enterprise Business Division, he oversaw operations for major corporations, the public sector, and regions outside the Kanto area. He later became Vice Chairman of the Board. Since 2025, he has served as an Executive Advisor at UPWARD.
Since its founding, UPWARD has specialized in location information acquisition technology and has been involved in the construction of many business systems as a leading company in Japan. Based on this knowledge and technological capabilities, we continue to evolve into a globally applicable SaaS by refining products for field workers, focusing on mobility.
