TEAM

Mr. Taka Nagao, a co-founder of Kyoto Fusioneering in 2019, initially served as CEO, playing a pivotal role in the inception of our fusion venture, which evolved from lab-scale R&D. Under his leadership, he spearheaded strategic planning, fundraising, and the recruitment of top-tier talent. In October 2023, Taka transitioned to the role of Chairman. In this capacity, he lends his expertise to guide and support the company’s management while actively contributing to the establishment of a resilient and sustainable corporate framework.

Prof. Satoshi Konishi co-founded Kyoto Fusioneering in 2019. With a Ph.D. in Engineering from the University of Tokyo, Satoshi brings four decades of expertise in R&D, specializing in fusion technology, advanced nuclear system design, and tritium engineering, including significant contributions to the ITER project. He holds dual roles as Chief Fusioneer, overseeing technology development, strategic planning, and execution, and as CEO, a position he has held since 2023.

Prof. Keishi Sakamoto joined Kyoto Fusioneering in April 2021 as an Executive Officer. He has been engaged in R&D for plasma heating technology for several decades, most recently at the National Institute for Quantum Science and Technology in Japan. In particular, he has been extensively involved in the development of gyrotrons, high-power millimeter-wave generators based on the theory of relativity. As a result, Keishi was the first in the world to simultaneously achieve an output energy of 1 MW an energy conversion efficiency of more than 50%, with continuous output. For his work, he has received awards from MEXT in Japan and the European Physical Society Plasma Division (Innovation Prize). He is now a Specially Appointed Professor at Institute of Advanced Energy, Kyoto University, and has a Ph.D. in Science from Kyushu University.

Mr. Kiyoshi Seko joined Kyoto Fusioneering in April 2021 as an Executive Officer. Kiyoshi is responsible for business development, fundraising, and also PR and marketing. Prior to joining KF, he worked for Mitsubishi Corporation for almost 10 years, where he was involved in business development and strategic investments, including for the establishment of overseas JVs and cross-border M&As. After obtaining his MBA, he worked for Coral Capital, a leading VC firm in Japan, where he made several investments – including one in Kyoto Fusioneering before joining the company – mainly in the deeptech area. Kiyoshi has an M.S in Mechanical Engineering from Kyoto University and an M.S in Applied Physics from University of Tokyo, as well as an MBA from IE Business School, Spain. His hobbies include reading, sports, and research of new science and technology.

Dr. Richard Pearson co-founded Kyoto Fusioneering in 2019. He serves as the company’s Chief Innovator, sitting between the technology and business functions, and is responsible for supporting the company’s growth into global markets. He is also appointed as the company’s UK Director. Richard’s previous work focused on fusion technology innovation, strategy and policy, including for tritium breeding blanket technology. He is widely involved in activities relating to fusion energy, with a strong focus on commercialization. This includes a position as Guest Editor for a Special Issue of the Journal of Fusion Energy on the subject of private fusion enterprises (appointed 2021). Richard has a PhD in Engineering and Innovation from The Open University, UK, an MSc in Nuclear Engineering from from Imperial College London, UK, and is a Visiting Researcher at Kyoto University. His hobbies include cycling, craft beer and football (he is a fan of Arsenal FC).

Prof. Shutaro Takeda co-founded Kyoto Fusioneering in 2019. He is responsible for international relations and technological strategic planning. He became the youngest-ever appointed associate professor at Kyoto University Graduate School at the age of 31, and currently serves as an associate professor at the Kyushu University Urban Research Center. He has received many prizes, including NIG Early Career Award 2021 from the Institute of Physics and the Director General’s Recognition Award. He formerly worked at the IAEA, and was the first Japanese citizen to work for the UN as an Associate Officer in the fusion division. He has also served as a member of IAEA International Program Advisory Committee Member for Fusion Enterprises Workshop, and as an Expert to the Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee: Japanese MEXT. Shutaro has a PhD in Energy Science from Kyoto University, and M.S. in Sustainability from Harvard University.