Kaz Kikuchi
Partner
Investment Focus & Current Projects
Kaz invests in companies that are digitizing traditional industries using emerging technologies such as industrial IoT, robotics, AI, and cloud. He is excited to work with teams that are contributing to the sustainable development of industries. He also supports portfolio companies and investors, primarily in Japan.
Professional Journey
Prior to joining Translink, Kaz was a General Manager of Mitsui & Co., Ltd., a Japanese industrial conglomerate, where he led investment and business development in Foundry Networks (FDRY, ACQ: Brocade), A10 Networks (ATEN), BOX (BOX), Docusign (DOCU), Team8, CounterTack, Spire Global, OSIsoft, CloudEndure (ACQ: Amazon), Sight Machine, Peloton Technologies. For A10, Kaz established their Japanese office, A10 Networks K.K., where, as the first Country Manager, he hired 15 professionals, built their sales, marketing and customer support team and grew the business from scratch into a double-digit-million-USD company by revenue. Most recently, Kaz was a Principal at G2VP (as a secondee from Mitsui), which invests in companies applying emerging technologies to traditional industries. During his time there, he invested in Arcadia Power, Fictiv, Seegrid and Scandit.
Education
Kaz earned a B.A. in Economics from Keio University
Passion
Outside of work, Kaz enjoys playing golf, is an avid supporter of his son’s soccer and daughter’s tennis and enjoys hiking at national parks with his family.
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