Masa Yamato
Principal
Investment Focus & Current Projects
Masa invests in startup companies in such space as mobility, climate/sustainability and industrial innovation and automation, which are a key to improving human quality of life and society in a sustainable manner. He also supports in growing the value of innovative technology and business model of startups as well as for investors.
Professional Journey
Before joining Translink, Masa was a Senior Advisor to Toyota Ventures since the inception in 2017. He was instrumental in establishing the firm and raising all the funds. He led investment deals for Blackmore Sensors (ACQ: Aurora) among others. Concurrently, he was a Senior Advisor to Toyota Research Institute where he gave strategic guidance to AI-assisted materials and cognition research teams. Masa also has broad and deep experiences in automotive business at Toyota HQs ranging from R&D, production, HR to corporate strategy.
Education
He holds an MBA from Kellogg School of Management and Master of Engineering Management from McCormick School of Engineering, Northwestern University. He also earned a M. S. in Chemistry from Osaka University after acquiring a B. S. from Michigan State University.
Passion
Masa enjoys playing and watching basketball, hiking, visiting wine countries and reading.
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