Biography

After graduating from the Faculty of Law at Hokkaido University, Tsutomu Tsuchiya began his career at Yasuda Trust & Banking (currently part of Mizuho Financial Group). He later founded Seraph Corporation and went on to become a serial entrepreneur, launching more than 30 companies across IT, consulting, media, and creative industries.

In 2016, he returned to Hokkaido University. He was appointed Visiting Professor in 2020, Vice President in 2022, and Director of the Startup Creation Department in 2023. He played a central role in building the university’s startup support system, contributing to a sharp rise in startup numbers and the expansion of its innovation ecosystem.

In 2024, he was named Entrepreneurship Promotion Ambassador by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), Japan.

Currently, he is focusing on applying research outcomes to society through university-industrygovernment collaboration. His work includes advanced talent development, the creation of sustainable industries, and food security through smart agriculture and fisheries.

He is trying to create startups that can grow Hokkaido’s tourism industry and solve the problems it is currently facing, by using university research seeds and outcomes.