Taira Kobayashi
Principal @ JAFCO
Tokyo, Japan
Taira Kobayashi is a seed investor at JAFCO in Tokyo focused on Biotechnology and Clinical Trials. Taira Kobayashi joined JAFCO in 2020. In the Academia-Industry Collaboration and Life Sciences Investment Group, he has invested and supported R&D startups in various sectors ranging from Deep Tech to drug discovery. He also serves as a JST-START project promoter, commercializing university-launched ventures, and gives lectures at universitiesand other institutions based on his career and experience. Taira previously held a Medical Science Liaison - Central Nervous System and was involved in in-house business planning, including digital health business development and METI projects at TAKEDA Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. From 2013 to 2017, he served as a researcher at TOYOTA Central R&D Labs, where he was involved in R&D across all engineering fields and promoted business development in neuroscience and artificial cells at the Strategic Research Division. Before TOYOTA, he served as an academic researcher at the Institute of Medical Science - The University of Tokyo(IMSUT) and promoted basic medical research in bacterial infection and innate immunity of human cells.
- Total investments:
- 3
- Last investment:
- Lead investor:
- 33%
Last updated:
For AI agents: llms.txt
Industries Taira Kobayashi invests in
Stages Taira Kobayashi invests in
Countries Taira Kobayashi invests in
Contacts
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Investment Focus
Industry
- Biotechnology 2 (67%)
- Clinical Trials 2 (67%)
- Medical 1 (33%)
- Biopharma 1 (33%)
- Therapeutics 1 (33%)
Stage
- Seed 1 (33%)
- Series A 1 (33%)
- Funding Round 1 (33%)
Investments
| Company | Description | Round | Links |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cell fiber technology was developed as a basic technology for handling cells in the engineering field. | $117.6M / Nov 09, 2023 | ||
| Cell fiber technology was developed as a basic technology for handling cells in the engineering field. | $5.5M / Series A / Nov 09, 2023 | ||
| Metagen Therapeutics (MGTx) is a clinical-stage company operating Japan’s first GMP-compliant manufacturing platform for fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) therapies. The company combines proprietary paired metagenomic datasets with AI/ML-driven donor-recipient matching to advance precision microbiome medicine across ulcerative colitis,immuno-oncology, and neurodegenerative disease. Headquartered in Tsuruoka, Japan, MGTx leverages a cross-border regulatory strategy spanning PMDA and FDA pathways, positioning it as a platform bridging Japanese clinical innovation with global market access. | $344.7K / Seed / Oct 06, 2022 |
Co-Investors
About JAFCO
Since its founding in 1973, JAFCO has always worked with leading-edge entrepreneurs. The total capital commitments of its investment funds in Japan and overseas have exceeded 1 trillion yen and the number of portfolio IPOs to date has reached over 1,000. In addition to venture investment, JAFCO also carries out buyout investment and commit to the creations of innovative technologies and services worldwide. As entrepreneurs’ closest partner in bringing their visions to life, JAFCO provides support in areas of HR, marketing/ sales, and back-office operations, in addition to providing financing.
JAFCO Contacts
| Name | Phone | Socials | |
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Haruyoshi Onuma
Partner
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Keisuke Miyoshi
President and CEO
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Taira Kobayashi
Principal
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Takahara Mizuki
Partner
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Tomotake Kitazawa
Partner
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FAQ
What does Taira Kobayashi invest in?
Taira Kobayashi invests primarily in Biotechnology, Clinical Trials and Medical startups, most often at Seed and Series A stage. Most of the 3 investments tracked by Shizune back companies in Japan. The Investment Focus section breaks down every industry, stage and country in the portfolio.
How do I contact Taira Kobayashi?
Public channels for Taira Kobayashi include LinkedIn, the website linked on this profile and Facebook. For a verified work email and phone number, create a free Shizune account — contact data is searched across 20+ sources and validated before delivery, so your outreach lands in the right inbox.
When did Taira Kobayashi last invest?
The most recent investment recorded for Taira Kobayashi closed in Nov 2023. Shizune tracks 3 investments in total for this profile, including round sizes, stages and portfolio companies, all sourced from confirmed public funding rounds and refreshed monthly.
Is Shizune's investor data accurate?
Yes — every stat on this profile is calculated from confirmed public funding rounds monitored across hundreds of sources since 2020. This profile was last refreshed in Oct 2026 and is updated monthly. Spotted something off? Use the “Suggest an edit” link near the top of the page.
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