In collaboration with leading venture capital firms, OIST Innovation offers startups and entrepreneurial researchers or students the opportunity to connect directly with venture capitalists for one-on-one mentoring and discussion.
Each round begins with an open seminar-style introduction, where participants can learn about the VC firm's investment focus and characteristics. This is followed by private, closed-door mentoring sessions between startups/researchers/students and the VC representatives.

The featured VC for this round is DEEPCORE.

Registration is required.
If the number of applicants exceeds the available slots, OIST Innovation will select participants based on the information provided in the registration form and the strategic fit with the VC.
Registration Form

About DEEPCORE

DEEPCORE is a venture capital firm dedicated to supporting startups in the fields of AI and advanced technologies, providing funding for pre-seed to early-stage companies across a broad range of industries. In addition to its investment activities, the firm operates the KERNEL community, which fosters connections among AI engineers and entrepreneurs, as well as an accelerator program aimed at helping startups expand globally. Through “LINKS by KERNEL”, the dedicated hiring and matching platform, DEEPCORE also supports career development in the startup ecosystem.

https://deepcore.jp/home

Mentor Profile

	Name	Title	Bio
	Jimmy Cho	Senior Director, Investment	Jimmy Cho is a Senior Director at DEEPCORE. Prior to joining, he led business development as Deputy Head of New Fintech Business at Digital Garage, one of Japan’s largest payment service providers. His other prior positions include: Director of Strategy at JR Kyushu Fast Foods, where he oversaw corporate strategy and marketing; CEO’s PMO at OYO Hotels, where he led CEO-priority projects; and Japan Country Manager for FOCUS Brands, where he led the market expansion of Cinnabon and Jamba. He also co-founded slowtea, an herbal tea brand that was sold in Godiva cafés, and gained consulting experience at L.E.K. Consulting and McKinsey. Jimmy holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and BS from Washington University in St. Louis.
	Yasuhiro Tamaoka	Manager, Venture Growth and Partnership	Yasuhiro Tamaoka is in charge of KERNEL community management, support for startups from KERNEL, and HONGO AI at DEEPCORE. After working in corporate sales at Softbank Corp. he joined DEEPCORE in April 2018. He is a member of SoftBank Academia, a school opened to discover and train successors who will lead the SoftBank Group.

Event Overview

Event Title:
VC Mentoring Hours: DEEPCORE

Date:
Wednesday, August 27, 2025
14:00–16:00

Timetable:
14:00–14:30 – Introduction to DEEPCORE / Q&A
14:30–15:00 – Mentoring Session 1
15:00–15:30 – Mentoring Session 2
15:30–16:00 – Mentoring Session 3

Guest VC:
DEEPCORE

Who is elligible:

• OIST Startups
• OIST Innovation Incubator Tenants
• Deep-Tech startups in Okinawa
• OIST researchers or students interested in startup

Language:
English

Registration Form:
https://forms.office.com/r/aFuLfVmzHH