Tokyo - April 1, 2021 - Uzabase, Inc. today announced the integration of its FORCAS and INITIAL businesses, which were previously operated as separate entities, into Uzabase, Inc. It simultaneously announced executive officer appointments in its Corporate division, as well as its FORCAS and INITIAL businesses.
As of April 1, 2021, FORCAS, Inc. and INITIAL, Inc. were integrated into Uzabase, Inc. Going forward, Uzabase will look to further leverage and build upon the strengths shared by these businesses.
In line with this integration, the following new executive officers and CEOs have been appointed for the Corporate division, as well as for the FORCAS and INITIAL businesses.
Comments from the abovementioned new appointees:
Seiji Harikae: Executive Officer, Uzabase Head of Business Process Management
I am very pleased to be given the opportunity to take on the challenge of creating an optimal business management structure for the entire Uzabase group. My goal is to put in place both a management system that enables customer-driven decision making, as well as business processes that allow Uzabase employees to take full advantage of their different abilities. By leveraging my experience in quantitative analysis, M&As, and corporate services, and always striving to support the decision-making processes of our client companies and business people to the best of my ability, I will continue to seek out and embody the best management practices in order to ensure that not only we continue to grow, but that we also help drive the growth of our clients and all other stakeholders.
Shingo Taguchi: CEO of FORCAS Business
Launched as a new business four years ago, FORCAS is now entering a new phase. We anticipate further business development and expansion and therefore view it as essential that our decision-making is swifter and even more customer-oriented than before. In my position as FORCAS CCO, I have been fully responsible for customer success, and I believe that the customer feedback I have gained through this role will enable me to contribute to the speedy and customer-focused decision-making we will require going forward. FORCAS will continue to place the utmost importance on fostering a culture of co-creation with our users and partners as we lead the way forward in pursuit of Uzabase's mission to guide business people to insights that change the world.
Nobuaki Chiba: CEO of INITIAL Business
INITIAL is a service that specialises in the world of startups, a domain at the forefront of business intelligence today in which new services and technologies are constantly being born. In addition to the aggregation of financial data on startups, INITIAL has been visualising trends and practical examples in this sphere through our original content and definitions. The passion to embrace challenge is something I have always felt in my interaction with INITIAL users. In this new position, I will ensure that this enthusiasm continues to be fueled by INITIAL's provision of indispensable value to those with the courage to embrace challenge and drive the creation of new industries.
Fumiya Kohno: CPO of INITIAL Business
As we come to grips with the new normal, the importance of startups that solve problems through dynamic growth continues to rise. In order to support and develop the startup ecosystem, we will accelerate the evolution of the INITIAL product itself by enhancing cooperation with other businesses.
[Profiles]
Seiji Harikae: Executive Officer, Uzabase Head of Business Process Management
A graduate of the University of Tokyo's Graduate School of Science, where he studied astrophysics, Seiji joined Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities following his graduation. There, he worked as a quantitative analyst, primarily developing derivative mark-to-market valuation models. He subsequently also received an MBA from the University of Texas. After returning to his previous position, he worked in the Corporate Planning Department, where he established and managed internal departmental controls, followed by the Investment Banking Division, where he worked in an M&A advisory position. In March 2019, he joined FORCAS, Inc., where he has engaged in a range of corporate operations including financial management, sales management, and human resources. In January 2020, he transferred to Uzabase, Inc. and was appointed as Executive Officer in charge of the corporate operations of the B2B SaaS business. He was subsequently appointed as COO of the B2B SaaS Business in October 2020.
Shingo Taguchi: CEO of FORCAS Business
Shingo joined Uzabase in 2016, initially working in the SPEEDA sales team before joining the FORCAS sales team, where he was responsible for helping clients implement account based marketing (ABM) practices. He was appointed as COO (Chief Operating Officer) of FORCAS in 2018, CRO (Chief Revenue Officer) in 2019, and subsequently CCO (Chief Customer Officer) in 2020.
Nobuaki Chiba: CEO of INITIAL Business
Nobuaki joined Uzabase in 2018, managing the marketing and sales teams of INITIAL, one of Japan’s leading startup databases. Following the integration of Uzabase's B2B SaaS businesses in January 2020, he served as the manager of the Customer Success teams of both SPEEDA and INITIAL, and subsequently assumed the position of Chief Customer Officer (CCO) in 2020.
Fumiya Kohno: CPO of INITIAL Business
Following his graduation from university, Fumiya joined FORCIA, Inc., where he engaged in the development of the search engine "Spook" and company-wide technology strategies. He joined Uzabase in 2018, where he engaged in development and product management for the startup information platform "INITIAL". From 2020, as a new challenge, he has been concurrently serving as Chief Product Officer (CPO) of Boulder Inc. and realizing a new way of working while balancing his duties as Executive Officer of INITIAL Business.
About INITIAL
INITIAL harnesses the power of data and stories to provide original content that reveals both the present and future of the startup ecosystem, disclosing funding reports from an extensive range of media, as well as unique startup growth models and other information. INITIAL’s corporate version provides access to a database of over 16,000 startups and is used by more than 300 corporations, VCs, and financial institutions for a variety of purposes including investment in Japanese startups, M&As, business partnerships, and sales activities.
Website: https://initial.inc/
About FORCAS
FORCAS is a marketing platform that provides comprehensive support for account based marketing (ABM), a strategic approach to B2B marketing. Using data analysis, FORCAS forecasts the companies that marketing activities need to focus on, enabling the effective planning and execution of marketing and sales in cooperation with Sales Force Automation (SFA) and Marketing Automation (MA).
Website: http://www.forcas.com/
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