Yoshito Denawa

Yoshito Denawa is the Founder and CEO of CF Startup Partners Inc. (hereinafter referred to as “CFSP”), a startup accelerator program in Japan. CFSP operates “CVC Investment Strategy Study Group” with more than 200 members of listed companies, and organizes open innovation events for the members and local governments. In 2024, CFSP just held the “CFS Open Innovation Pitch 2024 in Tokyo”, one of the largest open innovation events in Japan.  

Denawa started his career in 1983 as an IPO consultant with the license of Certified Public Accountant at Ernst & Young ShinNihon LLC after graduating from Keio University with a Bachelor of Economics. In 1997, He founded D.Brain Securities, Co., Ltd., the first IPO focused securities firm in Japan. D.Brain played a role of a lead underwriter for more than 150 newly listed companies on “Green Sheet”, pre-IPO market which used to be operated by Japan Securities and Dealers Association, and other stock exchanges in Japan. He resigned as the CEO of D.Brain in 2010 after the world financial crisis and set up DAN Venture Capital Inc., the origin of CFSP, in 2015.