WE AT Announces Judges for the “Human Well-being” Track at WE AT CHALLENGE 2026, a Global Pitch Contest Aiming to Become One of Asia’s Largest Festivals for Well-being
WE AT, a general incorporated association dedicated to advancing the well-being industry by addressing global social challenges, is pleased to announce the judges and Science Advisor for Track 2 “Human Well-being” of WE AT CHALLENGE 2026, its annual global pitch contest aiming to become one of Asia’s largest well-being festivals.
WE AT CHALLENGE Enters Its Third Year, Bringing Together Leading Experts from Industry and Academia for a Multidimensional Selection Process
WE AT CHALLENGE is an annual global pitch contest organized by WE AT with the aim of becoming one of Asia’s largest festivals for well-being. Now entering its third year, WE AT CHALLENGE 2026 features four tracks covering different areas of social challenges. Each track will conduct its own selection process to identify teams that will receive support from WE AT.
Track 2: Human Well-being — Enriching Lives and Health for People Around the World — is designed for challengers seeking to advance human well-being with lifelong health as its foundation.
The track welcomes healthcare businesses that broadly contribute to physical, mental, social, and financial well-being. Its scope encompasses diverse forms of wellness—including improved quality of life, individuality and diversity, personal values, a sense of belonging, and social connection—as well as deep-tech innovations arising from the rapid progress of life sciences and contributing to healthy longevity.
WE AT is pleased to announce the four judges, including the Head Judge, and one Science Advisor for Track 2.
Track 2 covers an exceptionally broad range of fields, including healthcare, medicine, drug discovery, and finance. The panel brings together distinguished experts capable of evaluating challengers from both global and highly specialized perspectives, alongside judging members from Sumitomo Life Insurance Company, Canon Marketing Japan Inc., Hakuhodo Inc., MS&AD Insurance Group Holdings, Inc., and Kyoto University Innovation Capital Co., Ltd.
The Guest Judges will participate in the second and final selection rounds, contributing their expertise as external specialists to the selection of teams that will receive support from WE AT, as well as the winning team. To enable evaluation from multiple perspectives, each track brings together four leading experts from industry, academia, and the public sector.
During the final selection round, the Science Advisor will provide academic and expert insights into the significance, latest developments, and key agendas of the field covered by the track, and will pose questions to the candidates. One Science Advisor is appointed for each track.
Track 2 The Head Judge
Tomoyoshi Koyanagi,
Program-Specific Professor, Kyoto University Hospital
＜Biography＞
Tomoyoshi Koyanagi accelerates the commercialization of university-based medical innovations by building end-to-end development infrastructure from basic science to clinical application. He leads the Japan implementation of SPARK, Stanford University’s renowned translational research program, and organizes “HVC KYOTO,” an all-English pitch platform where startups receive strategic feedback directly from global pharmaceutical executives—enabling VCs to assess investment opportunities while observing real-world commercialization strategies. In 2025, he co-founded BioLabs Japan and BioLabs Academy with BioLabs, a leading U.S. incubator operator, to establish a gateway for cross-border investment and strategic partnerships between Japan and the global biotech ecosystem. Previously, he held business development roles at multinational companies and biotech ventures in drug discovery and regenerative medicine. He now drives venture creation and industry-academia collaboration at Kyoto University. Koyanagi earned his Ph.D. from Osaka University and trained under Dr. Daria Mochly-Rosen, founder of SPARK, at Stanford University.
＜Comment＞
Pure economic rationality can no longer sustain global markets. Well-being emerges as the critical metric for socio-economic resilience. WE AT leverages Japan as a nexus connecting Eastern philosophy and Western market dynamics to turn human-centric ideals into self-sustaining businesses—defining value far beyond traditional financial metrics.
Track 2 Guest Judges
Kazuhiro Ito,
Professor, Imperial College/Institute of Science Tokyo
＜Biography＞
Kaz Ito is a Veterinary medicine graduate in Hokkaido University, and then has built a distinctive career spanning academia, industry, and biotech entrepreneurship, enabling him to bridge scientific innovation with commercial execution. Kaz has worked in Imperial College for 25 years, and his expertise and track record have earned recognition in both industrial pharmacology and academic respiratory disease research, with a strong publication record on COPD, asthma and respiratory infection (including publications in NEJM ). Kaz also co-founded three biotech companies focused on inhaled/intranasal medicines—RespiVert, Pulmocide, and SubIntro/RIGImmune Inc.—and held positions in major pharmaceutical companies (Sankyo, Johnson & Johnson). Leveraging this experience, Kaz is now increasingly engaged in supporting startups within academia and accelerator programs, fostering translational research, venture creation, and early-stage growth strategies. Kaz is currently holding the post of Specially Appointed Professor in the Centre for Medical Innovation in the Institute of Science Tokyo.
＜Comment＞
Through the unique perspective of connecting with the world via “Well-being,” We-AT not only provides a platform where young talents can take on challenges without fear of failure, but also fosters ideas and human resources that can thrive in the global market. I look forward to seeing the innovations of We-AT certified startups expand into the international community.
Tomoko Inoue,
Managing Partner, Red Capital Co., Ltd.
＜Biography＞
Tomoko Inoue is the Managing Partner of Red Capital, a healthcare-focused venture capital firm. She leads investments in medical devices, digital health, and life sciences, building ventures that combine scientific excellence with social impact.
Previously, she served as CEO of Omron’s Corporate Venture Capital arm, where she spearheaded global investments, connected cutting-edge technologies with major corporations, and advanced open innovation. Earlier in her career, she was a founding member and senior manager of medical device–focused venture capital fund under the Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ), establishing a strong foundation at the intersection of finance, science, and entrepreneurship.
Her career reflects a consistent commitment to supporting visionary entrepreneurs and creating sustainable healthcare systems that extend beyond treatment to enhancing human well-being. She is dedicated to empowering innovators and communities to deliver solutions that advance global well-being.
Education: B.A. in Economics, Hitotsubashi University; MBA, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania; Ph.D. in Advanced Biomedical Sciences, Tokyo Women’s Medical University – Waseda University Joint Graduate Program; Faculty Fellow, Stanford Biodesign.
＜Comment＞
Startups have the power to go beyond conventions and shape the future. Even the smallest challenges can eventually move society in profound ways and transform people’s lives. I am truly excited to witness such moments and look forward to seeing many new stories emerge from this program.
Raymond Woo,
Singapore Office Representative, Kyoto University Innovation Capital
＜Biography＞
Raymond Woo is the Singapore Office Representative of Kyoto University and its fully-owned VC (venture capital) arm, Kyoto iCAP (Kyoto University Innovation Capital). He leads the Singapore office’s role as Kyoto University and Kyoto iCAP’s global technology commercialization hub, where he supports the global business development and fundraising of Kyoto iCAP’s startups, and builds international research and commercialization partnerships throughout the world. He was previously with Temasek-funded PEVC (private equity and venture capital) firm, Pavilion Capital, where he was focused on Japan investments, including post-investment value creation, and before then, he spent more than a decade in management consulting and financial advisory. Raymond has an LLB (Bachelor of Laws) from Osaka University on an MEXT (Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) Scholarship, and an MPA (Master of Public Administration) from Cornell University on the Fulbright Scholarship. He is fluent in English, Japanese, Malay and Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese), having spent many years in Malaysia, Japan, the US and Singapore.
＜Comment＞
I am honored to be part of the panel of WE AT CHALLENGE evaluating some of the top tech startups in Japan. I am a firm believer in the global potential of Japanese tech startups due to their excellent technical skills, business models and professional acumen, and I will continue to support them as much as I can.
Track2：Science Advisor
Kohei Tsumoto
Ph.D. (Engineering), Professor, Department of Bioengineering, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo / Dean, Graduate School of Engineering / Special Advisor to the President / Professor, Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo
＜Biography＞
Kouhei Tsumoto received his BS degree in Biological Chemistry from the University of Tokyo in 1991, and obtained PhD degree in Biological Chemistry from the University of Tokyo in 1997. He began an academic career at Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan (1995), and had been involved in the antibody engineering project (1995-2005). In 2005, he was promoted to Associate Professor of the Department of Medical Genome Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, the University of Tokyo, and in 2010, he was promoted to Professor of Medical Proteomics Laboratory, Institute of Medical Science, the University of Tokyo, and currently is a full professor of bioengineering, School of Engineering, the University of Tokyo. Since 2023, Prof. Tsumoto has served as Vice Dean of the School of Engineering. From 2021 to 2026, he concurrently served as Special Advisor to the President of the University of Tokyo. Since 2026, he has served as Dean of the Graduate School of Engineering and Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, the University of Tokyo.
＜Comment＞
The total number of undergraduate and graduate students who have great interests in start-up have been exponentially growing up in universities. We strongly believe that WE AT CHALLAGE 2026 accelerates the momentum.
About WE AT
Legal entity: General Incorporated Association WE AT
Founding organizations: The University of Tokyo; Kyoto University; Institute of Science Tokyo; UTokyo Innovation Platform Co., Ltd.; Hakuhodo Inc.; Sumitomo Life Insurance Company; and Canon Marketing Japan Inc.
Member companies: Kyoto University Innovation Capital Co., Ltd.; Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, Limited; Panasonic Holdings Corporation; Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.; Mitsubishi Electric Corporation; Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation; TBS Holdings, Inc.; ABeam Consulting Ltd.; Tokyu Land Corporation; and MS&AD Insurance Group Holdings, Inc.
Established: May 16, 2024
Headquarters: Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Representatives: Co-Representative Directors: Itaru Yoshizawa and Hiroki Fujimoto
Vice-Representative Director: Daisuke Kanema
Business activities: Identifying and nurturing social entrepreneurs; supporting startup creation and growth; organizing and co-hosting events; developing human resources; and conducting research, surveys, and policy recommendations.
Official website: https://we-at.tokyo/en/