Yuki Shirato

Yuki Shirato is a seasoned investor, serial entrepreneur and attorney with 25 years of experience bridging law and global business.

Known for providing strategic and practical advice, he currently serves as Managing Director of Techstars Japan, where he leads one of the world’s most active startup accelerator programs. He also serves as Senior Advisor at Pangaea Ventures, a US/Canada-based hardtech focused venture capital, and Venture Partner at Silicon Foundry, an innovation advisory firm.

An active angel investor, Yuki has backed over 50 startups, including several unicorns, and is the founder of Yakumi, an international angel network connecting investors across Japan, the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. His track record also includes co-founding three venture-backed startups.

Previously, Yuki spent over a decade at top-tier global law firms across New York, Toronto, Abu Dhabi/Dubai, Singapore, and Tokyo. As a New York-qualified attorney and registered foreign attorney in Japan, he has advised Fortune 500 companies, private equity and venture capital funds, family offices, and startups at all stages of growth. His work has spanned M&A, fund formation and due diligence and complex cross-border transactions exceeding $100 billion in aggregate value.

Earlier in his career, Yuki held strategic roles as a management consultant at Bain & Company and as a trade negotiator at Keidanren, Japan’s premier business federation. He holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Toronto, a Master of Business Administration from the University of British Columbia and Duke University and a Bachelor of Arts in International Law and Economics from the University of Tokyo.

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