Team Members

SAKAE ASANUMA CFA, MBA

President & CEO

Sakae Asanuma established Taiho Ventures as the founding President in 2016. With a distinguished career in venture capital and executive management, he has been instrumental in shaping the biotech investment landscape. Before founding Taiho Ventures, Sakae served as President and CEO at Astellas Venture Management and as US Head of Astellas Innovation Management from 2011 to 2015. Prior to his tenure at Astellas, he worked at Yasuda Enterprise, a Japan/US-based VC firm, from 2000 to 2011. Throughout his career, Sakae has invested in more than 60 biotech companies, with the majority of his portfolio achieving successful IPOs or M&As. Under his leadership at Taiho Ventures and Astellas, he executed numerous research collaboration deals with academia and biotech ventures, including several build-to-buy or spin-out initiatives. His strategic vision and extensive experience have made significant contributions to the growth and success of the biotech industry.

Seiji Miyahara Ph.D.

Partner & Senior Investment Director

Dr. Miyahara is a Partner & Senior Investment Director at Taiho Ventures, bringing more than 18 years of extensive experience in the life sciences industry. His expertise spans research and development, company creation, and venture capital investments across a wide range of modalities. Since joining Taiho Ventures in 2016, Dr. Miyahara has served as a member of the board of directors or board observer for multiple Taiho portfolio companies, providing strategic guidance and oversight. Before his tenure at Taiho Ventures, Dr. Miyahara spent 12 years at Taiho Pharmaceutical, primarily focusing on oncology. During this time, he played a pivotal role in advancing multiple programs to the clinical stage. Dr. Miyahara earned his PhD in Life Science from Hokkaido University, Japan.

TAKAAKI ISHII

Senior Investment Director

Takaaki Ishii, a trained molecular biologist, joined Taiho Ventures in 2019. With more than 11 years of expertise in oncology, Takaaki has excelled in early-stage clinical development, product portfolio strategies, and scientific evaluations for both in-house and potential partnering programs across a diverse range of cancer types. At Taiho Pharmaceutical, he made significant contributions, including the in-licensing of AB928 (A2aR/A2bR Dual Antagonist) from Arcus Biosciences. Additionally, he served a key role in medical and Medical Science Liaison activities for nab-paclitaxel (ABRAXANE®) and pembrolizumab (KEYTRUDA®) in Japan.

HIDEFUMI KASUGA Ph.D.

Investment Director

Dr. Hidefumi Kasuga joined Taiho Ventures in 2022, bringing with him a wealth of experience in oncology drug discovery and development. Prior to this role, Dr. Kasuga dedicated nine years to Taiho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., where he specialized in developing compounds targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). His contributions in this area have been pivotal in advancing oncology therapeutics. Dr. Kasuga earned his PhD in Pharmaceutical Science from the University of Tokyo in 2013.

TAKAYUKI HIRANO Ph.D.

Associate Investment Director

Dr. Hirano joined Taiho Ventures in 2024, bringing with him more than 15 years of expertise in non-clinical drug development. His extensive experience encompasses toxicological evaluation of drug candidates during discovery and pre-clinical phases, as well as non-clinical project management. As a lead toxicological scientist, Dr. Hirano has significantly contributed to the global development of oncology compounds, playing a crucial role in IND submissions and supporting clinical trials. He earned his PhD in Engineering from Tokushima University, Japan.