NanoFrontier CEO Seiya Inoue to Speak at Co-LABO MAKER Online Event
NanoFrontier CEO Seiya Inoue to Speak at Co-LABO MAKER Online Event
Sharing Practical Insights on What It Takes to Launch a PoC and Co-Create with Industry — Hosted by Co-LABO MAKER Co., Ltd.
Tuesday, August 25, 2026 | 17:00–18:00 | Online | Free Admission
NanoFrontier Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Sendai, Miyagi; Representative Director: Seiya Inoue; hereinafter “NanoFrontier”) is pleased to announce that Representative Director Seiya Inoue will speak at an online event hosted by Co-LABO MAKER Co., Ltd.: “Has Your Technology Made It to PoC Yet? — The Reality of a Startup That Has Generated Numerous PoCs, and the Future of Co-Creation” (Tuesday, August 25, 2026, 17:00–18:00, held online).
Background
In the materials and chemistry sectors, promising technologies have long faced a difficult journey from the research stage to proof-of-concept (PoC) with industry partners. Misalignment between a technology’s potential and a company’s application needs, unclear evaluation criteria, and the inability to produce even small-scale prototypes — these are among the reasons that dialogue stalls and technologies remain stranded before ever reaching society.
NanoFrontier has built a track record of technology validation with industry partners, grounded in its proprietary nanoparticle generation technology. The company takes a hands-on approach: testing whether nanoparticulation is achievable under the specific materials and conditions a customer brings, and handling everything from manufacturing to evaluation in-house. At this event, Inoue will share what NanoFrontier has learned from this practice — specifically, the conditions that allow a PoC to actually get off the ground — from the perspective of a startup.
About “Has Your Technology Made It to PoC Yet?”
This program explores what it takes for a technology deemed promising at the research stage to reach proof-of-concept with an industry partner, through dialogue with a startup that has accumulated real PoC experience. The goal is to create a space where participants can reflect on their own technologies and projects and think concretely about their “next step.”
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Event Name | Has Your Technology Made It to PoC Yet? — The Reality of a Startup That Has Generated Numerous PoCs, and the Future of Co-Creation |
| Organizer | Co-LABO MAKER Co., Ltd. |
| Date & Time | Tuesday, August 25, 2026, 17:00–18:00 |
| Venue | Online (Zoom) |
| Admission | Free |
| Registration | https://web.co-labo-maker.com/materialcatapult_lead |
| Event Page | https://peatix.com/event/5140473 |
About Co-LABO MAKER
Co-LABO MAKER Co., Ltd. operates “Collabo Maker,” a research resource sharing platform designed to enable agile research and development. Focused primarily on the materials, chemistry, and life sciences sectors, the company supports the optimal circulation of R&D resources by connecting researchers and research institutions with corporations.
■ Speaker Profile
Yuki Furuya, Representative Director & CEO, Co-LABO MAKER Co., Ltd.
Completed his master’s degree at Tohoku University’s Graduate School of Engineering in 2011, during which he authored eight first-author papers. He subsequently joined Showa Denko K.K. (now Resonac Corporation), where he was involved in the R&D and business launch of power semiconductor (SiC) wafers. Drawing on his own experience, he founded Co-LABO MAKER Co., Ltd. in April 2017 with the mission of democratizing research and development. Since 2020, he has served as a Visiting Associate Professor at Tohoku University, and is working to build a new R&D ecosystem in which industry and academia develop together.
About NanoFrontier
NanoFrontier is a deep-tech startup originating from Tohoku University, built on its proprietary nanoparticle generation technology. By reducing compounds to the nanoscale, the company unlocks new functional properties and advances their application in environmental and energy materials.
■ Comment from the CEO
“In the world of materials, the distance between a research result and actual use in society is among the longest of any field — and that is where most technologies come to a halt. To close that gap, I believe companies must build the capability to carry out everything from prototyping to evaluation in-house, and to verify whether a solution holds up under a customer’s specific conditions. The creation of knowledge is not the exclusive domain of research institutions. When companies advance academically grounded technologies all the way through to manufacturing themselves, that is what drives long-term value and sustained technological innovation.”
Seiya Inoue, Representative Director, NanoFrontier Co., Ltd.
■ Representative Profile
Seiya Inoue, Representative Director, NanoFrontier Co., Ltd.
Studied the total synthesis of novel organic compounds at the Faculty of Agriculture, The University of Tokyo, and completed his master’s degree at the Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, where he subsequently researched protein reaction prediction using machine learning. While still a student, he gained experience in project management at an AI development venture, as a due diligence analyst at a real estate fund, and in portfolio company support at a venture capital firm. After joining Microsoft, he supported application developers and conducted technical sales leveraging Azure. He later founded Catalis Partners Group, where he developed AI application and SaaS businesses. In April 2025, he founded NanoFrontier Co., Ltd. as a Tohoku University startup, and continues in his current role.
Company Profile
- Company Name: NanoFrontier Co., Ltd.
- Representative: Seiya Inoue, Representative Director
- Address: Room 215, Material Solutions Center (MaSC), Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai-shi, Miyagi Prefecture
- Established: April 7, 2025
- Business Activities:
- R&D, manufacturing, and sales of reagents and functional materials using organic nanoparticle technologies
- Contract manufacturing of organic nanoparticles and provision of related technologies
- Technology licensing and consulting in the field of organic nanoparticle technologies
- Website: https://nanofrontier.jp