Taihei Shii
Chief Executive Officer
Taihei Shii is the founder and the CEO at Startbahn. Prior to Startbahn, he has served as an Adjunct Professor in Tokyo University of the Arts. Taihei is a contemporary artist, with works focusing on art of the information age and have been exhibited in various galleries and museums. Taihei formulated the original idea of Startbahn and filed patents for the royalty fee system in Japan and US back in 2006. Startbahn as an organization was then later founded during his graduate school years in 2014. More recently, Tahei became the CEO of Tokyo Art Beat in 2020 when the NPO relaunched as a new company. In addition to these activities, Taihei also serves as a research fellow at Interspace Research Center, Institute of Industrial Science, the University of Tokyo, and a director of Eastern Culture Foundation from 2022. Taihei holds BA in oil painting from the Tama Art University and MS in interdisciplinary information studies from the University of Tokyo.
Keisuke Ota
Chief Operation Officer
Completed the Department of Architecture Graduate School of Engineering the University of Tokyo. Established museums and brand shops as architects at Herzog & de Meuron. In 2015, He turned into a management strategy consultant at Bain & Company. Engaged in management support for major companies at Tokyo and Dubai branch offices. Participated in Startbahn in 2019.
Takanori Tayama
Chief Financial Officer and New Business Development
After graduating from Keio University's Faculty of Science and Technology, he worked for human resources venture company and served as a director at an independent venture capital firm, managing four funds and fostering investment for over 10 years. He subsequently provided financing support to multiple small and medium-sized enterprises and startups such as a creative agency having network in Asia, and experienced exits as CFO for a data aggregation startup for the nursing care industry. In 2020, he co-founded an incubation company, also served as co-CEO of a manufacturing startup in Singapore. He joined Startbahn in October 2025.
Ryutaro Katayama
Outside Director
He holds BA in Economics and MA in Sociology from Keio University in Tokyo and MBA from Harvard Business School. After successfully revived several well-known but distressed companies as a CEO or a turnaround architect, he served as the President of Giuliani Partners Japan and Japan office of Christie's, the oldest and the largest auction house in the world. He is also a founding member of Whiz Partners, a leading venture capital firm. He has sat on the numerous boards of prominent companies and an art foundation. Through the various positions above, he got engaged in approximately 100 M&A deals. He loves both visual and performing arts as well as golf and tennis.
Yayoi Shionoiri
Outside Director
Yayoi Shionoiri serves as Executive Director to the Estate of Chris Burden and the Studio of Nancy Rubins, where she is responsible for stewarding Burden's art historical legacy and promoting Rubins' artistic practice. She also serves as U.S. Alliance Partner to City Lights Law, a Japanese law firm that represents creators, innovators, and artists. As a published specialist on art law, she is respected for her application of intellectual property law to art issues. In the past, Yayoi has served as General Counsel and Head of Asia Strategy to Artsy, Associate General Counsel of The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, and Legal Advisor to Takashi Murakami. She has degrees from Harvard University, Cornell Law School and Columbia University. ( Photo by © Munemasa Takahashi ) Instagram: @yayoi_shionoiri
Hisayori Kataoka
Outside Auditor
Completed his BA in Economics in Keio University. Started his career at Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu LLC as a certified public accountant and became a partner in 2002. Over 30 years in his career, auditing and consulting of companies preparing for IPO were his specialties and simultaneously, he worked as a director of the Chiba office and the Yokohama office. Also, he experienced committee operations as a member of the scope of consolidation advisory committee and investment limited partnership committee at The Japanese Institute of Certified Public Accountants. After leaving Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu LLC in 2020, he became a venture partner at the University of Tokyo Edge Capital Partners Co., Ltd.
Tasuku Mizuno
Outside Auditor
Attorney at City Lights Law Office in Tokyo. His profession covers IP Law, Entertainment Law, Art Law, Internet Law, Information Law and so forth. He is also the representative director of “Arts and Law”, and is the co-director of “Creative Commons Japan (currently Commonsphere).” He serves as the senior researcher of KEIO University Research Institute at SFC (Legal Design Lab), and also is the judge of “GOOD DESIGN AWARD,” a member of “Fab Commons” (FabLab Japan), and quite active in Open Source projects, Sharing culture, new copyright definition for digital contents or digital fabrication.
Miwa Taguchi
Senior Advisor
Born in 1967. Graduated from the Department of Social Work, Graduate School of Sociology, Meiji Gakuin University. Around 2013, she succeeded to the management of her father's art collection, Taguchi Art Collection. Taguchi has visited numerous exhibitions, art festivals, and art fairs in Japan and abroad to enhance the collection. In 2019, she established the Arts Plus Institute of Contemporary Art, a general incorporated association, and has conducted seminars and other activities to bridge the information gap between Japan and the rest of the world regarding contemporary art. [ Arts Plus Institute for Contemporary Art ] https://www.facebook.com/artsplus2019/
Tomohiro Nakamura
Technical Advisor
Tomohiro served as CTO at Startbahn from 2020 to 2025, where he architected and built Startrail from the ground up across both on-chain and off-chain layers. He is currently the CTO of Tané and continues to work on web3 applications and protocols. He holds a B.S. and M.S. in Computer Science from Waseda University.
Kodai Kimura
Legal Advisor
Attorney admitted in Japan, New York & Washington D.C. (Partner at Kobayashi & Yugeta Law Office). In the field of Art Law , Mr. Kimura advises artists, art galleries, art related start-ups, museums, curators, art consultants, collectors, public art consulting firms, art media and various companies involved in art projects, and has contributed articles to reputable media such as Bijutsutecho and Forbes JAPAN.
Kensuke Ito
Blockchain Researcher
Graduated from Department of Economics, School of Political Science and Economics, Waseda University. Graduated from Socio-Information and Communication Studies Course, Interfaculty Initiative in Information Studies Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Information Studies, The University of Tokyo. Being interested in modern art market, he is studying about an incentive design to decentralize the managing activities for intellectual property. He has been participated in Startbahn before the establishment.
Sadegh Nobari
Development Dept. Blockchain Engineer
Sadegh is a computer scientist whose passion is to find potential improvements for a business/problem. His expertise is in creating feasible, efficient, scalable and maintainable solutions, and has more than 15 years of experience in the field, including serving as a Research Scientist at Rakuten. PS. he holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the National University of Singapore. Algorithm is his hobby.
Nguyen Hoang Anh
Development Dept. Senior Full Stack Engineer
Anh is Full Stack Engineer with experience of data warehouse, credit card payment, crypto trading platform, crypto payment, and telemedicine platform. After working for 9 years as a lecturer at HCMC University of Science, Anh worked for some startup companies in Japan. Anh joins Startbahn with the vision of contributing the art blockchain. Anh received his MS in Computer Science at HCMC University of Science, Vietnam.
Alvin Effendy
Product Designer
Alvin is a Product Designer from Jakarta, Indonesia, with a foundation in Visual Communication Design and a broad background spanning B2B, B2C, advertising agencies, startup environments, and blockchain-focused products. His experience ranges from shaping digital experiences in fast-paced teams to working closely with leadership on product direction, combining visual clarity with practical decision-making. At Startbahn, Alvin contributes to building user-centered experiences that align with both product goals and the creative-tech landscape, delivering thoughtful, effective solutions with a grounded and collaborative approach.
Miguel Angel Morcillo Hidalgo
Marketing
From Spain, living in Japan since 2019. Former professional eSports player and certified JLPT N1 speaker. Worked in Tokyo’s gaming industry, participated in some of Japan’s most notable crypto projects, and later built his own marketing company bridging Japan and Europe in the tourism sector. Joined Startbahn in May 2025.
Yumiko Horiguchi
Business Development Dept. Customer Support / Operation
From Fukuoka, Japan. Graduated from Oil Painting Program, Faculty of Art, Aichi University of the Arts. After working at modern art gallery, entered Startbahn. Her favorite artists are Thomas Cyrill Demand and David Hockney.
Masataka Tanaka
Business Development Dept. Customer Support / Operation
Born in 1994, from Shimane. Graduated from Department of Photography, College of Art, Nihon University. After working as a university research assistant, worked as a photographer. He is also working on art production, received the Dean of the Arts Award for university graduation work and held a solo exhibition in 2018. Currently, as a photographer, he shoots portrait, bridal, and movie etc. He has participated in startbahn in 2019. Enjoys reading books.
Maki Morisaki
CEO Office
From Aichi, Japan. Graduated from Waseda university. She worked for more than seven years as a reporter at an industrial newspaper where she was appointed as the main reporter for startup projects. That role that significantly shaped her professional trajectory. After living in Europe, she resumed her career in an AI startup and later at an international cooperation foundation. Joined Startbahn from October 2025.
Josephine Yamada
Corporate Planning
Specialises in regulatory strategy and new business promotion at the intersection of art and finance. Prior to joining Startbahn, she served as a core member of Deloitte Art & Finance Japan, assisting FSIs in developing collectibles wealth management services based on global leading practices. Holds B.A. LL.B and MSc Corporate Governance
Kim Eunji
Business Development
Studied Law at university and participated in a research project on the global art market at a Korean government organization. Subsequently built professional experience by planning and managing a wide range of arts and culture projects—including exhibitions, performances, and independent film screenings—at foundations and galleries. Based on this hands-on background, completed a master's degree in Art & Business. After the pandemic, focused on the potential of technology within the art ecosystem and planned the first NFT art fair in Korea. Worked with global brands and local governments in Japan to design and create metaverse spaces for various purposes. Aims to create environments where more people can experience and connect through art without barriers, using technology to expand trustworthy and accessible art experiences.
Michiyo Nozawa
Administrative Dept.
Born in Saitama Prefecture. After working in accounting and finance at an accounting firm and a listed company, she worked as a manager in the corporate planning group of an IT venture company and as a business administration manager of a pharmaceutical R&D venture company with subsidiaries in the United States and Taiwan. After working in accounting for many years, she joined Startbahn in 2021. Her hobby is to grow vegetables in a community farm. She is also interested in supporting shelter dogs, as her current dog is a shelter dog.
Masahiro Saito
Administrative Dept.
Born in 1990, from Tokyo. Graduated from Department of Economics Policy Studies at Rikkyo University. After graduating, engaged in the TCG industry, gaining experience in product pricing, purchasing, selection, and buying, leveraging strong product knowledge. Later worked in accounting at a beauty-related medical device import agency. Joined Startbahn in October 2025.
Interested in blockchain technology for its potential to enhance transparency, coverage, and liquidity.
Hobbies include outdoor activities, cycling, coffee, and DJing. Motto: “Crossover”—exploring music that transcends eras and borders.