Scaling Impact Through Partnership: Yuki Furuta on Tosoh’s Strategy in Advanced Materials
Yuki Furuta, Tosoh’s Vice President of Business Development & Venture Investment.
With a deep legacy in chemistry and advanced materials, long-time Pangaea corporate partner Tosoh leverages venture investment to accelerate innovation and tackle global challenges in life science, electronics, and sustainability. Yuki Furuta, Tosoh’s Vice President of Business Development & Venture Investment, helms the company’s strategy to fuse deep scientific expertise with external innovation, accelerating breakthrough growth in materials science.
In the final edition of our 25th anniversary interview series, Yuki discusses Tosoh’s approach to evaluating hard tech startups: it’s not only about technical excellence and IP, but also about building trust-based relationships and aligning with a shared roadmap for societal impact. By working closely with partners like Pangaea Ventures, Tosoh brings financial support, technical expertise, and manufacturing muscle to those innovations with real-world promise.
And now, our interview with Yuki.
Pangaea Ventures: Tosoh has a strong legacy in advanced materials. How does venture investment fit into your broader strategy for innovation and growth in this sector?
Yuki Furuta: Tosoh’s mid-term business plan identifies advanced materials as a core growth driver. Venture investment is a strategic pillar that complements internal R&D and accelerates commercialization by leveraging our global manufacturing network. By partnering with startups and venture firms, we integrate external innovation into our long-term growth strategy.
PV: What key criteria does Tosoh prioritize when evaluating potential venture investments, especially in hard tech startups pushing boundaries in chemistry and materials science?
YF: We prioritize technologies with strong scientific foundations, clear IP protection, and alignment with our core focus in chemistry and materials science. Strategic fit with Tosoh’s long-term roadmap and the ability to leverage our R&D and manufacturing expertise are key criteria. Beyond technology, we value trust-based relationships and seek opportunities to apply our assets such as R&D, production, and commercialization teams to help innovators scale and deliver societal impact.
PV: How does Tosoh approach collaboration, investment, and co-investment with partners like Pangaea Ventures to accelerate breakthroughs and scale emerging technologies?
YF: We take a strategic approach to collaboration and investment by combining financial support with technical expertise and manufacturing capabilities. We work with partners like Pangaea Ventures to identify high-potential technologies and actively engage in joint development and scale-up activities. This approach accelerates commercialization by leveraging Tosoh’s global network, production infrastructure, and deep materials science knowledge.
PV: Could you share examples of how Tosoh’s venture investments have helped bridge the gap between early-stage innovation and industrial-scale commercialization?
YF: One example is our investment in Semba Biosciences, a pioneer in continuous chromatography technology. Tosoh’s involvement enabled the transition from early-stage innovation to industrial-scale commercialization by providing technical expertise and global market access.
PV: Looking ahead, which emerging trends or technologies in materials science and sustainability excite Tosoh the most, and how is the company positioning itself to capitalize on these opportunities?
YF: Tosoh is focusing on three major areas: Life Science, Electronic Materials, and Environment & Energy innovation, while advancing the development of high-performance materials. By combining material informatics and open innovation with our technology, Tosoh is building a framework to deliver sustainable, high-value solutions that address global needs.