Akiko Shiono
Head of Business Development
Akiko’s two years living in Finland gave her a profound and positive cultural shock. “Having lived overseas for over seven years, I thought I had a fairly good understanding of the world. But Finland was a society that I had never experienced. It was the most logical and functional society I have ever encountered.”
After returning to Japan, Akiko joined Nordic Innovation House Tokyo, a pan-Nordic governmental community platform supporting Nordic tech startups entering the Japanese market. Her five years at Nordic Innovation House were an invaluable opportunity not only to gain a deep understanding of the Nordic ecosystem, but also to build a strong network with Japanese corporations seeking collaboration and investment opportunities in the Nordics and Europe.
Now at NordicNinja, Akiko feels that all of her past experiences and expertise—once perceived as lacking consistency—are coming together. “To thrive in a venture capital firm, you need to be a well-rounded professional. From my early career at Toshiba, to joining Rakuten’s joint venture providing video streaming content before YouTube and Netflix existed, to working for an NPO in community building and fundraising, and even serving as head of my son’s kindergarten parent-teacher organization—each experience has equipped me with the skills and perspective I rely on today.”
Ultimately, it all comes down to building trust with stakeholders. “I hope to help strengthen trust between Japan and Europe, and to facilitate deeper dialogue between the regions to create a future we can be proud of for generations to come.”