Koki Uchiyama is Founder and CEO of Hottolink Inc. He founded hottolink in 2000 and lead it to first IPO among the social media analytics / listening players in the world. He and his team have been exploring the possibility of utilizing Social Big Data and AI especially to support Brands to create and conduct the marketing strategy driven by Data and Evidence for almost 20 years, so he is the pioneer of data driven marketing.
Prior to Hottolink Inc., Koki was engaged in the project of developing one of the first Japanese Internet search engines, when he was in graduate school of Tokyo University in 1995, and then he joined the search engine company founded based on the project, as Vice President.

He also has a strong passion to do social activities. One of his major activities is to lead the projects called as “Famiee projects” which aim to make the society accept the diverse form of family, including LGBTQ couples. He founded non-profit organizations which (1) issue partnership certificates for LGBTQ couples based on blockchain technology and (2)organize the network of big corporations who provide the benefits or services not only for legally married couples but also for families of LGBT couples with the certificates. He is also one of founders and council members of the first International Boarding High School in Japan, called UWC ISAK JAPAN, which gives scholarships to 70% of students coming around the world to create diversity of students in rich/poor, nationality, culture, language, religion etc. His other major activity is to support young entrepreneurs in the world to grow, by taking leadership in the world-wide Entrepreneurs Organization.

On today Show we Talk about:

What was it like to get an Acquisition offer from Softbank and turn it down?

How is running a public company different than running a private company with investors?

Can entrepreneurs from Japan be successful in the US markets? 

What are the possibilities for blockchain technology in the future?

Connect with Koki Uchiyama