May Takahashi
Senior Associate
Investment Focus & Current Projects
May invests in startup companies across the fields of Sustainability, Digital Health, and Fintech. She is particularly passionate about supporting startups that contribute to planetary and human health and promote financial inclusion. In addition to her investment activities, May actively supports her portfolio companies and investors by facilitating strategic collaborations and aiding in market expansion to Asia, especially Japan.
Professional Journey
May brings over 10 years of experience in venture investment, corporate innovation, and business development to her current role. Prior to joining Translink, she served as a Business Development Manager at Marubeni, where she developed a new business strategy focused on Digital Health. During her tenure, she led investments and secured partnership deals with several medical AI startups in the US. She played a crucial role in helping these startups obtain regulatory approval and expand their operations into the Japanese market by coordinating efforts with various stakeholders. Most recently, May was a Business Development and Investment Manager at DEFTA Partners, an early-stage venture capital firm specializing in healthcare. In this role, she managed the US portfolio companies in the digital health, medical device, and therapeutics sectors and provided extensive support in business development, strategic planning, and fundraising for these portfolio companies.
Education
May holds an MBA from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and a BA in Psychology from Aoyama Gakuin University.
Passion
May loves exploring wine and food, often experimenting with new recipes in her kitchen. (Fun fact: She has a cooking license in Japan) She finds inspiration in nature through challenging hikes and practices meditation to enhance her quality of life.
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