Our CEO Konno will be appearing at an official INPIT roundtable discussion.
~ Discussing "Survival Strategies" for Deep Tech Startups with Industry Experts ~
BIRD INITIATIVE Inc. Representative Director and CEO Satoshi Konno appeared in a special dialogue featured in the IPAS Case Study Collection published by INPIT (an independent administrative institution under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Japan Patent Office) in April 2026. The dialogue theme was "How Can Deep Tech Startups Break Through the 'Business, Funding, and Talent' Dilemma? ~ Survival Strategies as Told by Business and Intellectual Property Experts ~" and is featured on pages 26–31 of the case study collection.
In this roundtable discussion, Konno engaged in dialogue alongside leading experts in their respective fields — including VC investors, patent attorneys, and lawyers — addressing the challenge of the "three-way deadlock of business, funding, and talent" that deep tech startups face, as well as strategies to overcome it. The inclusion of our company's insights in this publication — the culmination of "IPAS," Japan's largest intellectual property accelerator program — demonstrates that BIRD INITIATIVE's integrated approach combining intellectual property, business, and investment has been recognized by a public institution.
The key proposals presented by our Representative Director Konno at the roundtable discussion are as follows.
1) Traction is not "revenue" but rather "the accumulation of hypothesis validation"
For deep tech companies, traction is the process of hypothesis validation itself. He pointed out that "the fact that a hypothesis has been refined and evolved is precisely the point that investors are looking at," and that without demonstrating business appeal and progress in hypothesis validation, neither funding nor talent will follow.
2) Concentrate investment in flagship patents
He proposed that in the IT sector, a single flagship patent is sufficient, and that "even if it costs over one million yen for a single patent, you should pursue the strongest patent possible." He also emphasized that in the coming era, it is investors — even more so than specialists — who should be advocating for the importance of intellectual property.
3) The winning formula in the AI era is "Tacit Knowledge × AI"
While AI can instantly generate a draft scoring 60–70 points, what truly holds value is "tacit knowledge and proprietary know-how that AI cannot capture." He stated that the winning formula going forward is to take AI-generated drafts and refine them to a perfect score using your company's own expertise and know-how.
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• About INPIT
National Institute of Industrial Property Information and Training (INPIT)
As an independent administrative institution under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, INPIT works in close collaboration with the Japan Patent Office and serves as a specialized institution providing information on intellectual property (IP) — including patents, utility models, designs, and trademarks — as well as offering consultation services and human resource development.
Profile of Our CEO, Satoshi Konno
Representative Director and CEO of BIRD INITIATIVE Inc.
After working in new business development at a major SI company, he gained experience at a venture capital firm supporting portfolio company growth, investing in the cloud sector, and providing IPO support. Following entrepreneurial ventures in the United States, including a company acquisition, he also contributed to building an "intellectual property × finance" model at IP Bridge. He currently leads BIRD INITIATIVE, supporting new business creation originating from large corporations. He has been selected as one of IAM's "300 Global IP Strategists." He holds an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin, and holds certifications as a Network Specialist and Database Specialist. He is also actively involved in various startup support initiatives, including Tokyo Metropolitan Government's ASAC, the Japan Patent Office's IPAS program, and committees related to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.