Founders @ Vinnie's Kitchen Monthly Catchup (July) Featuring Vipin Pathak, Yoshiki Sasaki, Hiroyuki Ohnishi
Founders @Vinnie’s Kitchen – July 2025 Catchup
About the Community
Founders @Vinnie’s Kitchen is a curated, invite-only community of 500+ founders, investors, and key ecosystem enablers in India’s startup landscape. Since May 2024, we’ve been building a trusted third space—distinct from home or work—where founders support one another in navigating the entrepreneurial journey.
We maintain an active WhatsApp community and host monthly in-person meetups to encourage practical collaboration and authentic connection.
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July 2025 -Special Guests:
Thanks to one of our early supporters, Vipin Pathak (IIT-K 2006, ex-PwC, ex-EY, Co-founder & CEO of Care24), this month’s catchup will feature two distinguished guests from Japan’s startup and venture capital ecosystem:
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⏺️Yoshiki Sasaki
CEO, Social Impact Solutions Co., Ltd.
Mr. Sasaki is a senior investment executive and entrepreneur with more than four decades of experience in industrial engineering, global venture capital, and social impact innovation.
Education • B.E. in Mechanical Engineering (1973) • M.S. in Systems Engineering (1976), Kyoto University
Career Highlights • Early career at Hitachi, Ltd. in steel rolling plant automation • Industry Consultant at SRI International (1988) • Joined Japan Asia Investment Co., Ltd. (JAIC) in 1996 as Executive Board Member • Led 150+ successful exits in Southeast Asia after the Asian Financial Crisis • Pioneered: • Japan’s first VC funds in China (2001) and Vietnam (2006) • A distressed debt fund in Southeast Asia (2003) • Japan’s first biotech-focused fund (2003) • Early investor and board member at Alibaba (2002)
Current Role CEO of Social Impact Solutions Co., Ltd., a group of ventures focused on senior healthcare, agribusiness, startup acceleration, impact investment, and advanced materials innovation.
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⏺️Hiroyuki Ohnishi
Chairman, Technology Seed Incubation Co., Ltd. (TSI) Chairman, Ion Technology Center Co., Ltd.
Mr. Ohnishi is a veteran venture investor and builder of early-stage and university-linked startups in Japan.
Education • LL.B., Chuo University
Career Highlights • Joined JAIC in 1991, led investments in over 50 companies • Initiated internal venture arm “Business using our own capital” in 2000 • Founded a technology seed fund with Hitachi in 2001 • Founded Technology Seed Incubation (TSI) in 2002, focused on university-based and seed-stage startups • Acquired and transformed Ion Engineering Research Institute into Ion Technology Center (2005) • Restructured and established the TSI Group in 2018
Notable IPO Investments Takasho, NOVA, FoodsNet, Nihon Eslead, Mag Garden (now IG Holdings), SHOEI, Sun City, Daiyu Eight, Yakudo, JSS, Re-Tem Reverse
Current Roles • Chairman: TSI and Ion Technology Center • Auditor: Axiohelix Co., Ltd., Shunbin Co., Ltd. • Director: Toraru Co., Ltd., Skylink Technologies Co., Ltd.
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Contribution Details:
To keep the meetups sustainable, contributions are as follows: • ₹500 – Entry only • ₹1000 – Entry + Buffet Dinner + Non-Alcoholic Beverages • ₹2000 – Entry + Buffet + Beer & Wine • Optional higher contributions are welcome if you’d like to support the initiative further (some patrons have done so in the past)
Note: While the actual cost per person is higher, some of the expenses this month are being subsidized by Vipin to make it accessible for most founders.
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Payment Instructions:
A QR code for contributions will be shared: • In the “Catchups & Meetups” WhatsApp group • At the venue on the day of the event
If you need assistance, reach out to Shubham at +91 9769703607