Mr. Shin Sasaki
SPHinX, Inc. COO
University of Tsukuba Graduate School<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Born in Fukushima Prefecture in 1997. Currently 27 years old. Since 2022, he has been enrolled in the doctoral program at the University of Tsukuba. Inspired by his experience of the Great East Japan Earthquake while in middle school, he has been developing medical devices and technologies at the graduate level that can be used even in environments lacking infrastructure, such as disaster-stricken areas and developing countries. In August 2024, he co-founded SPHinX, Inc. with his academic advisors and assumed the role of Representative Director and COO. His areas of expertise include polymer materials and biomaterials science. His hobbies include saunas and tennis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He completed the Ph.D. program at the Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, and holds a Ph.D. in Life Sciences. He is a founding member of Ribboness. He established Ribboness\u2019s research institute and built the foundation for the company\u2019s research support and R&D operations. To date, he has devised unique business models, such as the \u201cLifene Research Grant\u201d and \u201cL-RAD,\u201d a platform for underutilized research ideas, and has led numerous initiatives involving industry, academia, and the education sector. He has served as President and COO since 2010. Since 2022, he has concurrently served as Representative Director of Lifene Capital, Inc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Shin Sasaki developed a rapid diagnostic kit for infectious diseases and founded a company while still a doctoral student. He was driven by his advisor\u2019s passion and his own desire to use technology to help solve challenges in the medical field. Sasaki\u2019s company, which started with three researchers, has already taken a major step forward, including the launch of a pilot study in Africa. What path has Sasaki taken so far, and what kind of future is he aiming for?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tackling Global Infectious Disease Challenges Takahashi: Mr. Sasaki, you founded SPHinX, Inc. (pronounced \u201cSphinx\u201d) this past August, didn\u2019t you? I\u2019d love to hear more about your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sasaki: We aim to develop a simple diagnostic kit for infectious diseases using temperature-responsive smart polymers and to market and distribute it in developing countries. While there are many infectious diseases that remain major problems in developing countries, our first target is hepatitis caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). This is a disease in which the liver progressively deteriorates, eventually leading to liver cirrhosis or liver cancer. It is estimated that there are as many as 70 million patients worldwide. The WHO has set a goal of reducing the number of new infections and deaths by 2030, but it is said that achieving this goal will be difficult if current trends continue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Takahashi: About 20 years ago, hepatitis C caused by unpasteurized blood products was also a problem in Japan, but now that treatments and viral testing have become widespread, the situation has improved, hasn\u2019t it? However, it\u2019s still a challenge in developing countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sasaki: Yes. Actually, treatments are already available, but the problem is that effective testing methods haven\u2019t become widespread. While PCR testing is common now, it hasn\u2019t caught on in developing countries because it\u2019s very expensive and requires specialized staff. Therefore, if we can develop even a low-cost, simple test kit, we\u2019ll be able to get treatments to patients quickly and save the lives of many HCV patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Takahashi: So the technology used in that new test kit comes from Mr. Sasaki\u2019s lab, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sasaki: That\u2019s right. This is where our core technology\u2014smart polymer design\u2014comes into play. Smart polymers are polymeric materials that change their properties in response to various external stimuli. We can design them in various ways to control the type of external stimulus and how the polymer reacts. Using this polymer makes it possible to develop test kits that allow for visual determination of whether someone is infected with HCV. We\u2019re already actively working on this in Africa, bringing the smart polymers we\u2019ve developed to impoverished regions in Egypt and Nigeria to conduct on-site HCV screening tests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Takahashi: It\u2019s really impressive that you were able to bring your product to Africa so quickly. Was there a specific reason you decided to start your own business?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sasaki: I\u2019ve always had a curiosity that made me want to try new things. When I was thinking about my future path, starting my own business seemed the most appealing option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Takahashi: But you can take on new challenges even without starting a business\u2014whether through research at a university or while working for a company. So why did you choose to start a business? Didn\u2019t you have any reservations?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sasaki: I didn\u2019t really feel any hesitation. Even if I fail, there\u2019s always a next time, and I believe that experience will be useful in my future life. Plus, there\u2019s a lot of momentum behind startups these days. It also helped a lot that my advisor, Professor Ebara, was very open to the idea of entrepreneurship. As a doctoral student, I want to become someone who has a deep understanding of technology while also knowing about business\u2014someone who can do both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Takahashi: Had you not thought about starting a business before you met Professor Ebara?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sasaki: I hadn\u2019t really given it much thought. When people talk about startups, I had this strong image of the IT industry, so I thought it was a completely different world that had nothing to do with me. But after meeting Professor Ebara and through Ribane, I learned about the existence of R&D-driven startups. That\u2019s when I realized I could use my own research findings to launch a startup myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An environment where one can learn about the outside world, Takahashi: Do you have any fellow entrepreneurs among your fellow students or friends?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sasaki: No, there aren't any. To be honest, I think many college and graduate students still don't know much about starting a business. Since they don't know much about it, they don't even consider it as an option. Also, even if they think they do know about it, they might only see the risks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Takahashi: That\u2019s certainly true. The environment for college students is still quite insular; they rarely have much interaction beyond their peers in the same department or lab. But I actually think it\u2019s important to connect with people from a wider variety of backgrounds. Ideally, it would be great if there were opportunities for students to meet and be inspired by working professionals, researchers in other fields, and all sorts of other people while they\u2019re still in college. But isn\u2019t that pretty difficult to achieve right now?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sasaki: You're absolutely right. Since I spend most of my time in the lab, I only talk to people my own age. I'd like to learn more about the wider world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Takahashi: Young people in Japan have overwhelmingly few opportunities to meet entrepreneurs before they enter the workforce, don\u2019t they? Since there are almost no opportunities for such people to come and teach at schools, I think young people can\u2019t really picture what it\u2019s like to \u201cstart a business on their own.\u201d There are about 3.5 million companies in Japan. That means one in every 30 people is a business owner\u2014from infants to the elderly. So, in reality, there are actually a huge number of people running their own businesses. But what they\u2019re doing and the mindset behind it isn\u2019t getting across to the younger generation. I\u2019ve long believed that adults who are running their own businesses need to step forward more often in front of students and young people and use their own experiences to convey the reality of what they do. I\u2019m not necessarily telling them to start a business, but I think that simply knowing \u201cthere are other ways of working and living out there\u201d can broaden their range of options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sasaki: I, too, rarely had the chance to meet people like that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Takahashi: For example, the partnership between Lifeness and Mr. Sasaki\u2019s SPHinX is one of those interesting cross-border initiatives, isn\u2019t it? They have different resources and different areas of expertise. That\u2019s exactly why it\u2019s so interesting. It\u2019s when people who wouldn\u2019t normally cross paths come together and create something new. I\u2019d like to create many more \u201cspaces\u201d like that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My teacher's dedication changed my life<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Takahashi: By the way, what was your childhood like?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sasaki: I think he was, indeed, outstanding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Takahashi: That's great, lol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sasaki: Up until middle school, anyway. I grew up in a small town in Fukushima Prefecture. Even though I didn\u2019t study all that much, I was always first or second in my class, so I was convinced I was a genius. Since I always acted modest in front of others, I suppose I came across as a well-rounded child, even with that trait.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Takahashi: I think students like Ms. Sasaki\u2014who have good grades and understand what adults expect of them, so they can anticipate their needs\u2014often have a clear picture of the path that\u2019s expected of them. They may feel afraid of straying from that path, or they may move forward without even knowing that other paths exist. They make life choices based on the expectations of their parents, teachers, and an \u201cimagined\u201d society. As a result, when these students enter the workforce ten years later, people tend to think, \u201cThey\u2019re a good person and highly capable, but I don\u2019t really know what they want to do\u2026\u201d As for whether they\u2019re truly leveraging their abilities to take the lead in moving society forward\u2014well, that\u2019s not the case. This is less about ability and more about mindset, and I\u2019ve seen countless examples of this. But Mr. Sasaki, you\u2019re currently running a startup, aren\u2019t you? You\u2019ve strayed from what\u2019s generally considered the ideal path.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sasaki: That\u2019s right. When I was an undergraduate, I hadn\u2019t given startups a second thought. I hadn\u2019t even considered going on to a Ph.D. program. I vaguely imagined that even if I did go to graduate school, I\u2019d probably stop at a master\u2019s degree, and then I\u2019d join a decent company and lead a life where I earned a decent living.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Takahashi: Why did you decide to quit that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sasaki: That would definitely have to be Professor Ebara. Professor Ebara is truly committed to putting technology into practical use, and I was drawn to his passion. From the moment I first met him in an undergraduate class at the university, I felt there was something different about him compared to other professors. I think it\u2019s not just talk\u2014it\u2019s his attitude of actually going out into the field and taking action himself. There are many professors who talk about practical application in academic presentations, but when I actually spoke with them, many had given up, saying, \u201cWell, practical application is pretty much impossible, isn\u2019t it?\u201d Of course, universities are primarily places for basic research, so I\u2019m not criticizing that at all, but I felt that Professor Ebara was different from other professors in that he was genuinely aiming for practical application.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Takahashi: So the professor's dedication is what changed Mr. Sasaki, isn't it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sasaki: That\u2019s right. Before I met Professor Ebara, I used to think it was enough to just do what I could within my own limits. But after meeting him, I decided to break out of my shell and take a step forward. Up until then, I\u2019d been content with the status quo, but a desire to aim higher began to take root. He showed me a whole new world\u2014it made me realize, \u201cOh, so this kind of world exists, too.\u201d That was during my master\u2019s program, and I feel like I changed quite a bit over those two years. It also felt really good to see myself changing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Takahashi: Professor Ebara is a wonderful person. But people can\u2019t really change just because someone else tells them to, can they? How did Professor Ebara manage to change Mr. Sasaki? Sasaki: Personally, I feel like I changed without even realizing it\u2026 but you\u2019ve been telling your students quite directly, \u201cDo what you can\u2019t do right now,\u201d haven\u2019t you? I think this is the result of me sticking with that. Maybe those words just happened to resonate with me. Or perhaps, deep down, I\u2019ve always had a desire to grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I won't rank them in order of priority, Takahashi: What kind of organizational structure does SPHinX currently have?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sasaki: Currently, our management team consists of three people, all of whom are researchers. It\u2019s me, Professor Ebara, and a senior postdoc in our lab named Nabil, who is from Egypt. He knows more than anyone else about the temperature-responsive polymer technology used in the test kits, and since he has a local network, he\u2019s someone we can really rely on when it comes to promoting the technology. My role within this team is to generate business and serve as the public face of the company, and I think it\u2019s a pretty good combination. That said, to be honest, when it comes to business, there\u2019s still so much I don\u2019t understand. Takahashi: We\u2019ve got a great group of people here, haven\u2019t we? I wonder what things will be like in 10 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sasaki: I think there will definitely be more than three people in 10 years\u2026 but I can\u2019t really imagine what it\u2019ll be like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Takahashi: It\u2019s been 22 years since Ribane was founded, and while our workforce has grown, the driving force behind our success has remained the same since our founding: our vision. Every year, people are drawn to us because they resonate with our vision of \u201cadvancing science and technology and contributing to the planet.\u201d What about SPHinX?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sasaki: I think it comes down to our vision, too. The reason the three of us are running this startup is that we all share the same vision and the conviction that \u201cwe absolutely must use this technology to help the people of Africa first\u201d\u2014and because we\u2019re all moving in the same direction. That said, I think it would be fine if people who join SPHinX in the future are the kind who are determined to make money. After all, being able to make money means there\u2019s a real need out there and that our technology is reaching people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sasaki: I might actually be pretty bad at setting priorities. I find myself wanting to do everything and experience it all. Of course, part of it is that I\u2019m running this business with a clear vision, and I also have this desire to make it a success and become rich. It\u2019s not a matter of which is more important\u2014I just want to do it all. Maybe it\u2019s because I don\u2019t know enough about the world yet, but that\u2019s how I feel right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Takahashi: Ultimately, no one really knows what \u201ceverything\u201d means, so we just have to call it \u201ceverything.\u201d The more you do, the more you realize how much you don\u2019t know. I might think I\u2019ve gotten a certain amount done, but most of the time, it\u2019s actually just a tiny fraction. It\u2019s just like research. I think it\u2019s a never-ending quest. Let\u2019s keep aiming higher and higher!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sasaki: That's true! The more I do, the more there is to do next\u2014it's like a \"rabbit hole\" that I just can't escape. I feel like it's a lot like research. Since we're still in the early stages of our startup, I want to keep taking on new challenges while meeting all kinds of people and drawing inspiration from them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Written and Compiled by Tomoko Tachibana)<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u672c\u8a18\u4e8b\u306f\u30012024\u5e7412\u6708\u767a\u884c\u306e\u4eba\u6750\u5fdc\u63f4\u518a\u5b50 Vol.26\u300c\u672c\u6c17\u306e\u3084\u308a\u53d6\u308a\u3092\u901a\u3058\u3066\u3001\u4e16\u754c\u3092\u5909\u3048\u308b\u4ef2\u9593\u306b\u306a\u308b\u300d\u306b\u63b2\u8f09\u3055\u308c\u305f\u30a4\u30f3\u30bf\u30d3\u30e5\u30fc\u8a18\u4e8b\u3092\u3082\u3068\u306b\u3001\u30a6\u30a7\u30d6\u63b2\u8f09\u7528\u3068\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":9108,"featured_media":8960,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[44,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8958","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-44","category-news"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t
Interviewer<\/strong>
Shuichiro Takahashi
President and CEO, COO, Ribanes Co., Ltd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/avf.lne.st\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/86\/2026\/08\/Screenshot-2026-08-26-at-18.04.30-1024x665.png\")
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Doctoral Student<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Expanding Future Options<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/avf.lne.st\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/86\/2026\/08\/Screenshot-2026-08-26-at-18.09.42.png\")
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Do it all<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
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