Yasunobu Kyogoku 京極 康信

Founding Partner
Innovation Global Capital

Mr. Yasunobu Kyogoku is the Founding Partner of Innovation Global Capital, a venture capital firm that builds transformative early stage companies disrupting consumer industries through technology and innovation. Funds managed by Innovation Global are investors in rapidly growing disruptive brands such as Rothys and Buck Mason, as well as enterprise technology companies such as Hero and GameOn. Mr. Kyogoku is also an advisor to ItoEn Co. Ltd., the $4 Billion revenue beverage company.

Mr. Kyogoku previously served as Chief Investment Officer and Member of the Executive Management Committee of Fast Retailing Co. Ltd., a $36 Billion company. As Chief Investment Officer, Mr. Kyogoku acquired over $1 Billion of branded consumer companies in the US, Europe and Asia. His acquisitions created the largest affordable luxury apparel group in the world. He is also a former Board Member of Theory, Helmut Lang, and other global brands.

As Chief Operating Officer of Uniqlo USA, Mr. Kyogoku played a pivotal role in developing the Uniqlo brand from a single New York store into a national phenomenon, including launching flagship stores on New York’s 5th Avenue and San Francisco’s Union Square. At Mori Building, Mr. Kyogoku helped create one of Japan’s first Real Estate Investment Trusts. He began his career at the management consultancy Bain & Company.

Mr. Kyogoku is a Trustee of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (de Young / Legion of Honor), the San Francisco Ballet, and the San Francisco Zoological Society. 

After graduating from Columbia University, Mr. Kyogoku attended graduate schools at Oxford University and Tokyo University.

He has appeared frequently on television and in print, including CNBC, CBS, Nikkei Shinbun, Bloomberg, Financial Times, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Fox Business, WWD and local TV affiliates of ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox.