An internationally renowned expert in computer science and a pioneer in the evolution of open-source software for autonomous driving technology, Shinpei served as an associate professor at Nagoya University’s Graduate School of Information Science from 2012 to 2016, where his team created Autoware, the world’s leading open-source software for autonomous driving technology.
He was also a postdoctoral scholar at Keio University, the University of Tokyo, Carnegie Mellon University, and the University of California.
In 2017, Shinpei was among researchers recognized for contributions to science and technology by the Japanese government’s National Institute of Science and Technology Policy.
Satoshi Sakaguchi, a CPA, brings extensive experience in financial audit, investment, and corporate management. As CFO of TIER IV since 2018, he oversees finance operations. He holds a BEc from Kyoto University.
I aim to apply my expertise to support the growth of TIER IV, a company that is developing technology to address challenges impacting societies worldwide.
Masashi Shinkai is responsible for leading strategic investment projects and building alliances with new partners to drive TIER IV’s growth and sustainable development. Through partnerships across industry, government, and academia, he promotes efforts to accelerate the deployment of autonomous driving technology. Before joining TIER IV in 2023, he worked at a major insurer, where he led collaboration initiatives with automotive firms.
Deep tech holds infinite potential. However, advancing and implementing this technology is not easy to achieve alone. At TIER IV, we believe in the power of collaboration with like-minded partners to create meaningful societal impact. Together with our partners, we aim to drive innovation, accelerate growth, and unlock the full potential of deep tech.
As COO, Ko Miyoshi leads business and product development. He oversees business operations from strategy to execution, driving the deployment of autonomous vehicles. He joined TIER IV in 2020, bringing expertise in infrastructure projects and private equity. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and an LLB from Keio University.
I’m passionate about using technology to fundamentally enrich lives and society, while building a sustainable business model. I am fully committed to the global deployment of TIER IV’s autonomous driving technology.
Hironori Muraoka joined TIER IV as CHRO in 2025, overseeing human resources, legal and compliance, and public relations and marketing. He has held senior HR positions at Hitachi, PwC Japan, and Rakuten Group. Hironori holds a degree in Literature from Kyoto University and is a certified labor and social insurance attorney.
I believe autonomous driving technology has the potential to revolutionize the automotive sector, one of Japan’s core industries. From the perspective of people and organizations, I aim to establish a strong culture and team dynamic that can serve as a reference, positioning TIER IV as a global leader in the autonomous driving industry.
Yoshihito Takashima holds degrees in computer science and mathematics, bringing extensive experience in large-scale 0-to-1 production environments from his tenures at Microsoft and Amazon/AWS headquarters. As CTO at TIER IV, he oversees the entire R&D unit, spearheading both business and technical innovations to meet the demands of a rapidly scaling autonomous vehicle ecosystem.
Autonomous driving has the potential to be the next life-changing innovation of our time. I am excited to lead a paradigm shift that will transform how society addresses transportation needs during this pivotal moment.
As CIO, Naomitsu Tsugiiwa leads efforts to strengthen TIER IV’s information systems, information security and general affairs functions, including facilities management. Before joining TIER IV, Naomitsu served as CTO at a startup. Naomitsu also held roles at Yahoo Japan, where he led mobile app development and security infrastructure, at KONAMI overseeing global game expansion, and at Microsoft working on software development tools QA and multimedia software.
By leveraging cutting-edge digital technology and data-driven insights, I am committed to accelerating TIER IV’s global growth and building a resilient operational foundation, positioning the company as the most trusted technology partner for our customers and society.
Global business expansion
Research and development of deep learning for autonomous driving
