Sony Ventures Appoints New CEO, Creates Role of Chairman

Sony Ventures, the dedicated investment team of Sony Group, has appointed 27-year Sony Group veteran Kazuhito Hadano as its new CEO, effective Jan. 1.

Gen Tsuchikawa, the previous CEO and chief investment officer of Sony Ventures, will assume the new role of chairman of Sony Ventures, the company said in a Friday (Jan. 5) press release. Tsuchikawa also currently serves as corporate vice president of Sony Group.

“From the establishment of the Sony Innovation Fund to the present, I am pleased to have been able to be involved in a variety of business creation initiatives, and to have been able to build a dedicated investment team with excellent in-house investors on a global level,” Tsuchikawa said in the release. “We will continue to strive to contribute to the development of the industry.”

In addition to his new role as CEO of Sony Ventures, Hadano also currently serves as corporate executive officer of Sony Wireless Communications and chief financial officer of Sony Network Communications Europe, according to the release.

During his 27 years with the company, Hadano has worked across Sony Group’s diverse business units and financial services businesses, the report said. He has established corporate strategy and execution plans like merger and acquisition activities, strategic partnerships and investment management.

“I am honored to serve as chief executive officer of Sony Ventures Corporation,” Hadano said in the release. “With the support of Tsuchikawa-san, I look forward to working alongside the Sony Ventures team and collaborating with Sony Group companies to accelerate the promotion of next-generation technologies, startup development and open innovation.”

Sony Ventures currently manages assets totaling more than $450 million through its family of funds, according to the press release.

Its family of funds has invested in more than 170 companies around the world that are involved in entertainment, HealthTech, FinTech, deep tech and other areas, the release said.

Sony’s investment vehicles fund businesses that they hope will one day successfully commercialize innovations that will serve as tomorrow’s foundational infrastructure, Austin Noronha, managing director U.S., and Ludovic Copéré, senior investment director, at Sony Ventures, told PYMNTS’ Karen Webster in an interview posted in June.