Kei Onishi

Kei Onishi is the CEO and managing director of Yamaha Motor Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd., headquartered in Silicon Valley. With a background in engineering and business, Onishi has guided Yamaha Motor Ventures through a period of strategic evolution, expanding its investment portfolio into sectors such as artificial intelligence, robotics, fintech, and big data. Under his leadership, the firm has launched significant funds, including a $100 million third fund, and has grown its assets under management to $300 million, supporting innovation in the global startup ecosystem.

Onishi began his career at Yamaha Motor as a manufacturing engineer, gaining hands-on experience at overseas plants in Southeast Asia. He later led Yamaha Motor Group’s global digital transformation, focusing on digital marketing, data analytics, and the development of IoT businesses, including spinning off new ventures from Yamaha Motor. His academic credentials include an MS in engineering from Nagoya University and an MBA from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, providing a blend of technical and strategic expertise.

Onishi has been featured on industry powerlists and is a speaker at major conferences such as the Milken Institute Global Conference and SuperReturn Asia. He is recognized for his approach to investment strategy, emphasizing partnerships that deliver impact to Yamaha’s core businesses and the broader technology landscape. Onishi’s career progression from engineering to executive leadership, combined with his public speaking engagements and recognition as one of the top 100 corporate venturing professionals, highlights his influence in corporate venture capital, technology investment, and startup innovation.