ACI Research (Onna Village, Okinawa), a spin-out from Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) established by Dr. Eisuke Hayakawa, recently raised its first round of investment from Neuroceuticals Inc., a medical device development company based in Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo. The investment will support ACI Research’s business expansion and development of services in the area of non-target chemical analysis.
Founded in September 2022 following 3 years of technology development through OIST Innovation’s Proof of Concept (POC) Program, ACI Research is emerging as a promising startup providing an innovative analytical framework for non-target chemical analysis. The technology was designed to provide a solution to the limitations of traditional target analysis in chemical testing, which often overlooks unexpected contaminants due to its focus on regulated or suspected compounds. The POC Program, a competitive internal funding initiative for OIST researchers, provided the platform for Dr. Eisuke Hayakawa, a former staff scientist in the Evolutionary Neurobiology Unit at OIST and current CTO of ACI Research, to develop his cutting-edge technology towards social implementation.
“We are proud to celebrate the successful journey of Dr. Eisuke Hayakawa, from an innovative idea – the characterization of any small compound’s structures– to the creation of ACI Research. ACI Research's technology will provide more robust and comprehensive analytical solutions and play a key role in ensuring product quality and safety across diverse sectors like food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and environmental assessment.” said Dr. Andrea Pensado, POC Program Manager.
Dr. Hayakawa expressed his enthusiasm for the POC program, stating, "I have always been interested in social implementation of newly developed technologies, and the POC program was a great opportunity to test it out." In addition to the research funding support, he said that the mentoring and entrepreneurship training within the program were very helpful in designing his project.
As part of the POC Program, Dr. Hayakawa was introduced to Akiyuki Takaya, Director of Neuroceuticals Okinawa, and Shinya Miike, President & CEO of Neuroceuticals, who became instrumental advisors, providing guidance and support with the business plan. Recognizing the potential of Dr. Hayakawa's technology and business concept, President Miike decided to invest in and support ACI Research from the outset. As the now director of ACI Research, President Miike shared his vision, saying, "When I saw Dr. Hayakawa's research results, I recognized its potential."
With Neuroceuticals' backing, ACI Research is now poised to realize its ambition of developing next-generation chemical analysis services by expanding from its basis on OIST campus in Okinawa to the global stage.
About ACI Research
ACI Research provides tailored solutions to industries dealing with chemical substances, aligning with their evolving requirements. Leveraging the latest advancements in mass spectrometry and information technology, ACI Research aims to revolutionize the field of chemical analysis.
https://www.aci-research.com/ (Japanese only)
About OIST POC Program
The Proof of Concept (POC) Program is an OIST internal, competitive funding program designed to help bridge the gap between lab discoveries and commercialization. The POC program aims to foster innovation and enhance technology transfer to transform OIST inventions and scientific outcomes into new products and services that benefit society.
https://groups.oist.jp/innovation/proof-concept-program
