Company Profile / Our History

Company Profile

Name iPS Academia Japan, Inc.
Established June 25, 2008
Accredited TLO Accredited as of January 22, 2016 as an official technology licensing organization under the "Law for Promoting University-Industry Technology Transfer"
Location 207 International Science Innovation Building East Wing Kyoto University 36-1 Yoshida-honmachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8501 Japan
Capital JPY 100 million
President & CEO Hideo Saji Ph.D.
(Professor emeritus, Kyoto University & Specially Appointed Professor, the Office of Society-Academia Collaboration for Innovation of Kyoto University (SACI) & President and CEO, TLO-Kyoto Co., Ltd. & Director, Kyoto Lifetech Innovation Support Center, Regional Industrial Revitalization Division of Advanced Science, Technology and Management Research Institute of KYOTO)
Director Hiroshi Seno M.D.Ph.D.
(Professor, Graduate School of Medicine Kyoto University & Deputy director-general, Office of Society-Academia Collaboration for Innovation of Kyoto University (SACI))
Director Atsushi Onodera
(Manager, Medical Applications Promoting Office of Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University & Director, TLO-Kyoto Co., Ltd.)
Director Ishikawa Takatoshi
(Vice-director of iPS Academia Japan, Inc.)
Corporate Auditor Yoshito Fujikawa
(Attorney/patent Lawyer, Yodoyabashi & Yamagami LPC)
Corporate Auditor Takuko Sawada
(Executive Vice-President of Kyoto University for Industry-Government-Academia Collaboration, Director and Vice Chairman of the Board, Shionogi & Co., Ltd. )
Scientific Adviser Shinya Yamanaka M.D.Ph.D.
(Director emeritus, Center for iPS Cells Research and Application, Kyoto University, Professor, Kyoto University & Representative Director, CiRA Foundation)
Business description
  • License and management of patents relating to stem cells, mainly iPS cells (technology transfer operation)
  • Patent support of the research results (invention) produced by academia in the field of iPS cell technologies etc.
  • Update of latest patent information related to iPS cell technologies

Our History

before the foundation

2005

First iPS cell basic patent application filed in Japan

First iPS cell basic patent application was filed in Japan, based on which its corresponding international application (PCT application) was filed in the following year.

2006

Mouse iPS cells announced

Professor Shinya Yamanaka’s group reported the establishment of mouse iPS cells by introducing 4 factors, Oct3/4, Sox2, Klf4 and c-Myc, into mouse skin cells in the journal “Cell.”

2007

Human iPS cells announced

Professor Shinya Yamanaka’s group reported the establishment of human iPS cells by introducing 4 factors,Oct3/4, Sox2, Klf4 and c-Myc, into human skin cells in the journal “Cell.” Professor James Thomson’s group also reported human iPS cells established with a different method in another journal on the same day

ⓒCenter for iPS Cell Research and Application,
Kyoto University

ⓒCenter for iPS Cell Research and Application,
Kyoto University

after the foundation

2008

iPS Academia Japan established

iPS Academia Japan, Inc. was established in Kyoto on June 25, 2008 to promote the transfer of iPS cell-related technologies to industry for its commercialization. We started as an affiliate of Kyoto University with a mission to share the fruit of iPS cell research for the good of all humanity.

World's first iPS cell basic patent granted in Japan

The world's first iPS cell basic patent was granted in Japan. So far, 8 basic patents (our ref.: AJ001) have been granted in Japan. Further, their corresponding patents have been granted in more than 30 countries and regions worldwide.

ⓒCenter for iPS Cell Research and Application,
Kyoto University

2009

First license agreement signed

Our first license agreement was entered into with ReproCELL, Inc. Since then, our licensees have gradually increased year by year.

2010

First overseas licensing

Our first overseas license agreement was entered into with Cellular Dynamics International, Inc. (currently Fujifilm Cellular Dynamics, Inc.). iPS cell technology raised interest not only in Japan where iPS cells were invented, but also in countries where more ES cell research was conducted, which, as a result, increased foreign licensees.

2011

iPierian patents assigned to Kyoto University

The patents of iPierian, Inc. were assigned to Kyoto University to avoid a potential patent dispute in the U.S.A. In return, we granted to iPierian a license under Kyoto University’s basic patents and the former iPierian patents.

2012

Professor Yamanaka awarded Nobel Prize

Professor Shinya Yamanaka and Sir John B. Gurdon were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the discovery that mature cells could be reprogrammed to become pluripotent.

2013

Patents from 10 academic institutions
300 patents available for licensing

Increasing numbers of patents were licensed not only from Kyoto University but from other universities and research institutions. The patents related to applications such as differentiation methods began to increase.

2014

iPS Academia Japan reorganized

A part of our business was transferred to iPS Portal, Inc. Our business previously included research, sales of cells, etc., but since then, we have been specializing in patent licensing.

2015

Relocated to Kyoto University campus

We were relocated to a new building in Yoshida Campus of Kyoto University.

2016

Became an Accredited TLO in Japan

We became an Accredited TLO in Japan by the authorization of both the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), and the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI).

2017

500 patents available for licensing

We handled more patents from our licensors, and total 500 patents became available for licensing.

2018

10th anniversary

The year 2018 marks the 10th anniversary of our company foundation.

2019

Over 200 licensees worldwide

We achieved license agreements with over 200 entities worldwide. They are from various fields such as pharmaceuticals, regents, chemicals, foods, cosmetics, CROs, medical devices, research instruments, and more. From the small bio-venture start-ups to large entities. It shows the expansion of iPS cell technologies in many ways.

2020

Became a subsidiary of Kyoto University

Kyoto University acquires all voting stocks of iPS Academia Japan, Inc. in August 2020, and iPS Academia Japan, Inc. became its subsidiary.

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