Hiro Kimura, Ph.D., R.Ph.
Founder & CEO, The Global Blooming
Dr. Hiro Kimura is a globally recognized leader in the life sciences sector, with a unique cross-disciplinary track record across R&D, business strategy, venture investment, and board governance. For over 25 years, he has contributed to the creation and delivery of transformative therapies across pharma, academia, startups, and VC ecosystems in Japan, the US, and Europe.
He began his career in clinical development at Shionogi & Co., Ltd., gaining early hands-on experience in drug development and regulatory affairs. He then earned his Ph.D. in Veterinary Medical Science from the University of Tokyo. During his time at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (USA), he worked on groundbreaking collaborative research with Genentech and Curis. His mentor, Dr Tom Curran, FRS—a world-renowned authority in neuroscience and cancer biology—is the former Executive Director and CSO of the Children’s Mercy Research Institute & Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, Professor of Cancer Biology in the University of Kansas School of Medicine.
Dr. Kimura later held leadership roles at Takeda (Japan), Millennium Pharmaceuticals (Boston, US), and Astellas Pharma (Japan & San Francisco), driving diverse global projects including M&A/PMI, clinical development, and product strategy. At Astellas, he led the corporate venture capital arm in San Francisco, overseeing over a dozen global biotech investments and board engagements. Under his leadership, the fund ranked in the Top 7 Global Pharma CVCs.
Notably, multiple programs Hiro contributed to have achieved successful product launches:
– A Shionogi development program he supported early in his career reached market approval.
– A collaboration initiated during his time at St. Jude led to a blockbuster drug launched by Roche/Genentech.
– Two acquired pipelines he helped integrate at Astellas have since become approved therapies.
In parallel, he has served as a strategic advisor to several leading VC funds in the US and Europe, leveraging his global insight and scientific expertise to support startup growth and investment decision-making.
In Japan, he helped establish a drug discovery incubator at Kyoto University and has served on the faculty of the University of Tokyo since 2018, mentoring the next generation of biotech leaders. As a licensed pharmacist, he bridges science, clinical application, and business strategy with a rare, integrated perspective.
At The Global Blooming, Dr. Kimura is dedicated to building the next generation of life science innovation models with global impact.
Highlights of Achievements Details
✅ Product Launch Successes:
- Early-stage clinical contribution at Shionogi led to approved drug
- Collaborative research at St. Jude with Genentech & Curis resulted in a blockbuster drug launched by Roche/Genentech
- Two acquired pipelines integrated at Astellas were successfully approved and commercialized
✅ CVC Leadership:
- Led Astellas’ CVC arm in Silicon Valley, San Francisco, invested in over 10+ global startups
- Contributed to achieving Top 7 Global Pharma CVC ranking
✅ Venture Advisory:
- Served as advisor/committee member to multiple top-tier VC funds in the US and UK/EU
- Supported key investment decisions and startup growth strategies globally
✅ Awards & Publications:
- Multiple AACR Scholar-in-Training Awards
- Young Investigator / Best Presentation Awards at international conferences
- Received Takeda Research Internal Awards (2x)
- Published in world-leading journals in cancer biology and drug discovery
✅ Speaking Engagements:
- Delivered invited talks at international conferences and universities
- Recently focused on sessions around startup building, VC investment, and innovation ecosystems