ABOUT US
Established in Japan 2017, TRUSTDOCK is already a trusted name in KYC, receiving financial backing and support from reputable names!
Established in Japan 2017
Established in Japan 2017, TRUSTDOCK is already a trusted name in KYC, receiving financial backing and support from such reputable names as Sony Innovation Fund, Mitsubishi UFJ Capital, Mizuho Capital, and SMBC Venture Capital, to support such clients as Softmap (Bic Camera Group), and Altoa (ORIX Group). TRUSTDOCK’s innovative e-KYC solutions have also been recognized with numerous startup, technology, and fintech awards within Japan and globally.
WHERE WE'RE HEADED
TRUSTDOCK aims to be the world’s leading digital identity verification service provider, trusted by consumers, companies, and regulators for smooth, secure interactions in trusted business relationships and transactions. As the future opens to more transactions occurring electronically between parties often miles, if not time zones, away from each other, establishing trustworthy relationships can be difficult. TRUSTDOCK is establishing a secure verification infrastructure for safe and transparent comprehensive solutions, from e-KYC to digital IDs. Our goal is to offer a universal digital identity system for simple, reliable, and compliant KYC and CDD for individuals and entities everywhere.
OUR TEAM
TRUSTDOCK’s team comprises experts in technology, law, finance, marketing, and business operations. Combined together, we have decades of knowledge from around the world in successful startups and corporations. We understand that a truly effective e-KYC platform must work seamlessly on the front-end as well as in the back office, which is why TRUSTDOCK relies on such a diverse knowledge base.
Takahiro Chiba
CEO (Representative Director) & Co-founderTakahiro Chiba
CEO (Representative Director) & Co-founder
Takahiro began focusing on digital identity verification services after he joined Gaiax Co., Ltd. in 2004. Taking skills and knowledge he honed managing online and SNS development projects, he looked towards SaaS products. He combined these successful experiences with novel R&D on blockchain and the sharing economy into the digital ID and KYC services offered by TRUSTDOCK, which he founded in 2017 with two others.
Under his leadership, TRUSTDOCK has become the only tech startup in Japan offering a digital ID app supporting both eKYC and official identity verification. Having conducted more KYC transactions in Japan than any other service provider, Takahiro is looking forward to bringing TRUSTDOCK’s fundamental service to businesses worldwide.
Akihide Higo
Director & Co-founderAkihide Higo
Director & Co-founder
Akihide joined Gaiax Co., Ltd. in 2001, starting as a project manager designing and developing messenger and avatar tools for different online communities. He later became the manager of technology infrastructure and then a director. Throughout this period, Akihide championed organization and management that fostered engineers and their development. Akihide co-founded TRUSTDOCK in November 2017. Along with TRUSTDOCK, he also serves as a director of the Japan Blockchain Association as well as the Japan Fintech Association.
Akihide received a BEng in Physical Engineering from the School of Engineering at Kyoto University.
Kazuya Shono
CTOKazuya Shono
CTO
Kazuya joined Gaiax Co., Ltd. as a markup engineer in 2007. He became a web engineer in 2009 developing internal systems and maintained tech infrastructure for different departments. He was involved in launching “Reactio”, an incident management tool, in 2015. Kazuya was a tech lead who determined which technologies to apply to e-KYC solutions as TRUSTDOCK prepared to launch. He became CTO in July 2019 and leads the development and product strategy planning of the identity verification API platform and the digital ID app.
Kazuya graduated from Tokyo Technos College in web design.
Jeff Bates
Global Markets LeadJeff Bates
Global Markets Lead
Jeff has 15 years of experience leading startups across multiple sectors within three continents. He has simultaneously managed teams of 8-25 and portfolios of 10-12 clients, been responsible for more than 10,000 customers, and owned revenue streams of $2mm+. He has also supported Seed and Series A rounds ranging from $500k to $8mm.
Jeff has earned an MSc in Innovation and Entrepreneurship from HEC Paris and an MPA from the University of Washington.