Autify CEO on Choosing VCs, Rejecting All Star SAAS Fund, and Hiring
Ryo Chikazawa, CEO of Autify, explains why he turned down All Star SAAS Fund after a smooth Series A process, and shares concrete hiring practices with managing partner Hiro Maeda.
- Autify approached roughly 30 VCs total, including overseas firms, and received serious DD from about 10; All Star SAAS Fund delivered a term sheet fastest, within roughly 12 weeks.
- Chikazawa declined All Star because Autify’s primary goal is global expansion and a US IPO — All Star lacked specific global support or overseas partnership programs to match.
- All Star’s top two investment criteria: a people-first culture and a CEO who visibly adapts as the company scales from 20 to 50 to 100 people.
- An enterprise sales position open for over one year at Autify was filled within three months once All Star’s talent partner engaged — before an investment decision was even made.
- Chikazawa’s hiring framework: start from a burning operational problem, derive the skill profile needed, write the JD backward from that, then build interview questions from the JD.
- Autify assigns a hiring manager per role — the person closest to the work — who owns the JD draft, interview design, and closing, rather than delegating to HR alone.
- At 31 employees, a structured referral session produced a database of 220 names; Chikazawa said the target is converting roughly 10 percent into hires.
2025-06-26 · Watch on YouTube
