Miraise Partner Iwata Delivers Third Guest Lecture at Chuo University
TLDR
- Miraise Partner & CEO Iwata held a third annual guest lecture at Chuo University’s Global Entrepreneurship course on January 19, 2026, this time in a roundtable format.
Key Takeaways
- The lecture shifted to a roundtable (“座談会”) format after Iwata observed that the most engaged student questions came in hallway conversations after class ended.
- Iwata opened by telling students to ask questions now rather than later, which drew out substantive questions and personal visions that had not surfaced in prior lecture-style sessions.
- The format successfully moved all post-class energy inside the scheduled hour, with no queue of students waiting afterward.
- Students sent follow-up emails after class sharing reflections and thanks, which Iwata cited as evidence of unusually strong engagement.
- Miraise credited Professor Shinya Fujii for enabling the recurring annual partnership with the university.
Why It Matters
- For early-stage investors like Miraise, building direct pipelines to motivated university students is a low-cost, high-signal way to source next-generation founders.
- The shift from lecture to facilitated dialogue shows that format design, not just content, drives student engagement and idea quality.
- Miraise stated it will continue accepting seminar and lecture invitations from universities as long as scheduling permits.
miraise.vc · 2026-01-29 · Read the original