A consulting firm connecting Japan and Silicon Valley
Tomorrow Access is a Silicon Valley consulting firm for Japanese companies building new businesses or entering the U.S. market, and for startups looking to grow. Drawing on investment and operating experience on both sides of the Pacific, the firm offers everything from corporate strategy and corporate venture capital (CVC) formation to a single one-hour advisory session.
Services
Long-term engagements for new business development and U.S. expansion, one-off consultations, and mentor and advisor roles.
Business Strategy Consulting
For established companies building a new business, launching a CVC, or entering the U.S. market: hands-on support from strategy through execution.
Spot Consulting
A one-hour Zoom session on a specific topic, from startup investment and CVC to business plans, partnerships, pitch coaching, and U.S. expansion. Available in English or Japanese.
Mentor & Advisor
Mentor, judge, or lecturer for accelerator and government programs; advisor to companies and startups.
About Tomorrow Access
Tomorrow Access LLC is a Silicon Valley consulting firm focused on new business development and U.S. expansion for Japanese companies, and on helping startups grow.
I have worked on both sides: inside a large Japanese company, and alongside Silicon Valley founders.
I spent 25 years at a major Japanese telecom, first as a wireless network engineer and later planning new businesses and investing in U.S. startups. I have lived in Silicon Valley since 2015. Along the way, I saw firsthand how hard it is to build something new inside a large Japanese company, and what founders here are up against.
The name Tomorrow Access reflects a single idea: the way to the future is a path you build yourself. Over the years I have worked on many new ventures and watched bold ideas take shape on a global stage. I want to put that experience to work for Japanese companies pursuing new businesses and U.S. expansion, and for founders taking on challenges of their own.
Drawing on what I have learned in Japan and the United States, I am committed to helping everyone I work with build their own way forward. If you are weighing a new business or a move into the U.S. market, I would be glad to hear from you.
- 1996B.S. in Electrical Engineering, Osaka University (School of Engineering Science); joined DDI Corporation (now KDDI) as a wireless network engineer
- 2006Led planning for cloud services
- 2011Drove smartphone partnerships with Facebook, Google, GREE, and COLOPL
- 2014Joined the KDDI Open Innovation Fund: startup investment and business development
- 2015Relocated to Silicon Valley; investment and business development with global startups
- 2020U.S. permanent residency (EB-1A, extraordinary ability)
- 2021Founded Tomorrow Access
since 1996
since 2015
see Track Record
Top 100 Rising Stars 2019
Top 50 Emerging Leaders 2021
received while at KDDI
Current roles
- 2026Ambassador, SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026
- 2022–Advisor, Anifie
- 2022–Mentor, Founder Institute
- 2021–Venture Partner, MS&AD Ventures
- 2021–Advisor, DIVE Inc.
- 2021–Mentor, Tokyo APT Women (Tokyo Metropolitan Government)
- 2021–Mentor, JETRO Global Preparation Program
- 2020–Mentor, Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator
- 2015–Mentor, Shido Next Innovator (WiL)
Press, talks, and awards
- 2025TECHBLITZ interview: “The seven-year wall facing CVCs, and how to get past it”
- 2023BIPROGY “TERASU” dialogue: Driving innovation for Japanese companies from Silicon Valley
- 2023Speaker, GLOW TECH NAGOYA
- 2021GCV Emerging Leaders Awards 2021 (Top 50)
- 2021Speaker, Tokyo Metropolitan Government “Innovation Base Tokyo” opening event
- 2019GCV Rising Stars Awards 2019 (Top 100)
- 2018Mynavi News: “The ‘Dejima’ KDDI built in Silicon Valley” (Japanese)
Track Record
Our work includes overseas innovation and new-business programs for large Japanese companies, as well as mentoring a wide range of startups.
Strategy, CVC formation and U.S. expansion, from planning through execution.
See Business Strategy Consulting →- KJ COMMONS
- byFood
- Vesica Japan
- MIRAIing
- Acompany
- mealwell
- Travel Doctor
- Kusuri zaiko
- Rehabilitation3.0
- Heinz Tech
- aboveu
- funky jump
- Robo Sensor Giken
- Jibungoto
- Coloridoh
- COM-MA Laboratory
- KANMAKI
- KJ COMMONS
- byFood
- Vesica Japan
- MIRAIing
- Acompany
- mealwell
- Travel Doctor
- Kusuri zaiko
- Rehabilitation3.0
- Heinz Tech
- aboveu
- funky jump
- Robo Sensor Giken
- Jibungoto
- Coloridoh
- COM-MA Laboratory
- KANMAKI
Latest in English
Selected Silicon Valley tech news, reported from primary sources and published in English when a story matters to readers outside Japan.
What we publish
Our tech news and the expatriate guide are written in Japanese. The S-1 Journal, our series on U.S. IPO filings, is published in English as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Tomorrow Access do?
Tomorrow Access is a Silicon Valley-based consulting firm (California, USA). It supports Japanese companies with U.S. expansion, new business development and corporate venture capital (CVC), and mentors startups. The founder, Ken Sobajima, spent 25 years at a major Japanese telecom and has lived in Silicon Valley since 2015. The firm was founded in 2021.
Can we work with you remotely?
Yes. Spot Consulting is a one-hour Zoom session ($500 per session), and Business Strategy Consulting can also be run online. Services are available in English and Japanese.
Who are your clients?
New-business and innovation teams at large Japanese companies, and startups entering the U.S. or Japanese market. We have supported major companies across finance, health food, precision equipment, heavy industry, IT services and travel, and mentored more than a dozen startups.
How do we get started?
Use the contact form to describe what you would like to discuss and your preferred timing. Every inquiry is reviewed before a reply is sent; depending on the request and timing, some engagements cannot be accepted.
Get in touch
Use our contact form to tell us about your new business, U.S. expansion plans, or startup collaboration.
Contact form →We read every message. Depending on the request and our availability, we may not be able to take on every engagement or reply to every inquiry.