NordicNinja

Rainer Sternfeld is an Estonian robotics engineer, entrepreneur, and investor who has been building NordicNinja, a Japanese–European venture capital fund, since its inception in 2019. He previously co-founded Planet OS, a Silicon Valley Earth observation company where he was CEO until its 2017 acquisition by Intertrust, later leading Intertrust's Data Platforms division, and earlier held a senior role at ABB where he led the development of a nationwide EV fast-charging network. He holds a double Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering from TalTech and co-founded the Kood programming school.

Shinichi Nikkuni is a co-founder and managing partner of NordicNinja. Prior to the firm, he advised manufacturing, ICT, healthcare, and utility clients at McKinsey and Industrial Growth Platform Inc., and co-founded H2GO Power, a hydrogen storage startup spun out of Cambridge, while completing an MBA with a Health concentration at the University of Cambridge. In 2017 he joined JBICIG Partners as a founding member, then relocated to Helsinki in 2019 to set up NordicNinja, focusing on backing deeptech founders.

Tomosaku Sohara is Co-Founder and Managing Partner at NordicNinja VC, focusing on investments in climate tech, deep tech, mobility, and digital infrastructure. He has a background in international finance and venture investment centered on cross-border capital flows between European and Asian markets. Before founding NordicNinja in 2019, he held investment strategy and fund formation roles at JBIC IG Partners, structuring growth and project finance for cleantech and renewable energy projects in Europe and Latin America.

Taiga Ueta has a background in early-stage SaaS startups and M&A advisory across Japan, Thailand, and Malaysia before moving to Europe. His work spans industries such as automotive, semiconductors, chemicals, and software/computing, with an emphasis on industrialization and financing. Before joining NordicNinja, he worked as a management consultant at PwC and as an M&A financial advisor at IGPI.

Akiko Shiono is Head of Business Development at NordicNinja. Before joining the firm, she spent five years at Nordic Innovation House Tokyo, a pan-Nordic governmental platform supporting Nordic tech startups entering the Japanese market, where she developed knowledge of the Nordic ecosystem and built a network among Japanese corporations. Her earlier career included roles at Toshiba, a Rakuten video streaming joint venture, and an NPO focused on community building and fundraising.

Carolyn Lizbeth Einmann is an operations professional with over six years of experience scaling systems, streamlining workflows, and driving execution across globally distributed teams, primarily at high-growth startups. Her work has included building internal processes, managing cross-functional projects across more than 15 countries, and leading transitions to remote-first models.

Claes-Mikko Nilsen co-founded FiBAN (Finnish Business Angels Network) and has worked on building the Nordic startup ecosystem since 2010, including involvement with events such as Slush Investor Day. At NordicNinja he focuses on community building and connecting startups with a broader Japanese network to help them find customers, partnerships, and new business models. He is Norwegian-Finnish and is also active as an event moderator.

Johan Åkesson is an Investment Associate at NordicNinja with a background in early-stage venture investment, fintech, and renewable energy. He has co-founded, scaled, and exited companies, giving him experience as both an operator and an investor. His work spans financing strategy, business development, and building ecosystems for early-stage companies across multiple industries.

Kevin Dean is Chief of Staff at NordicNinja, working as a strategic partner to the firm's leadership. His role focuses on translating strategy into execution and supporting organizational impact.

Matts Andersson serves as an advisor to NordicNinja, where he shares his experience with the team to help guide their investment decisions. His work has involved supporting the growth of Nordic companies.

Veronika Mugra has a background in both computer science and finance, with a focus on data science and AI. She worked as a Data Scientist and Project Manager on Bürokratt, Estonia's AI-powered government virtual assistant, and previously held roles at Swedbank Investment Banking, PwC (financial audits), and Civitta management consulting. She holds a Master's in Analysis and Design of Information Systems (Cum Laude) and a Bachelor's in Business Financing, both from TalTech.

Zanna Millns is an Investment Associate at NordicNinja with a background in early-stage technology investment and scaling energy start-ups. Her focus areas include energy software, climate technologies, renewable power, and sustainability solutions. Before NordicNinja, she led business development at the energy software startup Renewabl and previously worked as an Investment Associate at Shell Ventures, supporting climate and energy investments.