Kiara KAWAGUCHI

Born in Sakai, Osaka. At the age of 16, while attending Osaka Toin High School, he decided not to join a school trip and used the money to travel alone to Indonesia. Encountering different cultures and values deepened his interest in the world beyond Japan.

He subsequently started a business to fund his own education. He launched a website production business for small and medium-sized businesses and grew it into an organization of more than 20 people.

Accompanying an executive of a major trading company in the course of their work, he experienced international business firsthand, including interactions with government officials such as the presidents of three African countries, resource imports from Brazil and exports of Japanese automotive parts to Africa.

He then moved to Tokyo and co-founded The Bedrock Space Group, where he served as Chief Operating Officer (COO). As a co-founder, he participated in a USD 3 million (approximately JPY 470 million) pre-seed funding round, one of the largest in Japan.

After leaving the company, he spent approximately three months backpacking around the world. Through this experience, he redefined vending machines as “Dots”: touchpoints where brands and consumers meet in physical spaces, rather than simply equipment for selling products. This led him to found his current business.

As the first initiative, he launched Fragrance Station, which lets people experience perfume one spray at a time. Approximately two and a half months after founding the business, he reached contracts for 15 machines, growing it into Japan’s largest fragrance vending machine business by the number of machines under contract.

He received the 世界起業家アワード entrepreneurship award and participated in the Grammy Awards as a photographer. Drawing on his experience in entrepreneurship, international business and management, he leads the company’s business vision, business development and growth strategy as CEO.

His interests include overseas travel, listening to music and photography. He has a strong interest in the landscapes and spaces shaped by the cultures, histories and natural environments of different countries. He practiced kendo for approximately ten years from childhood and earned the rank of first dan. He is also certified by the City of Sakai as a 古墳博士 (kofun expert).