Yurika Imuta | DNX Capital

Profile

Yurika Imuta

Principal

After graduating from Keio University’s Faculty of Law, Yurika joined JPMorgan Securities Japan’s Internal Audit Division in 2023. She has extensive audit experience in both Japan and New York headquarters, covering regulatory compliance frameworks across multiple jurisdictions and executing governance and control structures of global financial operations. She subsequently moved to the Marketing unit of the Corporate Strategy and Planning Department in the asset management division, where she handled marketing for investment funds. In 2016, she joined Visasq Inc. as an Executive Officer, taking on a wide range of responsibilities during the early days of the expert search market. She led initiatives such as business development, compliance controls in preparation for the company’s IPO, business development for domestic and international financial sector clients, post-merger integration following a US acquisition, as well as overseeing the corporate group. She also has management experience gained through building the organization as it grew from 10 to 200 employees. She joined DNX Capital in September 2022.

Interview

Empowering Visionary Founders: A Steadfast Partner in the Entrepreneurial Journey
Combining “Defense” and “Offense” for Scalable Growth My decade-long tenure at J.P. Morgan was defined by a dual mastery of “defense” and “offense.” At the internal audit division, I cultivated a deep understanding of governance, risk, and control frameworks. Later, moving into marketing, I pivoted to driving business expansion. This unique synthesis—assessing systemic risk while simultaneously scaling business performance—remains the bedrock of my investment philosophy. From 2016, I spent six and a half years as an executive officer at VISASQ. I was involved from the inception of our platform business, through the IPO, and into the post-merger integration of our overseas acquisitions. My role was to provide “defense”—securing the organization and its people—so that the founder could focus entirely on “offense.” Determining how to maximize a founder’s performance became the cornerstone of my professional orientation.
A Trusted Anchor for Founders I joined DNX with a clear mission: to bring startup operational rigor to the Japanese startup ecosystem. My support style is defined by unwavering commitment. I believe that entrepreneurship is a solitary endeavor, marked by high-stakes pressure and constant decision-making. I aim to be the anchor for founders—someone who helps them articulate their vision, navigate ambiguity, and sharpen their strategic focus. Whether it is lifting their gaze during a coffee meeting to discuss their 30-year roadmap, or using coaching techniques to help a founder organize their priorities and embrace delegation, my goal is to provide a space where a founder feels safe enough to be vulnerable. That vulnerability is where true growth begins.
Investing in Purpose-Driven Impact I seek to support founders for whom “helping others” and “finding purpose” are one and the same. Entrepreneurs driven to turn societal challenges into value are the ones who ultimately win the hearts of their teams and customers. The path of a founder is a long, arduous journey. I encourage aspiring entrepreneurs to look beyond their past professional experiences and identify the domain where their passion to help others truly overlaps with their business. That is rarely an easy find, but those who find it—and carry an unshakeable conviction through the challenges that follow—are the ones who create world-changing impact. Those are the founders I am dedicated to supporting.