Team
Mouse over any of the photos above to find out more about the partners!
The incTANK team is uniquely skilled for early-stage venture investing. The three partners have a diverse mix of investment experience, technology/industry skills, and venture experience. Our team of venture partners and advisors comes from across academics and industry. These scientific, engineering and business professionals are active participants in both pre-funding due diligence and post-funding company growth.
Karl Ruping
Karl is Founder and Managing Partner of incTANK. He is an experienced patent attorney with a technical background in computer science technologies. Fluent in Japanese and German, he studied at Colby College, London School of Economics, Harvard University and the University of Tokyo. Prior to establishing incTANK in 1999, Karl’s professional career focused on international patent protection, intellectual property licensing, and intangible asset valuation in global mergers and acquisitions. He has been a Fellow in M.I.T.’s School of Engineering, and continues to write and lecture on university innovation and entrepreneurship. In addition to investor relations, Karl is responsible for overall investment strategies and management of incTANK’s Boston office.
Masanobu Tsukagoshi
Mas is a General Partner at incTANK and the lead partner in our Tokyo office. He has worked for leading financial institutions in Boston, London, Singapore, and Tokyo, developing a career in international banking. After graduating from a joint program between Konan University in Japan and the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, Mas received an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh. He is committee member of the Intellectual Property Strategy Consultation Program of the Organization for Small and Medium Enterprises and Regional Innovation (Japan) and lectures at the University of Tokyo, Kyoto University and NagoyaUniversity. He focuses on material sciences and computational sciences, with particular interest in semiconductor technologies and financial services.
Chad Jackson
Chad is a General Partner of incTANK responsible for business development and new portfolio selection. Chad has spent over 10 years working in the investment management and early-stage venture capital fields. He has worked at such firms as Bear Stearns, Intercontinental Ventures and Softbank Technology Ventures. Most recently Chad was Principal of Sparks Street Capital a private investment company that has co-invested in incTANK portfolio companies. He holds a BA in Economics from Franklin & Marshall College. Chad’s areas of focus include computational sciences and life sciences.