Ren ITO, Co-FOUNDER & Representative
Ren is an entrepreneur, venture capitalist and former diplomat.
Ren is currently CEO of Mercari Europe, the international arm of Japan's first and only unicorn start-up running the fastest-growing marketplace app in Japan, US and UK. He takes the lead on the global expansion of Mercari after successfully orchestrating the recent IPO.
He has also amassed extensive business experience in fintech, AI, and blockchain technology through investing and holding executive positions in a number of leading start-ups.
Prior to venturing into the entrepreneurial challenges, Ren spent 15 years in diplomacy. He held key positions in the Japanese Foreign Service in Tokyo and Washington DC. Ren continues to be involved in public policy debates on international law and East Asia’s security environment as Senior Fellow at New York University (NYU) School of Law.
Ren received his Master of Laws from NYU School of Law and Bachelor of Laws from the University of Tokyo and is admitted to practice law in New York. Ren also holds a Master of Arts in East Asian Studies from Stanford University.