Masanori Yamato

Senior Principal at Translink Capital

📍 United States🔄 Updated September 2026💼 10 investments📅 9 years investing🗓 Last invested Jun 2026
VC🌍 United StatesInvested this quarter
10
Total investments
2
Early stage
3
Mid stage
3
Late stage
9y
Years active

Portfolio

10 investments · sorted by recency
All investments
Early stage
Mid stage
Late stage
Investor
Jun 2026
We are on a mission to bridge the gap between simulation and the real world, ensuring autonomous systems perform flawlessly when it counts most. As the trusted first line of defense for innovators in autonomous driving, drone delivery, eVTOL, robotics, and beyond, we empower industry leaders to rigorously test and validate their systems at scale. Our high-fidelity, fully controllable, software-in-the-loop sensor simulation API provides unparalleled realism, accuracy, and confidence. In autonomy, theres simply no margin for error.
Board Observer
Aug 2024
Empowerly is designed to make college admissions guidance accessible to all through data-driven education technology. Our platform uses algorithms and human expertise to match students with their best-match counselors who will assess their applicant competitiveness at top U.S. colleges and universities. We empower students with the tools they need to successfully navigate the complexities of college preparation, program acceptance, and beyond.
Board Observer
Jun 2024
Matter is an innovation-intensive start-up creating futuristic electric vehicles platforms and energy storage solutions. We are guided by our vision to be the most dynamic company driving India to a sustainable future. We take pride in leveraging our expertise to create tech-backed solutions to empower every individual with the option to choose superior alternatives. We follow a vertical integration model for all the core components in the platform, putting us in a position to be in complete control of the safety, security, performance, and reliability of the system. Delivering exceptional User Experience is at the core of all our initiatives.
Board Observer
Mar 2024
The ocean is an immensely powerful force of nature, and our greatest ally to reverse the tides on climate change. By studying the planet’s natural cycles, Captura designed a solution that removes CO2 from the ocean and harnesses its ability to heal the climate—a process known as Direct Ocean Capture. Developed and proven in Caltech’s laboratories, our unique Direct Ocean Capture technology runs with just two ingredients: seawater and renewable electricity. It extracts CO2 directly from seawater to be permanently stored or reused. This amplifies the natural equilibrium between the ocean and atmosphere, drawing carbon out of the air and into the ocean to rebalance. Captura’s approach requires no rare-Earth minerals, adds nothing to the ocean, and leaves no chemicals behind. It’s a low-cost, large-scale carbon removal solution that is environmentally sound.
Board Member
Jul 2023
Sonatus is accelerating vehicle software innovation and the transition towards software-defined vehicles. Our platforms and products serve as the key building blocks that allow automotive companies and their ecosystem to innovate faster and deliver continuous improvements in costs, capabilities, reliability, and user experience over the vehicle lifespan. Sonatus’ award-winning software platform is in mass production vehicles from Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis today and will grow to millions of cars by 2024. The company has raised more than $110 million USD with world-class automotive, technology, and venture investors including Foxconn, Hyundai Motor Group’s Kia Corporation, LG Electronics, Marvell, SAIC Capital, Translink Capital, UMC Capital, and Wanxiang Group Company. Sonatus is headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA (Silicon Valley), with offices in Paris, Shanghai, Seoul and Tokyo. Sonatus is a trademark of Sonatus, Inc. For more information visit www.sonatus.com.
Investor
Nov 2022
REGENTs mission is to drastically reduce the cost and headache of regional transportation between coastal destinations. We create Seaglider vessels, wing-in-ground-effect craft that fly just above the waters surface and couple the high speed of airplanes with the convenience of boats, all at the low cost of an all-electric system. The 12-passenger Viceroy Seaglider model will service routes up to 180 miles at 180 mph with existing battery technology, and routes up to 400 miles with next-gen batteries, all via existing dock infrastructure. Backed by the same investors who support SpaceX, Anduril, and Archer Aviation, our team of passionate, forward-thinking builders combines the best of aerospace and maritime expertise to turn zero-emission, high-speed coastal travel into reality.
Board Observer
Jul 2022
Miles is a universal rewards app empowering anyone to earn miles automatically for all forms of travel and commute. You can then redeem your miles from retailers such as Vudu, Walgreens, Silvercar, Ray-Ban, Getaround and many more. Similar to a frequent flyer program, but for all forms of transportation, Miles delivers value for every mile traveled, across every mode of travel, anywhere in the world. Whether by car (as a driver, passenger or rideshare), plane, train, subway, bus, boat, bicycle, or on foot, the Miles app effortlessly awards users’ travel - regardless of where their journey takes them. Miles can be saved or redeemed at any time - with the value increasing every month as more merchants accept them as a form of payment. Download Miles today to start getting rewarded! - https://app.getmiles.com/in Learn more: • Website: www.getmiles.com • Twitter: twitter.com/getmilesapp • Facebook: www.facebook.com/getmilesapp
Investor
Mar 2022
At Full Harvest, our vision is a world where there is 0% food waste and 100% full harvests, where all edible produce grown goes towards consumption. We aim to reinvent the produce supply chain with technology to bring the industry online for the first time ever and maximize resources.
Investor
Nov 2017
Blackmore is a leader in FMCW lidar and supporting analytic tools. Our technology brings the advanced toolsets of modern radar into the optical domain. We support safety critical applications where direct detect 3D imagers are cost and performance limited. Blackmore lidar systems make more measurements to longer ranges than any lidar system and are completely immune to interference effects. Additionally, the sensors measure radial velocity on every data point via the Doppler effect. These features make autonomous vehicles with Blackmore lidar safer, smarter, and more reliable.
Investor
Oct 2017
Realtime has invented a specialized processor for generating safe robot motion plans in micro-seconds, enabling robots to function in unstructured, collaborative work-spaces, reacting to other motions as soon as they are perceived
Experience · 14 entries
All (14)
Investments (10)
Board (5)
2026
Investor
Jun 2026
We are on a mission to bridge the gap between simulation and the real world, ensuring autonomous systems perform flawlessly when it counts most. As the trusted first line of defense for innovators in autonomous driving, drone delivery, eVTOL, robotics, and beyond, we empower industry leaders to rigorously test and validate their systems at scale. Our high-fidelity, fully controllable, software-in-the-loop sensor simulation API provides unparalleled realism, accuracy, and confidence. In autonomy, theres simply no margin for error.
2024
Advisory Board Member
Oct 2024
Empowering Local Economies with the power of a Community 💛 At Next Bharat, a proud subsidiary of Suzuki Motor Corporation, Japan, we are dedicated to advancing the Next Billion in India by supporting impact entrepreneurs who are committed to making a substantial difference. Our mission is to address the significant income disparities in India by elevating the informal and rural sectors as pivotal elements of Bharats growth narrative. Our core focus is to unite impact entrepreneurs who are motivated by Cause, Contribution, and Community, aiming to forge a transformative path for Next Bharat. Join us in shaping a future where every entrepreneur is a catalyst for change, driving economic empowerment and sustainable growth across India’s diverse landscapes.
Board Observer
Aug 2024
Empowerly is designed to make college admissions guidance accessible to all through data-driven education technology. Our platform uses algorithms and human expertise to match students with their best-match counselors who will assess their applicant competitiveness at top U.S. colleges and universities. We empower students with the tools they need to successfully navigate the complexities of college preparation, program acceptance, and beyond.
Board Observer
Jun 2024
Matter is an innovation-intensive start-up creating futuristic electric vehicles platforms and energy storage solutions. We are guided by our vision to be the most dynamic company driving India to a sustainable future. We take pride in leveraging our expertise to create tech-backed solutions to empower every individual with the option to choose superior alternatives. We follow a vertical integration model for all the core components in the platform, putting us in a position to be in complete control of the safety, security, performance, and reliability of the system. Delivering exceptional User Experience is at the core of all our initiatives.
Board Observer
Mar 2024
The ocean is an immensely powerful force of nature, and our greatest ally to reverse the tides on climate change. By studying the planet’s natural cycles, Captura designed a solution that removes CO2 from the ocean and harnesses its ability to heal the climate—a process known as Direct Ocean Capture. Developed and proven in Caltech’s laboratories, our unique Direct Ocean Capture technology runs with just two ingredients: seawater and renewable electricity. It extracts CO2 directly from seawater to be permanently stored or reused. This amplifies the natural equilibrium between the ocean and atmosphere, drawing carbon out of the air and into the ocean to rebalance. Captura’s approach requires no rare-Earth minerals, adds nothing to the ocean, and leaves no chemicals behind. It’s a low-cost, large-scale carbon removal solution that is environmentally sound.
Show all 14 entries ↓
Investment activity
2017–2026 · 10 investments
2017220223202312024320261
Recent (last 2 years)Earlier