Haruna Katayama

Born in Japan and matured in seven countries, I had been exposed to multitudes of societal norms but realised one common thing across cultures and industries: stigma around sex. This led me to launch my career as a Market Analyst at fermata inc., a venture-backed women’s health marketplace and market entry facilitator, where I helped lay the groundwork for the development of Japan’s Femtech market. In an effort to further normalise and democratise pleasure, I published the world’s first comprehensive, open-access market report on the SexTech industry, which you can access here.     

Currently, I’m exploring the neural underpinnings of sexual function as a Neuroscience Masters student at King’s College London and a graduate research assistant to the Research Group in Human Sexuality at the University of Porto. I am open to paid opportunities that align with my personal mission to normalise taboos & bring capital to underinvested businesses by assisting the growth & branding of startups. To contact, please fill out this form.

👀 Sneak peek at the SexTech Market Analysis and Branding Guidebook (04/2021)

In addition, previously I…

  • Was seen at/in SXSW, ELLEGirl, Nikkei Asian Review, NHK, Nippon TV, etc.
  • Executed creative direction for Japan’s first women’s health/wellness technology expo (Featured on TechCrunch Japan).
  • Helped a cross-border wellbeing-tech fund with market research & client relations to raise $30M.
  • Served as a project manager to oversee the e-commerce launch in Singapore.
  • Delivered workshops to more than 3000 people and discussed the future of education on national TV shows in Japan.
  • Led a team of several international talents in South Korea to propose a product strategy that attracted +10,000 users. 
  • Received full undergraduate and graduate scholarships from Yanai Tadashi Foundation and MasaSon Foundation, led by the Fast Retailing and the Softbank Group chairman. 

Check LinkedIn for a more comprehensive work history

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Normalise taboos & bring capital to underinvested businesses by assisting the growth & branding of startups.

テクノロジーやブランディングの力を借りたり、スタートアップの事例や脳神経科学の知識を活かしたりして、ジェンダーやセクシャルウェルネス、メンタルヘルスなど、ネガティブなレッテルを貼られているトピックにおいて、「自分の中のタブーに気づき、新しい価値観を紡ぐ」きっかけをつくるお手伝いをしていきます。ご相談・お仕事の依頼はこちら。 

略歴：英国 King’s College London 脳神経科学修士課程、University of Porto 性科学研究室 研究助手。脳のレンズから性機能について探求する傍ら、セクシャルウェルネス企業のブランド分析やグロース支援を行う。日本人初の学生としてミネルバ大学に進学した学部時代には日米韓独でリサーチ・プロダクト戦略立案に関わったのち、世界初となる SexTech 市場のガイドブックを執筆、fermata に参画し日本のフェムテック市場の火付けに寄与した。SXSWなど国内外での登壇経験を有する。第 1 期柳井正財団海外奨学金プログラム奨学生および孫正義育英財団正財団生。2015年度 UWC 日本協会派遣奨学生。