Hidetaka Kojima, Representative Director of SHIFT Growth Capital Inc. / CEO of SHIFT USA Inc.　

A career is like a drama you write yourself

Hidetaka Kojima, Representative Director of SHIFT Growth Capital Inc. / CEO of SHIFT USA Inc.　(Kojima Hidetaka)

■ Profile
Graduated from the Faculty of Foreign Studies, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies in 2003. Completed a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Hitotsubashi University Graduate School of Commerce in 2009. Completed a PLD from Harvard Business School (PLDA) in 2019. After working at Daiwa Securities, GCA, and Mitsubishi Corporation, he joined SHIFT in 2020, where he has been responsible for establishing a system for consistent M&A/PMI. In March 2022, he founded SHIFT Growth Capital and joined as a director, becoming Representative Director in November 2024. In February 2025, he founded SHIFT USA and became Director and CEO. In recent years, he has also been working to build Japan's startup ecosystem as a VC advisor, startup consultant, and angel investor.

SHIFT Inc. is headquartered in Azabudai Hills Mori JP Tower. Leveraging its diverse strengths, including M&A, the company develops businesses aimed at the growth and value enhancement of various industries by creating services that sell to customers and resolving IT issues. Hideki Kojima, CEO of SHIFT Growth Capital Inc., played American football during his student days and says that this has given him the "ability to win as an organization." We spoke to him about how he uses what he learned to approach his work and his future prospects.

SHIFT Inc. is a company that has grown based on software quality assurance and testing. We now handle all aspects of software development and have expanded our business to support corporate digital transformation. We have grown to a scale of over 100 billion yen in sales, approximately 14,000 employees, and over 40 group companies. SHIFT Growth Capital, of which I am the representative, is a group company that promotes M&A strategies to support this growth.
The SHIFT Group has already carried out M&A with nearly 40 companies, scaling up its structure, speed, target areas, etc. It is not just about making acquisitions, but also establishing a repeatable growth model through subsequent sales, recruitment, and management support.

■ Experience of "winning as a team" learned through club activities

When I was a student, I was in a completely different world from the job I work in now. I was a member of the American football team at university, and spent my days practicing six days a week. American football is a sport that cannot be won by an individual. Results are achieved when each person plays their own role within the team. That experience is the foundation of my current way of thinking about "achieving results as an organization."
To be honest, I wasn't particularly interested in business or entrepreneurship at the time, but looking back, the skills I learned during that time, such as the ability to grow together with my colleagues and the mindset to win, are extremely useful in my current work.

■The important thing is to make the effort to make the path you choose the right one

My career began at Daiwa Securities. After studying finance there, I moved to the M&A advisory firm GCA before moving to Mitsubishi Corporation. At Mitsubishi Corporation, I was involved in the launch of the Life Sciences Division and was stationed in the United States and also engaged in management. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to gain such diverse experience over the past 10 years.
Then in 2020, I met SHIFT founder Dai Tange, and during our interview I immediately replied, "I'll go." People around me were surprised, but my belief is not to think about "which is the right answer," but to "make an effort to make the path I choose the right one." That's why I had no hesitation in pursuing the path I had chosen.
When I was working at GCA, the founder, Nobuo Sayama, told me, "A career is like a drama that you write and act out yourself." These words have become the basis for how I think about my career. I am the protagonist and the scriptwriter. I began to believe that it is more important to keep asking myself what I want to do than to meet the expectations of others.

■ Expanding the possibilities of companies through "centrifugal and centripetal forces"

Companies that have recently undergone M&A fall into three main categories: companies facing business succession issues, companies that have reached a limit to their growth potential, and companies that were aiming for an IPO but have changed direction. At SHIFT, we build relationships that allow us to grow together by providing optimal support tailored to each pattern and situation.
Furthermore, we do not uniformly require companies that join the SHIFT Group to change their company names or systems. We respect their autonomy and strive to support each company so that they can grow on their own initiative. Based on the idea of ​​centrifugal and centripetal forces, our policy is to aim for a strong organization across the entire group.

■ Three elements of attractive talent

The people I want to work with have three qualities:
First of all, I'm attracted to people who have a clear vision of what they want to do and are working towards it, not just because of salary or title.
Next is "people who don't set their own limits." I believe that people who don't give up when others tell them it's impossible, but instead continue to think about how they can make it happen, have great potential.
The last one is "humble people." I feel that people who don't get carried away and are always willing to learn are the ones who are trusted and grow within the team.
Of course, students may be a little overconfident or cocky at times, but as they enter society and learn about the wider world, they will naturally become more humble and be able to fill in the gaps. So, there is no need to be perfect at this stage.

■ Overseas expansion and the future of SHIFT

We are currently working towards our goal of achieving sales of 3,000 billion yen and a market capitalization of 1 trillion yen. As part of this, we have established SHIFT USA and begun expanding overseas. We continue to take on the challenge of working towards our goal of becoming a Japanese company active on the world stage.
Japan is home to many talented people, but I feel there are still very few startups that are active on the global stage. This is not because Japanese people lack the skills to do so, but simply because there are limited opportunities for them to take on new challenges. That is why we hope that our efforts will help expand these opportunities.

■Message to university students

It's okay if you're not satisfied with who you are now. The important thing is to believe that you can do more. Don't let others define your limits; expand your own possibilities. And you are the main character in your own life. Instead of trying to meet the expectations of others, choose a path that you can truly be satisfied with. I hope you will act out the drama you write and act out with the best script possible.

Interviewed by Student Newspaper Online on July 31, 2025 by Chiharu Yamada, second-year student at the University of Information, Management and Innovation

Chiharu Yamada, second year student at the University of Information, Management and Innovation / Miho Iwai, third year student at Gakushuin Women's College