| Representative |
Masakatsu Noguchi
Masakatsu Noguchi. He holds a Ph.D. in Life Sciences from the Graduate School of Life Sciences at Kyoto University. After working at Dream Incubator, where he supported technology-based startups and developed business strategies, he gained experience in the medical device, diagnostics, and pharmaceutical businesses at Abbott in Japan and Singapore. At SanaMed, he served as Director of Business Development, driving the commercialization of medical devices. In 2023, he founded SMILE CURVE and assumed the position of CEO. He is currently involved in startup support and industry-academia collaboration at Hiroshima University and Saitama University. |
| Main Achievements |
Achievements
・Class 1 Medical Device Notification (April 2026)
・Domestic Screening Status (Tokyo, Saitama, Tokushima, etc.; approximately 80,000 people)
Licenses
・Medical Device Manufacturing and Sales License (Type 3)
Media Coverage
・Forbes Japan, October 2024 Issue: “Promising Nonprofit Startups Tackling ‘Meaningful’ Social Issues” (magazine, web)
・Tokyo Shimbun Sunday Tokyo Economy, June 30, 2025: “Leaders” (magazine, web)
Affiliations
・Intact Startup Association (General Incorporated Association), December 2025–
Grants and Donations
・NEDO Entrepreneurs Program (2023–2024)
・Soil/Forbes Japan Fund (2024)
・Tama Manufacturing Startup Entrepreneur Development Program (2024–2025)
・Keio University Medical Startup Support Hub, Support Seed S2 (2025–2026)
Domestic Accelerators
・ASAC 17th Acceleration Program (2023)
・Aichi Deeptech Launchpad (2024)
・Vsion Hacker Association (2025)
Overseas
・Medtech Actuator Origin Japan Semifinalist (2023)
・Shidou Next Innovator – Silicon Valley Selection – (2023)
・Scalar8: Tokyo Metropolitan Government-Sponsored Program to Support Expansion into Germany (2024)
・JETRO HealthTech Gateway “AI Medical in the US” Phase 1 (2024)
・NEXs Tokyo Overseas Expansion Support Program, 6th Cohort (2024)
・MEDISO MedTech BOOT (2025)
・Hiroshima Launchpad: North America (2025)
・J-StarX Medtech Phase 1 (2025)
・Tokyo Metropolitan SME Support Corporation: Hands-On Support Program for North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany (2025) |
| Childhood Dream |
Scientists Creating a New World, the President, and a Rugby Player |
| Influential People, Things, and Events |
People Who Influenced Me: Konosuke Matsushita, Kazuo Inamori, Kosei Senbon, Hideyo Noguchi
Events That Influenced Me: Living abroad (Singapore, Africa), my own and my family’s illnesses |
| Motivation, Goals, and Ideal World |
What inspired me to start this business was learning about scoliosis and the importance of its early detection while working on the commercialization of medical devices. Furthermore, since someone in my own family has scoliosis, I came to view this as an issue that is by no means someone else’s problem.
Scoliosis primarily develops during the growth spurt between the ages of 10 and 16, and in the early stages, there are almost no noticeable symptoms such as pain. As a result, the condition can progress unnoticed by both the child and their family, and by the time it is discovered, some children have already reached a stage where surgery is necessary. On the other hand, if the condition is detected at a mild stage before the bones have fully matured, bracing therapy can prevent it from becoming severe and may make surgery unnecessary.
Through my family’s experience, I realized firsthand that “when it is detected” has a major impact on subsequent treatment and the course of a child’s life.
However, current school health screenings rely primarily on visual and tactile examinations by doctors, and detection rates vary depending on the examiner’s experience and the region. Hearing doctors and families say, “If only we had caught it sooner,” I strongly felt that simply having the technology isn’t enough to change society—it’s meaningless unless we create a system to actually deliver it to the front lines. That’s why I founded SMILE CURVE to create a system that utilizes 3D scanning, AI, and cloud technology, enabling anyone to objectively and quantitatively detect scoliosis.
Our goal is to create a society where it becomes the norm to detect scoliosis early and connect children to treatment promptly, rather than waiting until the condition has become severe. Starting with school health screenings in Japan, we aim to build a social infrastructure that ensures children around the world—regardless of where they live or their country of origin—can receive appropriate screenings, thereby safeguarding their future options through early detection. |
Media Produced by ASCII STARTUP
