#Japan #Tokyo #Aoba-BBT #Mitsuhiko Ogihara #pring

Entrepreneurial Insight from Aoba-BBT's Anniversary Project

Aoba-BBT, headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a special seminar featuring Mitsuhiko Ogihara, the former CEO of pring, now part of the Google Group. This engaging dialogue is set for February 5, 2026, and will delve into the intriguing strategies that transformed a struggling business into a valuable asset worth over 10 billion yen.

Mitsuhiko Ogihara, who boasts a unique background as a former chef in Ginza, will share the story of how he founded the money transfer app pring and the astonishing M&A deal that led to its acquisition by Google. This discussion promises to reveal the hidden management strategies that propelled his success.

Why Did Google Want a ‘Deficit’ Japanese Company?

This talk is not just about a successful buyout story. Ogihara's journey is rooted in personal experiences, including his family's financial struggles and his transformative commitment to eliminating unreasonable transaction fees in money transfers. Although keeping remittance fees free resulted in red ink on the income statement, Ogihara diligently forged what Google coveted most: a platinum asset—banking connectivity. This insightful discussion will explore how Ogihara's fervent passion captivated one of the world’s foremost platforms, Google.

Key Highlights of the Talk

1. Transforming Losses into Assets: Understanding Ogihara's mentality about business positions. By prioritizing a banking network over immediate profitability, he crafted something that would later prove invaluable to investors.
2. Strategic Exit Planning: Ogihara’s shrewd anticipation of market dynamics allowed him to position himself favorably with Google, aiming specifically to meet their needs for licenses and connections, turning their competitive anxieties into advantages for his business.
3. Rethinking Success: He will discuss alternatives to IPOs and the beauty of integrating into a larger entity, signaling a paradigm shift in how entrepreneurial success can be defined beyond traditional methods.

Significance of the Talk in Aoba-BBT's Anniversary Initiative

This event embodies the core themes of the Aoba-BBT Group’s anniversary project, entitled "Life-time Empowerment in the Invisible Continent". It aims to strengthen community ties, visualize role models, and create cyclical lifelong learning environments. By showcasing successful outcomes from alumni, Aoba-BBT hopes to accelerate the execution of key initiatives focusing on:

• - Community revitalization and network enhancement
• - Concrete models of cyclical learning (Life-time Empowerment)
• - Empowerment of next-generation leaders
• - Promotion of global collaboration and international education

The alumni talk is scheduled as a preliminary event for a broader range of activities within the anniversary project, linking with upcoming initiatives like the Alumni Network (LEN) and international collaboration programs.

Who Should Attend?

This event is ideal for:

• - Aspiring entrepreneurs and independent professionals
• - Individuals interested in the exit process of business—from setup to exit strategies (M&A/IPO)
• - Business leaders seeking direction for decision-making in their ventures
• - Current students and alumni who want to apply what they’ve learned practically
• - Anyone looking to significantly advance their career trajectory

Event Details

• - Date: February 5, 2026 | Time: 12:00 - 13:00
• - Format: Online via Zoom
• - Cost: Free
• - Application Deadline: February 4, 2026, by 3 PM
• - Registration Link: Register Here

Profiles of Speakers

Mitsuhiko Ogihara: A former chef at a Ginza establishment, Ogihara transitioned to programming after realizing boundaries in the culinary world. He has a rich background spanning more than ten years in system development and has played crucial roles in the launch of innovative businesses, including pring, which underwent acquisition by Google in 2021.

Iwao Shibata: As the President of Aoba-BBT, Shibata excels in various educational environments, aiming to foster a new generation of leaders and leverage innovative education techniques. Under his leadership, Aoba-BBT continues to expand its global outreach and programmatic variety.

About Aoba-BBT

Founded in April 1998, Aoba-BBT’s mission is to cultivate leaders who can thrive on an international scale. It provides a plethora of educational programs catering to all from young children to corporate executives with a focus on innovative education technologies and personalized learning experiences. Aoba-BBT remains the leading company in the educational sector, contributing continuously to shaping the future of education.