New Director/CSO Appointed for Overseas Growth Strategy

2023.12.21

We as HIROTSU Bio Science Inc. (Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative: Takaaki Hirotsu (Hereinafter referred to as “HIROTSU”) are pleased to announce that Barrett Comiskey, a serial entrepreneur, and inventor of electronic ink used in products such as the Amazon Kindle, has been appointed as Director and Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) as of December 21.

Up to this time, we have been conducting research and development to create a future in which cancers can be detected at an early stage. With life expectancy continuing to increase around the world, cancer has become an issue of international importance. N-NOSE^®” is one of the few technologies that can solve this problem because it is simple, highly accurate, and inexpensive. Therefore, we have invited Barrett Comiskey to join our Board of Directors and CSO to expand N-NOSE^® beyond Japan and into the global market.

Barrett Comiskey invented electronic ink, the technology used in products such as the Amazon Kindle, while studying at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This technology, for which he has been awarded 75 patents, is considered one of the greatest innovations since letterpress printing in the 15th century. Since then, the technology has evolved beyond books, with new applications ranging from electronic shelf labels to outdoor signage. In addition to being an inventor, he is also the co-founder of E Ink, the company based on the electronic ink technology, that has since grown to a market capitalization of approximately $6 billion (about 0.9 trillion yen) in less than 10 years. Since then, he has established a wide range of experience and achievements by starting businesses in different fields not only in the U.S. but also in China, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia. Going forward, we will leverage his experiences and work together to implement the overseas expansion of “N-NOSE”

■Career
He graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1997 with a B.S. in Mathematics. While in school, he invented electronic ink, which is used in e-readers like Amazon Kindle. Based on this technology, he founded E Ink, Inc. a company that has since grown to a market capitalization of approximately $6 billion. In 2004, he earned an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business. He was recognized as a Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum and was the youngest inductee into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

■Comment from Barrett Comiskey 
Dr. Hirotsu’s invention – reimagining a very common model biological organism to be a high-fidelity biosensor that can solve one of the biggest social problems in the world - is an amazing example of thinking outside of fixed ideas which immediately resonated with me as a lifelong lateral-thinker. 

The potential of an affordable, non-invasive, highly sensitive test that can detect “silent killer cancers” at early stages is poised to change the face of cancer screening worldwide and save millions of lives, avoiding the suffering of millions more.  

When I met the team and felt their deep commitment to this important project, I felt a moral imperative to support Dr.Hirotsu  and his mission. This is why it is truly an honor to officially become part of this team as its Chief Strategy Officer, to support Dr. Hirotsu in actualizing his vision in the most effective, efficient, and scalable way.  HBS has already done an amazing job in Japan, and I believe that with my experience in the US and a number of other countries, we can successfully open the largest markets on the planet and accelerate Early Cancer Detection worldwide.