# Koji Tanabe

> Koji Tanabe is the founder and CEO of I Peace, Inc., a Palo Alto and Kyoto biotech building an automated platform to mass-manufacture clinical-grade induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). He earned his PhD in the Kyoto University lab of Nobel laureate Shinya Yamanaka and was a co-author of the landmark paper that first reported the creation of human iPS cells. After postdoctoral work at Stanford, he founded I Peace in 2015 with the goal of giving every person access to their own stem cells for therapy and longevity.

- **Role:** Founder & CEO at I Peace, Inc.
- **Organizations:** I Peace, Inc., I Peace, Ltd. (Kyoto)
- **Nationality:** Japanese
- **Education:** Ph.D. in Medical Science (Shinya Yamanaka Lab), Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Postdoctoral Fellow (Marius Wernig Laboratory), Stanford University School of Medicine
- **Known for:** Co-author of the first scientific paper reporting successful creation of human induced pluripotent stem cells, Founded I Peace, Inc. (2015) and developed an automated closed-system platform for mass-producing clinical-grade iPSCs, Secured Japan MHLW manufacturing approval and cGMP compliance for the Kyoto cell-manufacturing facility

## Career timeline

- **2006** — Joined Shinya Yamanaka's lab at Kyoto University, beginning iPSC research
- **2007** — Co-authored the landmark paper reporting the first creation of human iPS cells (second author)
- **2013** — Earned Ph.D. in Medical Science from Kyoto University
- **2013** — Began postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford in the Marius Wernig Lab, working on direct cellular reprogramming
- **2015** — Founded I Peace, Inc. in Palo Alto to make iPSCs globally accessible
- **2017** — Continued as visiting researcher at Stanford while building I Peace
- **2020** — Developed an automated, closed, modular iPSC manufacturing device; Kyoto facility (Peace Engine Kyoto) approved by Japan's MHLW
- **2021** — Raised a Series A; honored as a World Biz Magazine Top 100 Innovation CEO
- **2022** — Won the Japan Entrepreneur Award in Healthcare; partnered with the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM)
- **2024** — Expanded into personalized iPS cell services and longevity offerings in the U.S.

## Achievements

- Co-author of the first scientific paper reporting successful creation of human induced pluripotent stem cells
- Founded I Peace, Inc. (2015) and developed an automated closed-system platform for mass-producing clinical-grade iPSCs
- Secured Japan MHLW manufacturing approval and cGMP compliance for the Kyoto cell-manufacturing facility
- World Biz Magazine Top 100 Innovation CEO (2021)
- Japan Entrepreneur Award in Healthcare (2022)
- Partnership with the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM)
- Recipient of an Overseas Research Fellowship from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

## Latest updates

- **2024-06** — I Peace launched personalized iPS cell services and longevity treatment offerings in the United States.
- **2022-11** — I Peace announced a partnership with the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM).

## Links

- Website: https://ipeace.com
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/koji-tanabe-b73932297
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/IPeaceInc_J
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lI_lRCHlWuA
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ipeace.inc

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/koji-tanabe
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-11