# Satoshi Sugie

> Satoshi Sugie is the Co-founder and CEO of WHILL, a San Mateo-based personal mobility company that has reimagined the electric wheelchair as a design-forward consumer product. Drawing on his automotive design background at Nissan, Sugie co-founded WHILL in 2012 with a mission to redefine how people perceive and use mobility devices. Under his leadership, WHILL has grown to 350 employees, expanded to 30+ countries, raised over $153 million in funding, and deployed nearly one million autonomous rides at airports worldwide including Tokyo's Haneda, Rome Fiumicino, and Narita. Named to Silicon Valley Business Journal's 40 Under 40 in 2017 and recognized by TIME Magazine's 50 Best Inventions, Sugie's approach treats mobility not as a medical necessity but as an aspirational lifestyle product.

- **Role:** Co-founder & CEO at WHILL
- **Organizations:** WHILL, Nissan, Smile Park
- **From:** Japan
- **Nationality:** Japanese
- **Education:** Bachelor of Business Administration, Ritsumeikan University, Exchange Studies, Nanjing University
- **Known for:** Co-founded WHILL in 2012, growing it to 350+ employees and $153M+ in total funding, Named Silicon Valley Business Journal 40 Under 40 (2017), WHILL products recognized in TIME Magazine's 50 Best Inventions

## Career timeline

- **2005** — Graduated from Ritsumeikan University College of Business Administration
- **2005-2011** — Worked at Nissan in the Advanced Transportation Department, developing future mobility concepts based on real-user lifestyles
- **2011** — Founded Smile Park, an engineering startup focused on new product development
- **2011** — Co-founded the WHILL project alongside Junpei Naito (ex-Sony) and Muneaki Fukuoka (ex-Olympus)
- **2012** — Relocated to San Francisco, California; officially established WHILL Inc. in May 2012 in Tokyo
- **2014** — Launched WHILL Model A - sold out immediately upon US release
- **2015** — WHILL Model A commercially available in the United States
- **2016** — WHILL Model M received FDA clearance, enabling insurance coverage in the US
- **2017** — Named to Silicon Valley Business Journal's 40 Under 40 list
- **2019** — Launched first autonomous wheelchair trials at Haneda Airport, Tokyo, in partnership with Japan Airlines
- **2022** — Raised Series E funding of $19M; close to 1 million autonomous rides delivered globally
- **2023** — Presented at G7 Transport Ministers' Meeting as international leader in personal transportation solutions
- **2024** — Launched Model Ri urban mobility scooter; WHILL achieved 40% YoY North America growth in Q1
- **2024** — Merged with Scootaround to expand North American footprint
- **2025** — Launched Model R four-wheel scooter at Medtrade Expo; expanded autonomous service to Rome Fiumicino Airport in Europe
- **2026** — Released White Paper 'Designing for Dignity: Reshaping Perceptions of Mobility'

## Achievements

- Co-founded WHILL in 2012, growing it to 350+ employees and $153M+ in total funding
- Named Silicon Valley Business Journal 40 Under 40 (2017)
- WHILL products recognized in TIME Magazine's 50 Best Inventions
- Multiple CES Best of Innovation Awards for WHILL products
- Secured FDA clearance for WHILL Model M, enabling US insurance coverage
- Delivered nearly 1 million autonomous rides at airports worldwide
- Deployed autonomous mobility services at Haneda, Narita, Kansai, Winnipeg, and Rome Fiumicino airports
- Presented to G7 Transport Ministers as international leader in personal transportation (2023)
- Expanded WHILL to 30+ countries globally
- Collaborated with Autodesk on generative design for next-generation mobility products
- Gave Japanese Prime Minister a test ride in a WHILL power chair at Nippon Startup Awards

## Latest updates

- **2026-04** — WHILL released White Paper 'Designing for Dignity: Reshaping Perceptions of Mobility'
- **2025-03** — WHILL launched commercial autonomous mobility service at Rome Fiumicino Airport, marking European expansion
- **2025-02** — WHILL revealed Model R four-wheel mobility scooter at Medtrade Expo Conference
- **2024-05** — WHILL announced North American expansion after 40% YoY growth in Q1 2024
- **2024-03** — WHILL unveiled Model Ri, an urban mobility scooter for active seniors
- **2023-06** — Satoshi Sugie presented at G7 Transport Ministers' Meeting as international leader in personal transportation
- **2022-04** — WHILL raised Series E funding of $19M, led by Woven Capital

## Links

- Website: https://whill.inc
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/satoshisugie/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/satoshisugie
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/teamWHILL

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/satoshi-sugie
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-23