Mr. Atsutoshi Kubo, Director of Game & Co., boasts a non-conventional career path: from prestigious Kaisei High School and Keio University to joining CyberAgent as a fresh graduate—only to leave it all behind to become a professional card game player. After a stint at Ichikara (now ANYCOLOR Inc.), he joined Virtual Entertainment as its very first direct-hire applicant back when the team was still small.
Since then, Mr. Kubo has launched a series of new businesses at unprecedented speed. Today, while serving as Director of Game & Co., he spearheads multiple projects, including “Xross Stars”. In this dialogue with CEO Mr. Keito Noguchi, they discuss the “Connecting the Dots” that tied his scattered experiences together and the future they envision beyond them.
Keito Noguchi
CEO of Brave group Inc.
Keito Noguchi embarked on his entrepreneurial journey by founding Vapes, Inc. in 2011 while still pursuing his studies at Keio University.
In 2016, he orchestrated the transfer of the company over to Benesse Holdings, Inc. Following this, he has been engaged in the founding of over 50 startups as a business angel, showcasing his commitment to fostering innovation. In 2020, Keito Noguchi stepped into the position of CEO at Brave group Inc., a position he currently holds, leading the company with a clear vision and dedication.
Atsutoshi Kubo
Director, Game & Co. Inc.
After graduating from Kaisei High School, Mr. Kubo enrolled in the Faculty of Policy Management at Keio University (SFC). In 2015, while still a student, he joined CyberAgent, Inc., where he was instrumental in the launch of “RAGE Shadowverse” under the esports brand “RAGE”. He served as the head of tournament operations and was deeply involved in the establishment of the professional league.
Subsequently, he engaged in new business development at Ichikara Inc. (now ANYCOLOR Inc.) and a foreign-affiliated IT venture. He also spent approximately five years as a professional Pokémon Trading Card Game player starting in 2019.
In October 2023, he was appointed as Director of Game & Co. Inc. Currently, he oversees numerous new business ventures, including the esports education business “CR Gaming School,” the device brand “AMICIS”, and the planning and development of “VSPO! GEAR” utilizing VSPO! IP. He also serves as the Producer for the new TCG title, “Xross Stars”.
From Virtual Entertainment’s First Applicant to Director of Game & Co.
Noguchi：When you first interviewed, Mr. Hoshi (Director, CINO, and Representative Director of Virtual Entertainment) came to me and said, “A really fascinating guy just walked in”.
Kubo：I had no idea. At the time, I happened to be researching “VSPO!” and saw a job posting on the website, so I just applied right then and there.
Noguchi：In the early days of Virtual Entertainment, we relied heavily on referral hiring, so it was quite rare to hire someone through a public job posting. In terms of direct applicants, you were likely our very first employee. If I remember correctly, you were previously at ANYCOLOR (then Ichikara Inc.), primarily focusing on new business development, right?
Kubo：That’s correct. That’s when I first learned about “VSPO!” I felt that a project combining the synergy of esports and VTubers was exactly where I could leverage my experience.
Noguchi：Even so, the company only had a few employees back then. Applying at that stage must have been a bold decision. Our office at the time—to put it bluntly—looked like a warehouse. It was a chaotic environment where, if you were working late, someone would just start cooking dinner for everyone.
Kubo：To be honest, it didn’t feel like a “bold decision” at the time. When I visited the office for my interview, the atmosphere reminded me of Google starting out in a garage. I actually thought, “This looks like a lot of fun”.
During my third interview with Mr. Hoshi, he told me, “We only have two people on our esports team so far”. To me, that sounded perfect. I wanted to work in a company with a real, hands-on “venture startup” feel, so I was actually quite excited.
At the end of that third interview, Mr. Hoshi said, “Our company will soon be joining Brave group, so I want you to interview with our CEO, Mr. Noguchi”. In the end, there were five rounds of interviews. I was surprised that a company with only a few employees would go that far, but it made me feel that they were deeply committed to the hiring process.
Noguchi：My impression during the interview was that you were a “shining star” of a young professional—highly educated, with experience at CyberAgent and having witnessed the growth of ANYCOLOR. On the other hand, our company was in a state of disarray back then. I actually felt a bit anxious about whether we could provide a career path that someone like you would truly enjoy.
Kubo：I had no idea you felt that way. For me, that “disarray” was exactly what I was looking forward to. I graduated from Keio University SFC, which is a bit of a unique and eccentric faculty. I still vividly remember the president’s message at our graduation: “Embrace the chaos”. Since then, whenever I face a crossroads in my life, I recall those words. So, I didn’t have many doubts.
CyberAgent is what we call a “mega-venture”—it has a massive number of employees and a fantastic environment. But it was only when I joined ANYCOLOR later that I truly realized what a startup environment feels like.
The growth at ANYCOLOR was incredibly fast, and I decided to start looking for a new challenge just as the employee count had roughly doubled. I had a thirst to build my career in an even more chaotic environment.
Virtual Entertainment had about ten employees at the time, and the office atmosphere gave me that thrilling “ultimate venture” vibe. I jumped in, thinking, “I can have even more chaotic and interesting experiences here”.
Noguchi：Perhaps it’s because you’ve experienced a well-structured environment, but I understand that excitement for a “raw” startup setting. Plus, chaotic environments tend to produce the “game-changer” that create entirely new things.
Kubo：Exactly. Starting my career as a fresh graduate at CyberAgent—a place that is well-structured yet encourages taking on challenges—was a great foundation. Looking back, it was also wonderful to build my career in an environment that creates new things at the unprecedented speed of a startup. I believe that by choosing chaos, I’ve gained something truly significant.
Driving Business Development at Unprecedented speed While Serving as a ‘Jack-of-all-trades’ to Build the Foundation
Noguchi：What kind of responsibilities did you take on after joining Virtual Entertainment?
Kubo：When I first joined, things were still very chaotic. My assigned tasks were to act as a “Jack-of-all-trades” covering a vast range of operations while simultaneously focusing on “creating new businesses”.
When I first saw Virtual Entertainment’s website, I felt a deep connection to the mission: “Move Emotion with Games”. In fact, I joined the company specifically because I loved that mission so much.
Right after joining, when we were refreshing the corporate website, I implemented a transition effect for screen changes that combined the VE logo with the visual of emotions being moved. I designed it to look like a heartbeat on an electrocardiogram to represent the heart being stirred. It’s still on the website today, so I’d love for people to see it.
Kubo：Beyond that, I assisted with a wide range of projects, including creating wireframes for the “VSPO!” e-commerce site, streamlining customer support and shipping logistics for merchandise, managing the “VSPO!” advertisements for Winter Comiket, and planning the “VSPO!” official ambassador project for VALORANT Masters Tokyo 2023. I was also involved in the production of various video programs.
Noguchi：Right from the start, you had an incredibly wide range of responsibilities.
Kubo：Yes. In parallel with all that, I was also in charge of driving new business development. First, I took over the planning of an online esports education curriculum. We later pivoted and restructured it into a service specializing in one-on-one coaching—conceptually similar to an “esports version of RIZAP(the premium personal training model)”. This eventually became the CR Gaming School (hereafter CRGS) service that we operate today. Then, in 2022, about six months after the launch of CRGS, we established Game & Co. Inc. (hereafter Game & Co.).
Noguchi：Looking back, even while Virtual Entertainment was still in a state of chaos, you adapted quickly and pushed forward across many fronts. Even after the founding of Game & Co., you continued to generate numerous new businesses.
Kubo：Looking back, it truly has been at unprecedented speed. However, I feel that my previous career experiences have been utilized in various ways throughout this journey.
Noguchi：Your speed is truly remarkable, Mr. Kubo. Within your first year, you pivoted to officially launch the education business, CRGS. In 2024, you launched the device brand AMICIS, and in 2025, you announced Xross Stars, marking your return to the TCG (Trading Card Game) industry. I believe this is the result of your entire career being leveraged—both directly and indirectly—in your practical work. Still, the pace at which you create new businesses is something only you could achieve.
Kubo：Thank you. It is quite deeply moving for me as well. It’s often said that the success rate for new businesses is less than 10%, so there is always a sense of tension. That’s exactly why Game & Co. continues to take on challenges with such a relentless sense of speed.
“Connecting the Dots” How Choosing Chaos Naturally Linked My Career
Noguchi：At the time, Mr. Funahashi (Director and COO of Brave group) and I were primarily focused on global business expansion, so I made it a point to entrust Mr. Hoshi with the new business ventures in the domains he wanted to explore.
Within that framework, I felt that the various esports-related new businesses being pushed forward by Game & Co. would eventually link up perfectly with the “VSPO!” projects of that era. Among the many businesses Game & Co. has developed, I believe projects like CRGS and CR Fortnite CAMP are truly excellent initiatives, as they also possess a strong sense of social significance.
I’ve always felt that you, Mr. Kubo, took on a significant portion of the practical execution required to bring Mr. Hoshi’s vision for new business creation to life. It’s been impressive to see how you’ve successfully woven your own career experiences into those efforts.
Kubo：That’s true. Mr. Hoshi suggests something new every single week, so to be honest, I haven’t been able to make every single one of them a reality. However, by leveraging my own experience, I think I’ve managed to give shape to a good number of them. That said, I never imagined that card games would actually become my profession.
It was precisely because I had experienced everything from domestic to world championships in card games that I was able to join the “RAGE” esports project during my university years. Furthermore, during my time as a professional card gamer, I provided one-on-one coaching myself. This gave me a clear vision of what game coaching should truly look like.
I believe I was able to apply that directly to the CRGS business. Additionally, having many connections within the card game industry allowed me to launch the TCG project with incredible speed. I never could have predicted that the ties I formed back then would come back to life in my current business after all this time.
Noguchi：That is exactly what they call “Connecting the Dots (*1)”, isn’t it?
Kubo：It really is. I’ve worked frantically across various fields just to prove that my career choices were “right.” I truly feel that all those experiences have finally connected, leading me to where I am today.
“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards.”
This is a famous quote from Steve Jobs’ 2005 commencement speech at Stanford University.
It conveys the idea that while you cannot see how your current experiences will link together in the future, looking back later reveals how every seemingly unrelated “dot” has formed a meaningful path.
Never letting the passion for a project fade
Noguchi：You’re truly leveraging everything—your personal resources, career, passions, and connections—to make these businesses succeed. It’s clear that you pour your heart and soul into every detail, from assembling the right team to ensuring the quality of the product and even refining a single game rule. Beyond your practical skills, I believe your true leadership quality lies in your ability to trust your teammates and delegate effectively.
Kubo：Thank you. Almost all the founding members of Xross Stars were hired through my own personal referrals. Building that team was another way my previous career and actions finally connected. Because we understand each other so well, I’ve been able to entrust them with responsibilities with complete peace of mind.
The TCG industry, which I’m currently focused on, isn’t an emerging market; it’s a 30-year-old industry with incredibly strong competitors and many outstanding products. Xross Stars is still a challenger just standing at the starting line. Users have extremely high standards, and we are naturally compared to other established card games. I always maintain a sense of urgency, knowing we could lose in an instant if we let our guard down. But at the same time, I’m pouring my soul into it—staying thrilled, embracing the tension, and truly enjoying the process.
Noguchi：That’s true. To the public, you’ll be viewed on the same playing field as major, world-renowned card games like Pokémon Trading Card Game.
Kubo：Exactly. Naturally, if we are compared to the industry giants, there are areas—like business scale—where we simply can’t compete head-on. But we can’t let that stop us.
While I take pride in the fact that we successfully launched Xross Stars as a business thanks to a great deal of cooperation, I’m holding onto that sense of urgency—the feeling that we are just getting started. We need to understand the unique strengths of our organization and continue to play aggressively using the Lanchester Strategy (*2), which I learned from Mr. Hoshi during my time with “VSPO!”
Noguchi： I suppose what matters most from here on is whether the project members can remain enthusiastic in the long run. To sustain anything, the key is how you maintain that level of passion. Mr. Kubo, what kind of vision do you have for the future expansion of this project?
Kubo：I agree. I feel a genuine sense of pride that we were able to manifest a path that would normally be considered impossible: becoming a manufacturer ourselves rather than partnering with a major established card maker. Because we are driving this business with full ownership, I feel a profound sense of responsibility to ensure the product is the best it can be.
Looking ahead, with the third booster set launching soon and more sets and projects in the pipeline, I want to continuously create opportunities for excitement and enthusiasm—not just for our customers, but for the participating talent as well. I want to demonstrate the scalability of Xross Stars by bringing even more talent on board, and I also want to host major tournaments and events that get players thrilled.
Ultimately, I want everyone—ourselves, the players, and the talent—to be excited about Xross Stars. We will continue to deliver solid updates and grow this into an outstanding project.
Game & Co.: Building the Next Pillars for Brave group
Noguchi：Speaking of Game & Co., your device brand AMICIS has also produced a vast array of items.
Kubo：That’s right. We’ve had nearly 20 collaborations in just one year. The name “AMICIS” was inspired by the Latin word AMICUS, which means “friends”.
True to its name, with project lead Mr. Watanabe at the center, the team has actively involved both internal and external stakeholders—including group companies, factories, and talent—to run the PDCA cycle at unprecedented speed. By moving with “Blazing Ahead”, “Transcending Limits”, and prioritizing a “Respect First” approach, we are co-creating high-quality products with numerous collaboration partners. Moreover, we are challenging ourselves with “Forge ahead”—not just standard merchandise like acrylic stands, but items like keycaps, mousepads, and keyboards. I believe this business truly embodies Brave group’s values by balancing “Creative & Conscientious” while remaining meticulous about pricing.
Noguchi：It’s not just fan merchandise, nor is it high-priced luxury goods for celebrities. I can really feel the obsession with detail.
AMICIS is at the heart of our IP business commerce, and it continues to invent things where people say, “We’ve never seen anything like this before.” It reminds me of a “Next-Generation Bandai Namco”—holding our own IP while successfully monetizing third-party IP as well.
Kubo：Thank you. Game & Co. serves as an IP Platform, taking on new businesses such as the planning and development of VSPO! GEAR, as well as AMICIS, the TCG project Xross Stars, and CRGS.
I want to continue taking on challenges with the confidence that we can “consistently create new businesses alongside various IPs”.
Noguchi：Through ventures like Xross Stars and AMICIS, it is incredibly important for Brave group that IP holders feel, “If we partner with Game & Co., we can create new products and new opportunities for our talent to shine”.
As a group, we want to establish the second and third pillars of our business following our VTuber success. That’s why someone like you, who can build new businesses from scratch, is so invaluable.
I expect you, Mr. Kubo, to become a role model who continues to generate new businesses—as someone who truly embodies the “Mr. Hoshi Identity”.
Kubo：Thank you. Looking back once more, Virtual Entertainment’s mission, “Move Emotion with Games”, has always been a vital keyword for me.
Noguchi： It’s a great mission. It is a philosophy that Mr. Hoshi has cherished and held dear for a long time.
Kubo：During my time at CyberAgent, I worked on the “RAGE” project, managing Shadowverse tournaments. I would see people playing the game on the train every day, and through RAGE, I witnessed firsthand how it profoundly impacted the lives of not only the players on the big stage but also the viewers and aspiring competitors. Since then, I’ve wanted to continue creating overwhelming value in experiences—to keep building products that keep users thrilled and truly stir their emotions.
To be honest, the process of continuous product creation often involves many hard times. However, by always staying conscious of what makes me and my team excited, I’ve been able to approach every challenge with a fun and positive mindset. We’ve finally started to see real results. I am not satisfied with the status quo; I’m already looking ahead to the next venture.
Noguchi：The projects being carried out by the IP Platform are in a domain that is incredibly worth challenging for the entire Brave group. Moving forward, Mr. Kubo, what kind of comrades do you want to work with, and what do you want to achieve?
Kubo：Well, I believe everyone has their own unique life and career path. But as long as we are all on the same ship—Brave group—right now, I want to see a great view together with everyone I work with. New businesses inevitably face an increasing number of challenges and a long list of things to be done, but we will give it our absolute all.
To ensure we all keep moving forward together, the IP Platform Division will continue to build the next pillars of our business.
