Hiroshi Shimase is a seasoned entrepreneur and digital business leader with a strong track record of launching and scaling global technology ventures in Japan. He began his career at Mitsubishi Corporation, where he gained foundational experience in strategic planning and project development.
Building on that background, Shimase founded DAS (Driving Acceleration and Synergy), a business acceleration firm that has played a pivotal role in bringing innovative companies like Outbrain, GumGum, Mobkoi, and Brave Software into the Japanese market. Through DAS, he has helped these companies localize effectively and achieve strong commercial traction.
Shimase is also the founder of GeekOut, a company dedicated to bridging the gap between global gaming platforms and Japanese intellectual property (IP). GeekOut has led the way in bringing beloved Japanese franchises such as ONE PIECE, Attack on Titan, and Doraemon to Roblox through officially licensed game experiences. These collaborations have been made possible thanks to his strong relationships with top IP stakeholders including Kodansha, Shueisha, Toei Animation, and others.
To further support this mission, Shimase established GeekStudio, an in-house development studio under GeekOut. GeekStudio consists of 25 highly experienced Roblox developers, each with an average of about 10 years of development experience on the platform. The studio focuses on rapid prototyping, trend-driven game development, and high-quality execution of IP-based games for global audiences.
In addition to his ongoing leadership of DAS and GeekOut, Shimase also serves as CEO of Brave Software Asia K.K., where he opened the Japanese market for Brave and has grown its user base to over 5.4 million users. Under his leadership, Brave has become a recognized privacy-first browser and blockchain-powered media platform in Japan.
Across all his ventures, Shimase is known for his deep understanding of the Japanese market, his ability to forge meaningful cross-cultural partnerships, and his passion for building the next generation of digital entertainment and media.
