A trip to Japan led to a career in crypto currency

An interest in robotics

Andy had wanted to pursue a career in robotics from a young age, but at university, he realised the industry was in its infancy. So, he spent most of his ELS funding studying robotics at the Tokyo Institute of Technology for a few months and a summer in the US working at a robotics spin-off. “By the time I graduated, I’d already worked in the robotics industry in three different countries, so that was an amazing experience,” he says.

Expect the unexpected when you apply. You can’t plan everything… it’s good to be open minded.

A change of scene

Andy spent his early career designing, building and selling robots for the aerospace, medical, nuclear, and defence industries in the UK. Winning a Daiwa Scholarship – a programme of language study and work placement – enabled him to move back to Japan, where he decided to gain experience in investment banking, working in mergers and acquisitions for six years.

In 2012, Andy discovered Bitcoin, but like many people dismissed it as ‘magic internet money for nerds’. He came to realise that “blockchain was the missing piece in the internet revolution.” He was headhunted as general manager or COO in Europe for bitFlyer, which is the first bitcoin exchange in the world to be licensed in Japan, the US and Europe combined.

 

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It feels good to be part of a world-changing movement that I’m truly passionate about. While on paper my career may seem quite colourful, it was a pretty natural progression.

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