QINGWEN CHEN

Founder & CEO

During my AI X chemistry doctorate at Osaka University, a collaboration in information science sparked a vision: to transform drug discovery through AI. I founded DLeader to realize that vision by building a Closed-Loop Automatic AI Drug Discovery Platform.

Our mission is to create generative tools that support and accelerate AI-driven drug discovery (AIDD), empowering researchers with smarter, faster, and more collaborative innovation.

At DLeader, we strive to make advanced pharmaceutical research more efficient, accessible, and impactful for all.

MIZUKI YASUDA

Co-founder & Interim COO

Graduate of Meiji University's School of Agriculture and a certified public accountant. Founded and successfully exited a plant factory startup. Currently in Friends Co., Ltd., engaged in product development support and investment ventures.

Joined DLeader upon resonating with the vision of founder Chen is a former intern at Friends, corp., and executed an investment to ensure the growth and success of DLeader.

I am dedicated to driving business growth in all aspects, including talent acquisition, funding, and product development.

W. Y

Co-founder & Interim CTO

Ph.D. in Engineering, University of Tokyo. Science is driven by passion and continuous innovation. I joined DLeader to pursue creativity and discovery in a collaborative environment.

Our shared goal is to develop practical and impactful research tools, and we're dedicated to making that a reality every day.

TOM

Co-founder & CAIO

I believe AI4S (AI for Science) is the next major innovation that can push AI performance to new heights and revolutionize industries, particularly in drug discovery and cheminformatics.

I am passionate about this challenge because I’m convinced AI4S will spark the next wave of transformative progress in science and technology.

ANN GRISHUNOVA

Senior UI/UX designer

Graduated with honors from a Master’s program in Software Engineering. This foundation allows me to work at the intersection of technology and design: understanding how a product works “under the hood” and turning complex processes into a simple and intuitive user experience.

My portfolio includes product solutions for corporations, startups, and landing pages for various client niches.

STEVE

Senior Frontend developer

Graduated with honors from a Master’s program in Software Engineering and later completed my postgraduate studies.

For over 10 years, I have been working in IT, combining the role of Senior frontend developer with teaching advanced programming at a university.

My experience includes building scalable, high-load web applications, working deeply with architecture, algorithms, and design patterns. I enjoy turning complex technical challenges into elegant and efficient solutions, as well as sharing my knowledge to help teams adopt best engineering practices.

Prof. Mizuguchi leads research that integrates informatics and computational chemistry to uncover the mechanisms of diseases and apply findings to drug discovery. His lab focuses on integrating diverse biological data—from genes and proteins to diseases and compounds—to power AI-driven analysis.

He also develops predictive models for protein structure, function, and interactions, with applications in fields like immunology and developmental biology, as well as early-stage drug profiling.

Prof. Kazuhiko Nakatani is a leading expert in developing small molecules that target nucleic acids, focusing on those that recognize mismatched base pairs in triplet repeat sequences implicated in neurodegenerative diseases.

Recently, Nakatani group explore AI and computer-aided approaches in drug discovery research, advancing the design of novel therapeutic candidates.