Naoya Sato (Naota) / 佐藤 直哉

Profile

Director and CTO of i-Pairs Inc. / CEO of Exemotion Inc.

Withdrew from the Doctoral Program in Art Studies at Nihon University Graduate School of Art (March 2016)

From an early age, I was exposed to the piano, and the absolute pitch and sense of Western harmony developed during this time have formed the foundation of my creative activities to this day. In junior high school, I developed an interest in DTM (digital music production) and began to pursue new forms of music, eventually enrolling in a music university (Nihon University of Art).

During my university years, I dedicated my time to band activities and acquiring programming skills. Building on these experiences, I entered graduate school, where I conducted research on the fusion of virtual characters and instrumental performers. Through my research, I organized live events and performed on stage while also becoming proficient in character content production and motion capture technology. Around this time, I became active online under the name “Naota,” primarily creating 3D video works.

Upon withdrawing from graduate school, I embarked on a new path as a director of i-Pairs Inc. and, in 2021, utilized my experience and knowledge to establish my own company, Exemotion Inc.. Leveraging a broad range of knowledge and experience from traditional classical music to cutting-edge digital content technology, I aim to create new value by connecting technology and entertainment through challenges in various fields, from performers to technology developers.

Main Career

2008-2012: Nihon University, College of Art, Department of Music, Information Music Course (Graduated in March)

2012-2014: Nihon University Graduate School of Art, Master’s Program in Music Art Studies (Completed in March)

2014-2016: Nihon University Graduate School of Art, Doctoral Program in Art Studies (Withdrew in March)

2016-Present: Director and CTO of i-Pairs Inc. (Incorporated in February)

2021-Present: CEO of Exemotion Inc. (Incorporated in October)