, ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 5 3 , ▁Hor iba ▁became ▁chairman ▁of ▁the ▁company , ▁passing ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁president ▁to ▁Mas ah iro ▁O ura . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 2 , ▁O ura ▁was ▁succeeded ▁by ▁A ts ush i ▁Hor iba , ▁Hor iba ' s ▁son . ▁ ▁Hor iba ▁act ively ▁promoted ▁vent ure ▁capital ▁invest ment , ▁particularly ▁in ▁the ▁Ky oto ▁area , ▁as ▁an ▁advis er ▁to ▁the ▁Advanced ▁Software ▁Technology ▁and ▁Me chat ron ics ▁Research ▁Institute ▁of ▁Ky oto ▁( AST EM ), ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁largest ▁start - up ▁inc ub ator ▁organizations ▁in ▁Japan . ▁He ▁was ▁a ▁representative ▁of ▁the ▁Japan ▁Association ▁of ▁New ▁Business ▁Inc ub ation ▁Organ ization ▁( J AN BO ) ▁which ▁was ▁established ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁as ▁a ▁nation wide ▁network ▁for ▁the ▁support ▁of ▁new ▁business es ▁in ▁Japan . ▁He ▁served ▁as ▁the ▁chairman ▁of ▁the ▁In nov ation ▁In iti ative ▁Network ▁Japan ▁( In nov ation - Net ) ▁ ▁established ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁to ▁rev ital ize ▁regional ▁econom ies ▁by ▁prom oting ▁collaboration ▁between ▁indust ries ▁and ▁univers ities . ▁Mas ao ▁Hor iba ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁founder ▁and ▁past ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁Association ▁of ▁Asian ▁Business ▁Inc ub ation ▁( A AB I ) ▁which ▁encourag es ▁support ▁of ▁ ▁initi atives ▁throughout ▁Asia , ▁not ▁just ▁in ▁Japan . ▁ ▁Hor iba ▁wrote ▁and ▁lect ured ▁on ▁business