Ryo Hoshino is the founder and CEO of Ocean Inc., a Tokyo-based FinTech startup operating the Ocean Tax Refund platform, a next-generation refund-based tax exemption solution for foreign visitors to Japan.

Hoshino founded Ocean in May 2024, identifying a pivotal regulatory opportunity as Japan prepared to overhaul its entire duty-free shopping framework from a point-of-sale to a refund-based system.

Hoshino has articulated a bold vision for Ocean, stating the company is building infrastructure for Japanese retailers to maintain ongoing connections with global travelers, positioning the regulatory shift as an entry point to a much larger global market.

Under Hoshino's leadership, Ocean raised a full Series A round of approximately 500 million JPY (USD 3.3M) within just 10 months of its seed round, attracting investors including Z Venture Capital, Delight Ventures, Bluefin Partners, and Yamato Holdings' KURONEKO Innovation Fund.

Ocean has rapidly expanded its merchant network nationwide, secured partnerships with major players including Recruit and Kyoto Financial Group, and launched the world's first LINE-integrated tax refund system, positioning itself as the core infrastructure layer for Japan's inbound tourism economy.