Hitoshi Harada is the Co-founder and Chief Product Officer (CPO) of Alpaca Markets, a financial services company renowned for its pioneering API platform that facilitates crypto and stock trading. ^[1]

With a robust background in technology, Harada has significantly contributed to the fintech landscape through his role at Alpaca, which he co-founded with Yoshi Yokokawa. Harada's career path highlights his expertise in developing and architecting sophisticated technology solutions, which has been instrumental in Alpaca's growth and innovation within the brokerage infrastructure space. ^[2]​

Early Life and Education

Hitoshi Harada attended Keio University where he earned a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science & Financial Engineering in 2005.

He was also a part of the 2019 Y Combinator cohort. ^[2]

Career

Early Career

Harada started out as a software engineer at Greenplum in 2011 where he was responsible for object management with concurrent workload in huge distributed relational database system at the company.

He also served as a software engineer and contributor at Pivotal and PostgreSQL Global Development Group. ^[2]

These contributions have cemented his reputation as an innovative tech leader in database management and application development. ^[1]

Founding Alpaca

Hitoshi Harada co-founded Alpaca with Yoshi Yokokawa, transitioning it from its initial focus as a machine-learning company to a prominent entity in the brokerage infrastructure sector.

This transformation was marked by a shift towards providing end-to-end brokerage services via robust APIs that cater to diverse financial instruments including stocks, ETFs, options, fixed income, and cryptocurrencies. ^[1]

Harada played a pivotal role in the company's technological evolution, particularly in developing APIs that empower both fintech startups and established financial institutions to implement automated trading strategies. ^[1]​

In July 2026, Alpaca Markets announced a $135 million raise led by Peak XV, with major participation from Elefund. Additional new and returning investors included Opera Tech Ventures, the venture capital arm of BNP Paribas Group, and Unbound. ^[5]

Contributions to Technology & Open Source

Hitoshi Harada is recognized for his active contributions to open-source software, most notably within the PostgreSQL community. His work on the Window Functions feature is highly regarded, showcasing his ability to enhance and expand the capabilities of existing database technologies. ^[3]

Furthermore, his work on creating a foreign-data wrapper for Amazon S3 exhibits his ongoing commitment to advancing the interoperability and functionality of database systems. ^[3]

These efforts highlight his dedication to fostering growth and innovation within the tech community by providing flexible and efficient database solutions.

Innovations & Future Prospects

Under Harada’s technical leadership, Alpaca has continuously innovated its product offerings, focusing on developing a global infrastructure for investment through proprietary technology. ^[1]

This includes advancements such as the Trading API and Broker API, which facilitate sophisticated algorithmic trading and deepen financial connectivity across various asset classes.

Harada’s vision for Alpaca continues to drive the company toward expanding its capabilities, with plans to introduce global stocks and index options, aiming to cement Alpaca’s status as a central pillar in the trading infrastructure landscape. ^[1]​