Iqura Sugimoto is a Japanese manga artist and illustrator from Hokkaido, born on August 17. She is a female creator who began drawing in elementary school, started creating doujinshi in high school, and made her professional debut while attending a junior college. She initially worked under the pen names Kuon Mao and Kuonji Maoko, primarily creating boys' love manga and works such as an adaptation of the game Tales of Destiny. She later adopted her current pen name, Iqura Sugimoto, for mainstream and illustration work. The name Sugimoto is taken from the reading of her family name, while Iqura refers to salmon roe, a food she enjoys. She is married with a child and resides in the Kanto region of Japan.

Sugimoto's early career under the name Kuon Mao includes series such as Tales of Destiny, published from 2000 to 2003. After transitioning to the pen name Iqura Sugimoto, her first major work was the science fiction manga Variante, serialized from 2004 to 2006. This series, published in four volumes, follows a fifteen-year-old girl whose left arm is replaced with a chimera-type limb, forcing her to become a government asset. The story explores themes of trust, vulnerability, and the value of life. Sugimoto has stated that becoming a mother made her more conscious of treating each character's life as meaningful, avoiding senseless deaths in her stories.

Following Variante, Sugimoto adapted樱庭一树's novel Candy Bullet into a two-volume manga from 2007 to 2008. She also created the short series Moetai and its sequel, and later adapted细田守's film Summer Wars into a three-volume manga. Her most recognized original creation is the manga Nanamaru Sanbatsu, known in English as Fastest Finger First or 7O3X. The series was serialized in Kadokawa Shoten's Young Ace magazine from November 2010 to 2020, spanning 20 volumes. The story centers on high school students who participate in competitive quiz bowl tournaments, blending elements of comedy and sports. An anime television adaptation produced by TMS Entertainment aired in Japan from July to September 2017, bringing the series to a wider audience.

Sugimoto's artistic identity is characterized by a shonen aesthetic that often incorporates psychological depth and strong emotional cores. Her work on Variante was noted for blending a gritty visual style with a narrative focused on a female protagonist's internal insecurities, creating a story accessible to both male and female readers. Her career reflects a deliberate shift from creating female-oriented BL manga to producing unisex or male-oriented works with strong female leads. A 25th-anniversary memorial book celebrating her career and that of her collaborators was announced for release in March 2025, indicating her lasting presence in the industry. Beyond manga, she has also contributed cover illustrations and interior art for various publications, including a volume of the educational series Manga Nihon no Rekishi.