J-STORIES – The ” SusHi Tech TOKYO Global Startup Program, ” Asia’s largest startup event hosted by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, was held at Tokyo Big Sight (Koto Ward, Tokyo) for two days, May 15th and 16th, 2024.
According to the organizers, compared to the first event held in February of last year, the number of startups exhibiting at booths increased from 328 to 430 this year. The number of business meetings also more than doubled, and the number of sessions and participants increased significantly from the previous event.
The event aims to create “sustainable new value” by tackling urban challenges that the world will face, such as the environment and energy, demographic shifts, aging infrastructure, and the preservation of traditional culture, using a variety of ideas, digital expertise, and cutting-edge technology.
This year, over 60% of participants were from overseas, and notably, the number of AI-related startups increased from 58 last year to 84. There was also a significant increase in exhibitors from companies focused on healthcare, biotechnology, and deep tech.
Naotaka Nishiyama, CEO of Tech Japan Inc. , a startup providing a talent platform for highly skilled engineers from India and one of the exhibitors , said of SusHi Tech Tokyo, “It’s a great opportunity for selected entrepreneurs from around the world to gather together. It’s a chance to make connections with various people, so I want to make good use of it.”
Atsushi Soda, Quality Assurance Manager at ProDrone Co., Ltd. , a startup developing industrial drones and another exhibitor , also said that the appeal of the exhibition is the opportunity to make connections with overseas companies. He added, “We are exploring collaborations with overseas companies so that our products can be used not only domestically but also widely overseas.”
On the other hand, Takamitsu Ikoma, CEO of ICOMA Inc. , a startup developing foldable bikes, said that while they are not considering overseas expansion in the immediate future, they exhibited at the event to raise funds for new development and to find partners who can help with sales and production.
“This event brings together not only industry professionals but also people from all over the world, so we would like VCs, large companies that could potentially collaborate with us, and startups to come and see it,” (Ikoma).
This exhibition also featured a pitch contest where 20 startups, selected from 507 applicants from 43 countries/regions worldwide, presented their technologies and ideas for tackling the challenges facing the world.
The top prize, the “Grand Prize,” was awarded to Fermentation Station Co., Ltd. , which develops and manufactures ethanol and various fermentation raw materials by fermenting and distilling unused resources. The company was awarded a prize of 10 million yen.
Article by: Yusei Higuchi Edited by: Takanori Isshiki
Top photo: Photographed by Yusei Higuchi
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The English version of this article can be found here .
