JETRO AnnouncementsReport on “SusHi Tech Tokyo 2024": international event to create innovations from Tokyo

Jun 14, 2024

The international event SusHi Tech Tokyo 2024 was held from April 27 through May 26 to create Tokyo-originated innovations toward resolving common global urban issues as well as to showcase future urban models. This event consisted of three programs: Global Startup Program, City Leaders Program, and Showcase Program. One of them, the Global Startup Program, which is one of the largest innovation conferences in Asia, took place on May 15 and 16 at Tokyo Big Sight. Over 400 startups exhibited and approximately 40,000 people participated in the program from approximately 40 countries and regions, according to the organizer.

Beginning with the opening address by Yuriko Koike, Governor of Tokyo, the Global Startup Program focused on five main themes: infrastructure, environment, living, culture, and impact. In line with these themes, speakers who are active in the front lines in Japan and overseas conducted thought-provoking sessions.

In the exhibition booth area, not only Japanese startups and major companies with keen interest in collaboration with startups but also leading overseas startups that have not yet entered the Japanese market exhibited their booths.

In addition, France, Switzerland, Israel, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and others set up their pavilions in a SusHi Tech for the first time. The event served as an opportunity that would promote collaboration with Japanese and overseas startups.

In the SusHi Tech Challenge 2024, a pitch contest for Japanese and overseas startups, Fermenstation Co., Ltd., which aims to realize a society where unused resources are upcycled and circulated with its proprietary fermentation technology, won the Grand Prize among approximately 500 companies from 43 countries and regions.

Furthermore, Student Pavilion was planned and organized by students based on the concept of "making entrepreneurship a career option for students" to create points of contact between students and startups. A pitch contest for student entrepreneurs was also held to provide an opportunity to encourage them to move from being interested in entrepreneurship to actually taking the next step.

JETRO set up a consultation service desk on investing in Japan and introduced its one-stop service system and J-Bridge project to visitors. In addition, Masato Tanakai from JETRO Singapore moderated the session on digital economics and venture capital in Southeast Asia and actively discussed with Yoshiharu Okubo from East Ventures and Koichi Saito from KK Fund the potential of Southeast Asia and increasing interest among Southeast Asian venture capital firms in business collaboration with Japanese companies.

There are high expectations that this Global Startup Program will lead to the creation of global innovations by further encouraging collaborations between startups and major companies around the world as well as students' entrepreneurship.

Next fiscal year's SusHi Tech Tokyo Global Startup Program is scheduled to be held on May 8 and 9, 2025 at Tokyo Big Sight.

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