JETRO Announcements [Event Report] Beyond EXPO: Overseas VCs Spotlight Kansai's Startup Ecosystem

The excitement surrounding the 2025 EXPO has yet to fade. (Shaping the Future of the Life Sciences Industry from the Kansai Region)

The term "startup" emerged as one of the most important keywords at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan. Ms. Nae Nakamura of Osaka Business Development Agency (OBDA), who works at the Osaka Innovation Hub (OIH), stated, "The enhanced social credibility and visibility of startups represent a significant achievement," recognizing the contribution of the EXPO.

Looking back, at the "Reborn Challenge" inside the Osaka Healthcare Pavilion, startups received sustained support for their exhibits, which provided opportunities to showcase innovative technologies and businesses. Furthermore, Global Startup EXPO 2025 (GSE), held on site during the EXPO period, brought together deep-tech entrepreneurs and investors from Japan and abroad, serving as a venue that strongly attracted interest from overseas investors to the Kansai region's startup ecosystem.

The post-EXPO momentum remains strong. Overseas venture capital (VC) firms that first visited Japan for GSE have since returned, showing continued interest in the vibrant startup ecosystem across the Osaka–Kyoto–Kobe area. In the Kansai region, these engagements have developed into ongoing exchanges, leading to investment and collaborative research rather than being a one-off event.

The Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) and the Osaka–Kyoto–Kobe Consortium reinvited five overseas VC firms to the Kansai from January 26 to 30, 2026. On January 29, JETRO, in partnership with the Osaka–Kyoto–Kobe Consortium, hosted Global VC Meetup beyond EXPO, an event aimed at strengthening the startup ecosystem following the EXPO. These VCs evaluated Kansai's strengths—including its large number of patents and its concentration of deep tech capabilities—and visited key institutions such as Kyoto University and Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster. For startups, the program provided opportunities to receive practical advice on effective pitching to overseas investors and strategies for international expansion, thereby fostering deeper global collaboration.

Mr. Michael G. Phillips of Alumni Ventures commented on the Kansai region saying, "The region has world‑class technologies and a substantial portfolio of patents. Moreover, even compared with Singapore and Hong Kong, the support provided by national and local governments, as well as the collaboration between universities, companies, and investors, is particularly strong."

Closely aligned with the theme of the Osaka–Kansai EXPO—"Designing Future Society for Our Lives"—the Kansai region continues to advance innovation across its core industries of traditional medicine and drug discovery, and emerging biotechnology through the integrated efforts of Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe.

In June 2025, the Kansai region (Osaka–Kyoto–Kobe Consortium) has been selected as one of the Global Hub Cities (Wide‑area Metropolitan Type) under the Second Phase Startup Ecosystem Initiative, further accelerating regional collaboration with a focus on the biotechnology and life‑sciences sectors.

Within the Kansai region, Osaka functions as a hub for business development and scaling, supported by a strong concentration of major companies, government bodies, and support organizations. Kyoto leverages its top-tier university research base to advance industry‑academia‑government collaboration in regenerative medicine and drug discovery, as well as to promote the growth of university‑launched startups. Meanwhile, Kobe (Hyogo) is enhancing its presence by focusing on proof‑of‑concept (PoC) testing and the real-world implementation of new technologies.

The Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster (KIBC), located on Port Island, was one of the sites the overseas VCs visited. It is one of Japan's largest medical and healthcare clusters, comprising hospitals, research institutes, universities, companies, and startups. In January 2026, seven organizations—including the City of Kobe, Mitsubishi Corporation, and RIKEN—signed a collaboration agreement, initiating coordinated efforts to strengthen the ecosystem. At the MedTech Innovation Center—Japan's leading hub for the real-world implementation of medical devices and medtech—, medical professionals, engineers, academia, and companies interact on a daily basis. Through this industry–government–academia–medical collaboration, they advance the practical application of medical devices and services while fostering human‑resource development. KIBC is also the only biomedical innovation cluster in Japan with an on‑site consultation office of the PMDA (Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency), enabling integrated progress from research and development to PoC and regulatory procedures.

Through these initiatives, Kobe works in tandem with Kyoto, known for its strong foundation in basic research, and Osaka, which focuses on business development and scaling, serving as the node that connects these two functions through PoC and real-world implementation to enhance the overall competitiveness of the Osaka-Kyoto-Kobe area.

Ms. Nakamura of OIH notes, "One of Osaka–Kyoto–Kobe area's strengths is its close working relationships among major companies, financial institutions, and support organizations across the three cities. The community's scale and cohesiveness create an ideal environment for collaboration."

Mr. Phillips of Alumni Ventures also points out, "While the region's number of companies and volume of research achievements are world‑class, there is still significant room for further business development." He recognizes the growing importance and opportunity of launching a team in Kansai that can bridge technical talent with business expertise. He also adds that entrepreneurial ambition is rising among both younger generations and working professionals, and more startups are now aiming for overseas expansion. This outward‑looking and challenge‑embracing culture, he says, is fueling the region's continued growth.

With the EXPO as a catalytic starting point, the connections among startups, investors, and the regional community have continued to deepen, accelerating a virtuous cycle of growth that continues to gain momentum.

If you are interested in the life sciences market in the Kansai region and Japan, please feel free to contact JETRO. We provide the latest regional information as well as a range of investment support services.

In addition, we encourage you to refer to JETRO's Life Science Report, which offers valuable insights into the market's potential.