JETRO & AlchemistX Launch 5th Year of Collaboration – Supporting Japanese B2B Startups in Their U.S. Market Expansion through a 3-Phase Program

Jul 17, 2025

JETRO & AlchemistX Launch 5th Year of Collaboration

– Supporting Japanese B2B Startups in Their U.S. Market Expansion through a 3-Phase Program –

TOKYO, JAPAN – The Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) has officially launched the 2025 Global Startup Acceleration Program (GSAP) B2B Enterprise Course in partnership with U.S.-based accelerator AlchemistX, marking the fifth year of this ongoing collaboration.

This program is designed to support high-potential Japanese B2B startups as they explore and expand into the U.S. market. Over the course of three structured phases, the program helps founders validate market fit, design and execute POCs (proof of concept), and ultimately gain traction with U.S. enterprise customers.

Program Overview

  • Phase 1: Market Discovery
  • Startups evaluate whether and when to enter the U.S. market through lead generation and customer discovery interviews. This phase includes an in-person bootcamp in Tokyo and a series of online sessions.
  • Phase 2: POC Design & Customer Engagement
  •  Startups design POCs with U.S. enterprises and establish an Alchemist’s method to gather meaningful feedback. This phase includes a partial in-person component in the San Francisco Bay Area.
  • Phase 3: Traction & Sales Execution
  •  Startups implement POCs, develop repeatable sales processes, and work toward landing initial U.S. customers. The phase concludes with an in-person Demo Day in the U.S.
  • Startups may enter the program from any phase depending on their stage of readiness. Participants in Phases 2 and 3 will be announced in future updates.

 

Ian Bergman, Managing Director of AlchemistX, commented:

  • “We are proud to partner with JETRO on the Global Startup Acceleration Program B2B Enterprise Course. Entering our fifth year of collaboration, we have more conviction than ever about the potential for high-caliber Japanese startups to bring cutting-edge innovation to global markets. We’re excited to support these entrepreneurs as they take critical steps to expand into the U.S. and scale into globally competitive businesses.”

 

Selected Startups for Phase 1