TSUKUBA STARTUP NIGHT 2026 (TG #408)

• Official Event Website: Click here

• This event will take place as part of Thursday Gathering, hosted by Venture Café Tokyo. Registration with Venture Café Tokyo is required for check-in on the event day.

• Simultaneous translation (both text and audio) will be available during the sessions.

■ ABOUT TSUKUBA STARTUP NIGHT

Home to Tsukuba Science City, one of Japan's leading research and academic hubs, Tsukuba City has been supporting startups since 2017 as part of its efforts to commercialize research outcomes, address societal challenges, and revitalize the local economy.

With institutions such as the University of Tsukuba, the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), and the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) advancing their own commercialization initiatives, the need to connect academia with industry and startup support organizations has continued to grow.

Against this backdrop, Tsukuba began building a startup ecosystem that brings together academia, industry, support organizations, and government, drawing inspiration from leading startup hubs around the world. In 2020, the Tsukuba Startup Ecosystem Consortium was established to strengthen collaboration in creating and supporting the growth of research-driven startups.

Tsukuba's research and innovation capabilities have also attracted international attention. The city began collaborating with CIC in the United States in 2019, Luxinnovation in Luxembourg in 2022, JSIP in Singapore in 2024, and the City of Bochum in Germany in 2025.

In the private sector, Astellas Pharma, Mitsui Fudosan, and U.S.-based BioLabs have joined forces to develop the life sciences ecosystem in the Tsukuba and Kashiwa-no-ha areas. Global logistics company Prologis is incorporating startup growth into its own business development, while Oriental Giken has renovated its facilities to create an innovation hub equipped with biotechnology laboratory functions.

As the foundations of this startup ecosystem continue to take shape, Tsukuba City Government sees its role as coordinating connections across the ecosystem and supporting those who take on new challenges. With an exceptional concentration of research institutions, researchers, and scientific achievements, Tsukuba offers a unique environment for innovation.

TSUKUBA STARTUP NIGHT 2026

This year's event will be held under the theme:

"Integrating Tsukuba's Startup Ecosystem into the Society of the Future."

The event will explore how Tsukuba's cutting-edge technologies and expertise can contribute to emerging industries and the future of society, focusing on three key areas:

• Cyber Technology & Entrepreneurship: Bringing advanced cyber technologies developed by engineers from Japan's MITOU program into real-world applications and integrating them into next-generation industries.

• Nanomaterials & Intellectual Property: Leveraging IP strategies to drive collaboration with major corporations and integrate advanced materials into industrial value chains.

• Agriculture & Deep Tech: Combining the extensive research assets of the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO) with deep technologies to accelerate innovation across the food and agriculture sectors.

More than a platform for technology presentations and information exchange, TSUKUBA STARTUP NIGHT 2026 aims to create meaningful connections between Tsukuba's innovators and business leaders, corporate partners, and other ecosystem players in Tokyo.

Through these interactions, the event seeks to spark concrete next steps, including proof-of-concept (PoC) projects and business collaborations, while bringing together new partners to shape the future.

❏ Event Info

Event format

HYBRID（In-person participation / Online Participation）

Event Venue

CIC Tokyo
（Toranomon Hills Business Tower 15F, 1 Chome-17-1 Toranomon, Minato City, Tokyo）

Event Fee

Free

❏ SESSIONS

【Conference Room】

Simultaneous translation tool available → Click here!

4:00–4:30 PM | HYBRID (In-person & Online)
HOW TO ENJOY TSUKUBA STARTUP NIGHT 2026【JPN & ENG】

Organizer: Venture Café Tokyo

Speaker:

• Akiho Adachi — Program Manager, Venture Café Tokyo

4:30–4:35 PM | HYBRID (In-person & Online)
Welcome Remarks【JPN】

Descriptions：

Yutaka Hamada, Director-General of the Regional Economic Department at the Kanto Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), will deliver opening remarks for Tsukuba Startup Night 2026. His remarks will highlight Tsukuba’s efforts to turn research into businesses and real-world solutions, and the potential for collaboration among research institutions, industry, and government to drive innovation—setting the stage for an evening of new connections and collaboration.

Speaker:

• Yutaka Hamada — Director-General, Regional Economy Department, Kanto Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)

4:35–4:45 PM | HYBRID (In-person & Online)
The Evolution of Tsukuba's Startup Ecosystem【JPN】

Descriptions：

Turning research into businesses that transform society. Tomoyuki Yashiro, Head of the Startup Promotion Office in Tsukuba City’s Policy Innovation Department, will introduce the evolution of Tsukuba’s startup ecosystem and its future outlook. Exploring collaboration among research institutions, industry, government, and international partners, alongside the city’s role in supporting entrepreneurs, this session will look at opportunities to connect with Tsukuba’s technologies and talent to create new businesses and partnerships.

Speaker:

• Tomoyuki Yashiro — Director, Startup Promotion Office, Policy Innovation Department, Tsukuba City

4:55–6:05 PM | HYBRID (In-person & Online)
The Reality of Engineer-Led Entrepreneurship: Bringing MITOU Cyber Technologies into Society and Integrating Them into Next-Generation Industries【JPN】

Descriptions：

How can technologies developed by Tsukuba’s highly skilled IT talent translate into real-world impact? The key lies in connecting startups’ development capabilities with large companies’ strengths in mass production, quality assurance, and sales networks. This calls for partnerships that go beyond client–vendor relationships to build new foundations for industry together.

Moderated by Urushibara, who brings extensive experience in enterprise IT and serves as a project manager for the MITOU program, this session features Nobori, a leader in infrastructure technology, alongside Higuchi and Scott, who are working to transform industries through AI and robotics. Through a candid discussion of the business challenges engineer-founders face, the session challenges corporate leaders and management professionals to move beyond proof-of-concept projects: How can they complement one another’s capabilities across the value chain and become true business partners in building a new layer of industry?

Speakers:

• Daiyuu Nobori — CEO, SoftEther Corporation

• Shota Higuchi — Co-Founder and CEO, Closer Inc.

• Atom Scott — Founder, Playbox Inc.

Moderator:

• Shigeru Urushibara — Chairman of the Board, ULS Consulting, Inc.

6:15–7:25 PM | HYBRID (In-person & Online)
IP Strategies for Overcoming Barriers to Nanomaterial Commercialization: Integrating into Value Chains and Shaping New Industrial Structures【JPN】

Descriptions：

Bringing deep tech, including advanced materials, into practical use requires collaboration with large companies that have manufacturing capacity and established sales channels. Intellectual property (IP) strategy is key to helping startups remain competitive as equal partners and establish their technologies as essential foundations for industry.

Moderated by Yamada of INDEE Japan, this session brings together startups developing advanced materials in Tsukuba and Miyoshi of Luce IP, an expert in IP strategy. How can startups navigate common IP challenges in corporate partnerships and avoid getting stuck at the proof-of-concept (PoC) stage? The discussion will explore strategies for protecting core technologies while scaling businesses and laying the foundations for next-generation industries.

Speakers:

• Masataka Hasegawa — Representative Director and President, AirMembrane Inc.

• Tetsuya Kurebayashi — Chief Executive Officer, Nano Chemix Inc.

• Kaori Kurihara — Vice President, Deevec Inc.

• Yosuke Miyoshi — President, Luce IP LLC / CSO, Ultimatrust Inc.

Moderator:

• Tatsuya Yamada — Director, Indie Japan Inc.

7:35–8:45 PM | HYBRID (In-person & Online)
Bringing Agri-Deep Tech into Society: Integrating Value Chains and Creating New Opportunities in Agriculture【JPN】

Descriptions：

How can AI and robotics transform Japanese agriculture as it faces climate change and labor shortages? Beyond developing individual technologies, collaboration is needed to connect startups’ development capabilities with agricultural data platforms, production sites, and sales channels.

This session explores agricultural business as a layered ecosystem, with each player contributing a distinct role. Building on the data foundation provided by the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), AIZOTH and AGRIST develop capabilities such as AI analytics and robotic harvesting. Kagome, with its nationwide network of contract farmers and extensive value chain, serves as an integrator, bringing these technologies into agricultural practice. AgVenture Lab of the JA Group supports the ecosystem through funding and access to farming communities.

How can research institutions, startups, VCs, accelerators, and major food companies connect their strengths to move from proof of concept to practical adoption and business growth? This session explores practical pathways to building the next generation of agricultural businesses together.

Speakers:

• Hisatomi Harada — Vice President (Core Technologies and Smart Agriculture), National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO)

• Kotaro Kawajiri — Founder and CEO, AIZOTH Inc.

• Kosuke Nakamura — General Manager, Agricultural Technology Integrated Research & Development Department, Kagome Co., Ltd.

• Jun Miyazaki — General Manager, Corporate Administration Department, AGRIST Inc.

Moderator:

• Keiko Oshima — Assistant Manager, AgVenture Lab

8:45–8:50 PM | HYBRID (In-person & Online)
Closing Remarks【JPN】

Descriptions：

Tatsuo Igarashi, Mayor of Tsukuba, will deliver the closing remarks for Tsukuba Startup Night 2026. Reflecting on the evening’s discussions, he will share Tsukuba’s vision for supporting entrepreneurs and its commitment to bringing research into society. His message will encourage participants to turn the evening’s connections and ideas into concrete collaborations and pilot projects, taking the next step as fellow travelers working to shape the future together.

Speaker:

• Tatsuo Igarashi — Mayor of Tsukuba City

【IN-PERSON ONLY】

❏ NETWORKING

OPEN NETWORKING | 4:00–9:00 PM

❏ EXHIBITION

Exhibition Area (Tentative)

• IMAGINE THE FUTURE.Forum

• XiS WORKSITE

• SakuLab - Tsukuba

• inno-base TSUKUBA

• National Agriculture and Food Research Organization

• More to come!

❏ VENTURE CAFÉ'S TERMS & CONDITIONS

Japanese: Venture Café 利用規約

English: Venture Café's Terms & Conditions