Session

Developing Startups

Future of Impact Startups

What are impact startups, and how are they different from ordinary startups? You will hear from two top runner impact startup CEOs on topics including: social issues from an entrepreneur's lense, how to define a purpose, impact measurement and management, balancing financial and social returns, communication with investors, social labelling and more. Let's think together how impact startups will change the future!

Imagining City of the Future

Build disaster resilient cities: Disaster response operations using digital twin

Digital twin technology that virtually represent the real-world situations has achieved great results in quick and effective disaster response operations. This session will introduce how GIS (Geographic Information System) combined with geographic information can actually contribute to understanding disaster risks, predicting damages, optimizing evacuation routes, etc., using actual examples. The session will further look into how technology and organizations should collaborate in order to respond to a wide range of needs and interests of disaster victims, the general public, government, and support organizations and will also examine into a new form of disaster prevention through digital twin technology.

Developing Startups

What makes Finland, Europe's one of the leading startup and innovation communities?~ Lessons from Espoo City ~

When Nokia's mobile phone business hit hard times at the end of the 00s, it was the Espoo-based startups that electrified the creation of a new Finnish innovation culture.
Aalto University students burst on the scene and led a new startup movement from the ground up. They were joined by deep tech startups spanning out of VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and Nokia, whose battle-hardened innovators were already at home in the international business culture of Espoo's innovation ecosystem.
In this panel, we explore the secrets of Espoo's innovation community and discuss how the City of Espoo became the birthplace of the Finnish startup scene, Slush (Europe's largest startup event), and many of Finland's unicorns.

Imagining City of the Future

Transformative Sustainability Finance: ESG, SDGs, Climate Finance and Beyond

With escalating climate concerns, an increasing number of policymakers and business leaders are focusing on climate challenges, putting sustainable management concepts – including ESG and SDGs (sustainable development goals) – at a pivotal juncture. Amidst rising concerns and new opportunities, Japanese companies are setting very ambitious goals to lead the decarbonization.
Global Sustainable Development Report 2023 considers these goals as the "emergence" phase of transformations, which should be followed by acceleration and stabilization phases which requires sustainable funding.
This session sheds light on the challenges and opportunities within sustainable management, including recent topics discussed among international leaders at COP 28 and the growing financial and business opportunities in decarbonization and climate solutions. The session is joined by Professor Norichika Kanie from Keio University and Mr. James Socas, head of Investcorp's Climate Solutions business, moderated by Mr. Moogwi Kim, Director of Minerva University Japan and an ESG investment expert /PHD candidate at the Graduate School of Management of Kyoto University.

Helsinki & Nairobi Reverse Pitch ~Promoting Overseas Demonstration Experiments~

Tokyo Metropolitan Government newly launched a project providing multiple supports for Tokyo-base-startups to promote overseas demonstration experiments to solve common urban issues and appear next unicorns. Helsinki in Finland and Nairobi in Kenya is the ones promoting demonstration experiments.
Helsinki, Finland's dynamic capital, looks for a forerunner in innovating solutions that tackle global challenges such as environmental impact reduction.
The City of Nairobi has been severely affected by heavy rainfall and flooding associated with the El Niño phenomenon and is interested in solutions for flood control, informing residents during floods and early warning systems.
Enrollment for the Reverse Pitch　https://forms.office.com/e/vSmnkvMav2

Developing Startups

Catalyzing Disruptive Shifts in Tokyo's Financial Industry and Startup Ecosystem

In the evolution of international financial centers, the presence of technology implementation and leading Fintech startups is now indispensable. Conversely, for the growth of the startup ecosystem, a developed financial infrastructure centered around capital markets is equally essential. This implies that policies for international financial centers and those for startups are two sides of the same coin. In this session, we will discuss the future direction of Japan's ecosystem and the catalysts for disruptive change, considering the significant macroeconomic shifts happening in Japan and globally today. This discussion aims to shed light on how Japan can reclaim its prominence in the global financial industry and startup ecosystem, incorporating insights from global leaders.

Developing Startups

What role can Japanese large corporates play in the venture capital and digital economy in Southeast Asia?

Southeast Asia digital economy to reach US$ 295 billion (approximately 45 trillion yen) by 2025. The startups play a vital role in the new economy, and they are supported by venture capitalists who are deeply invested in their success. For Japanese companies looking to expand within this burgeoning market, forming partnerships with these venture capitalists is the strategic move. So, how can Japanese companies identify their targets and establish the collaborations & partnerships. We will bring you the perspective of a venture capitalist living in Singapore, sharing why Southeast Asia and how conglomerates and major/large companies in other countries are moving forward.

Developing Startups

Exploring the state of the startup ecosystem by region: What strategies are utilized in each region?

In this session, stakeholders involved in startups ecosystems in various regions will discuss about the growing startup ecosystems in their regions. Each speaker will share their views on how the ecosystem in the region should develop and what opportunities exist, from both short-term initiatives and medium- to long-term plans.

Developing Startups

Female leaders led M&As - How the perspectives of female leaders contribute to the success of M&As

For Japanese startups, M&A with major companies can be a breakthrough into new markets and the key to opening doors to innovative technologies. To catch the waves of this dynamic change and aim for business expansion, diverse leadership and strategic thinking are required. In particular, the unique perspectives and approaches of female leaders are attracting attention as important factors that determine the success of M&As in today’s world. This session dives into fascinating stories on how female leaders are masterfully steer M&A strategies and create new values.

Discussing Future of Technology

Unraveling the future of DeepTech: A challenge from Japan to the world

This session will take a deep dive into the current state of Japan's DeepTech field and its positioning in the international market. It will also discuss the position of Japan's DeepTech from a macro perspective, and then delve into management issues and various problems startups face from each speaker's perspectives. Through the exchange of opinions between speakers, the session will discuss how Japan's DeepTech will evolve over the next 10 years, including predictions, and talk about the specific challenges and opportunities in DeepTech field.

Discussing Future of Technology

Evolution of Japanese entertainment: How will Japanese entertainment compete globally?

This session will delve into how Japanese entertainment is evolving on the global stage and discuss into the current state of Japanese entertainment industry and how it will integrate with the global market from all speaker’s views. Key players shaping the future of the entertainment industry will discuss the possibilities created by new technologies, strategies for developing cross-cultural business, and future prospects for the industry. The session will help you to expand your knowledge and perspectives about the industry.

Developing Startups

Empowering Japan Through Female Entrepreneurship with a Global Vision

We are delighted to host a panel featuring two renowned female entrepreneurs excelling in regional environments, along with Mrs. Okuda, a leading ecosystem builder fostering ventures nationwide. This discussion will explore the significant impact of locally-based female entrepreneurs who incorporate global thinking into their strategies. Our panelists exemplify the powerful effects of melding international outlooks with local initiatives, demonstrating how such integrations can drive profound societal change. Join us to gain insights into how these visionary women are redefining societal norms and driving change from the ground up.

Discussing Future of Technology

How startups co-create value and scale up together with large corporates in the ClimateTech field

Starting from Europe to Japan, so many ambitious entrepreneurs to create their own startup to fight against climate change from green steal to alternative protein and the next gen energy solution. And now traditional corporates and incumbents are keen to collaborate with them. This panel will likely to be a thought-provoking and informative session by the founders and executives of Climate Tech startups to discuss how to co-create value and scale up together with large corporates and to provide a lot of insights and information on the growth and scale up strategy in the climate tech.

Discussing Future of Technology

Designing the Future: Figma‘s Journey with Dylan Field

In this session, we will welcome Dylan Field, founder, and CEO of Figma, a product development platform for designing and building digital products, who will discuss about Figma's initiatives and future prospects.

Developing Startups

What is happening in the startup ecosystem worldwide?

The Global Entrepreneurship Network operates its program in 200 countries, aiming at making it easier for anyone, anywhere to start and scale a business. By fostering deeper cross-border collaboration and initiatives among entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, policymakers, and entrepreneurial support organizations, GEN supports the healthier startup ecosystem that creates more jobs, provides education, accelerates innovation, and strengthens economic growth.
In this session, GEN representatives from the UK, Thailand, and Japan will discuss "Sustainability and Entrepreneurship", which has been of particular interest for startups and people involved in the startup ecosystem in recent years, reflecting on examples and experiences from each country.

Discussing Future of Technology

The next steps for mobility-Solutions available and the near-term opportunities

The mobility sector is undergoing massive transformation, and the next ten years will bring a lot of rapid change in terms of new vehicle types, modes of transportation, and energy sources. For those who are following the mobility world, there is a lot to learn and to cover of all the components required to carry out these plans, as the change is happening quickly. We are therefore happy to present to you a cutting-edge panel that will be talking about these important topics. Come hear the most recent information about what is being developed in the early phases and which of these has the best chance of becoming a commercial success. Our panel combines the most forefront mobility expertise from the industrial world combined with the experience of startups.