We had the opportunity to interview Jeff Hu, CEO & Founder
of Turing Space, who participated as a session speaker at
SusHi Tech Tokyo 2024 and was a pitch finalist at City-Tech
Tokyo 2023. *1
Turing Space is a Taiwan-based startup striving to expand
its business in Japan with its one-stop blockchain
e-certificate service.
According to the company, their participation in SusHi Tech
Tokyo was a significant turning point for their business
expansion in Japan. In this interview, we explore not only
the outcomes of their participation in SusHi Tech Tokyo but
also their approach to business development in Japan.
*1 City-Tech Tokyo was a global event hosted by
the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and served as the
predecessor of SusHi Tech Tokyo. (https://city-tech.tokyo/en/)
- ―――Thank you for taking the time to speak with us. You have continuously participated in our events, including presenting at City-Tech Tokyo 2023 and speaking at a session during the SusHi Tech Challenge 2024. We’ve heard that these experiences have significantly contributed to your company’s efforts to expand its business in Japan. Today, we’d like to hear your impressions and feedback about SusHi Tech Tokyo, as well as your company’s business development in Japan.
- ―――Could you share with us what motivated you to participate in SusHi Tech Tokyo?
-
The opportunity came through an invitation from the
SusHi Tech Tokyo team. There were two main reasons why
we were eager to participate. The first is the rarity of
large-scale, globally focused tech events held in Japan.
For startups like ours, originating from Taiwan with a
headquarters in the U.S., the chance to exchange
information and explore business opportunities at a
startup-centered global event is incredibly valuable.
The second reason is the business-oriented structure of the event. Among global events, SusHi Tech Tokyo stands out as a platform designed for meaningful exchanges of information and efficient business discussions in a professional atmosphere. For a company like ours, which values efficient and focused discussions, this was a highly motivating factor for our participation.
- ―――Could you share your impressions and outcomes from exhibiting at the booth?
-
The booth area was lively and consistently busy
throughout the event. Thanks to the well-designed layout
of the venue, foot traffic was high, and we had many
visitors stopping by our booth. In fact, even with a
rotating team of staff members present at all times, we
sometimes struggled to keep up with the volume of
visitors. As a result, we successfully generated over
200 new leads, significantly expanding our network of
connections.
In subsequent business discussions, the experience of participating in SusHi Tech Tokyo has often served as a great conversation starter. Additionally, posts shared with the hashtag #STT have received considerable engagement, further leveraging the event as a catalyst for generating new leads.
- ―――During SusHi Tech Tokyo 2024, you participated in the session titled "From Global to Japan : The Learnings of an International Founder who Hires, Expands, and Localizes Real Business in Japan."(https://youtu.be/689kkr1ZPmQ) Could you share your thoughts and the feedback you received?
-
In this session, I aimed to convey how SusHi Tech Tokyo
became a significant catalyst for our expansion into
Japan. My focus was to share insights on the value of
participating in SusHi Tech Tokyo and the cultural
aspects of Japan that became evident through our
involvement. I hoped these insights would inspire other
startups considering entry into the Japanese market.
As a result, I was approached by many audience members after the session, who asked numerous questions about our achievements at SusHi Tech Tokyo and our business expansion in Japan. This provided a valuable opportunity to exchange opinions with startups that are also interested in entering the Japanese market.
Another highlight was the abundant opportunities to network with other stage speakers. Additionally, as the event was held in a hybrid format, we received feedback from existing clients who were able to watch the session online, which was greatly appreciated.
- ―――SusHi Tech Tokyo has been a significant catalyst for your expansion into Japan. What would you identify as the key advantages of doing business in Japan?
-
The benefits vary depending on the country of origin,
but in our case, as a company that started in Taiwan, we
found Japan's large-scale corporations to be
significantly bigger compared to those in Taiwan. This
translates into a substantial advantage in terms of
market size.
Additionally, forming partnerships with the Japanese branches of global companies or domestic companies with internationally recognized brand power offers significant benefits for branding across Asia. The opportunity to engage in business discussions with such companies has made establishing a Japanese office extremely impactful for us.
- ―――What strategies have you implemented to overcome challenges in your business expansion in Japan?
-
While collaboration with startups is gaining momentum in
Japan, the deeply rooted culture of thorough
deliberation often results in longer cycles from
consideration to implementation. However, once a
solution is adopted, it tends to lead to long-term
contracts, which can be an advantage compared to other
markets.
To address this challenge, we actively present a comprehensive project timeline during negotiations, including all key milestones up to the final deadline. By aligning schedules in this manner, we naturally integrate a global sense of urgency and aim to accelerate the cycle from consideration to implementation.
- ―――What expectations do you have for Japanese companies when collaborating with startups?
- We would greatly appreciate it if Japanese companies could respond more proactively to casual meeting requests from startups. Even a 30-minute exchange of ideas can sometimes reveal unexpected synergies and opportunities for business partnerships. By approaching discussions with a less rigid mindset and being open to connecting with startups that spark interest through matching platforms or online channels, simply showing a willingness to have an initial conversation would be immensely encouraging from a startup’s perspective.
- ―――Could you share your company’s future business strategy and vision?
-
Our company offers a digital certificate service called
Turing Certs, and we plan to focus on expanding it
across the Asia-Pacific region. Specifically, we aim to
establish a secure and interoperable system for
digitizing identity documents and creating digital IDs
that can be used within banking systems across
Asia-Pacific countries. To this end, we recently
established the Asia Pacific Digital Identity
Consortium.
While there have been no prior examples of standardized digital identity frameworks in Asia akin to those in Europe, we are working to establish standards and increase cross-border usage scenarios. Currently, companies from six countries—Singapore, South Korea, the Philippines, Myanmar, Japan, and Taiwan—are participating in the consortium. Moving forward, we intend to actively collaborate with government agencies and existing consortia in Europe and the United States. By doing so, we aim to enhance the safety and practical application of digital identity use cases.
- ―――As a seasoned participant, could you share a message for companies considering joining "SusHi Tech Tokyo 2025"?
- Our company is one of the startups that successfully entered the Japanese market thanks to participating in SusHi Tech Tokyo. I can confidently say that this event has the potential to be a catalyst for businesses considering expanding into Japan. There’s a saying, “Regret the things you didn’t do, not the things you did.” With SusHi Tech Tokyo, I truly believe there’s no room for regret when participating. I encourage you to join actively, explore new connections, and find the spark that will ignite your business journey with us!
-
■ Profile Information
Company: Turing Space Inc.
CEO: Founder & CEO Jeff, Hu
Locations: Headquarters in the United States; offices in Taiwan, Germany, and Japan
Website:https://turingcerts.com/
Overview:Turing Space is a tech startup founded in 2020, specializing in TrustTech services aimed at solving authentication challenges across various industries and creating a borderless trust network. By advancing digital transformation (DX), the company envisions becoming a global trust transmission center by 2050, co-creating the new era of Web 3.0. -
■ SusHi Tech Tokyo 2025
＜SusHi Tech Tokyo 2025＞
Dates: Thursday, May 8 – Saturday, May 10, 2025
Venue: Tokyo Big Sight
For information on startup booth exhibitions at SusHi Tech Tokyo 2025, please visit here.
（https://sushitech-startup.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/en/booth-exhibition/）
To apply for the pitch contest "SusHi Tech Challenge 2025," please visit here.
（https://sushitech-startup.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/en/pitch-contest/）