2026 JUL. 01 - H1 Activities Overview

Helping overseas innovators validate the Japanese Market

During the first half of 2026, our encognize G.K. Cross‑Border Innovation Partner Team, Brian and Bruno, continued to advance our mission of enabling global innovators to successfully navigate and validate opportunities in the Japanese market.
Through close collaboration with innovation ecosystem partners and hands‑on support to international startups, we delivered a diverse set of engagements designed to accelerate cross‑border expansion.
Key activities included:

• Joining in-person gathering with startups from South Korea, Thailand, and the broader APAC region as part of the Fukuoka Prefecture cross-border programme operated by Plug and Play Japan. Ahead of their market exploration trip, the startups and scale-ups were provided a tailored Japan market-entry briefing highlighting Fukuoka’s industrial landscape and key stakeholders to engage with.
• Delivery of a market briefing to Dutch startups visiting Kyoto as part of the Kyoto International Startup Nexus initiative. (more about the event here -Japanese only-)
• Presentation on the future of Japan’s startup ecosystem to global young entrepreneurs participating in the Japan Youth Summit 2026. (more about the presentation here)
• Interviews and hearing sessions of railroad operators and mobility solution providers at the Mass-Trans Innovation Japan Osaka 2026 to validate and fine tune business use cases around 「Inbound Tourism × Mobility DX」 in regional Japan.
• Delivery of a practical, recommendation-focused webinar for overseas companies seeking to enter the Japanese market, covering key considerations, common pitfalls, and actionable next steps, an initiative led by IBPC Osaka (International Business Promotion Centre OSAKA) and Invest Osaka.

As we enter the second semester of 2026, we will continue strengthening our support for innovators worldwide, with a particular focus on Japan, Southeast Asia, and South Korea. Our commitment remains unchanged: helping global companies turn cross-border ambition into measurable market traction.