encognize G.K. Cross-Border Innovation Partner and COO, Brian Lim, has welcomed with the Osaka Innovation Hub (OIH) team a Nordic delegation composed of startups, investors and ecosystem multipliers, all eager to explore collaboration opportunities with Japanese stakeholders, on Day 1 of their 1-week Osaka-Tokyo tour.

Alongside Sho Enokido, Brian and the delegation discussed the 5 pillars of success for international expansion, focusing specifically on the Japanese innovation ecosystem and how to build successful collaborative engagements with domestic organizations.
The afternoon was dedicated to the startups for refining and practicing their pitches, including feedback and peer learning sessions, so that everyone could get fully prepared for their week in Osaka, at World Expo and in Tokyo.

More about the Nordic delegation and Japan Tour here

Aligned with our primary mission to support innovative companies develop and grow their business internationally in a direct approach or through partner initiatives, our encognize G.K. team was involved in the delivery of the following engagements over this summer 2024 (among others):

• IMPACT - through our 「hyumpact ventures」 service line, we have provided direct support to Toy8, a Japanese/Malaysian EdTech・HealthTech startup offering a mobile, AI-based early childhood developmental screening and intervention solution. And we are very proud to share that the Toy8 team has won the ERIA 2024 One ASEAN Startup Award at the 2nd pre-event held in Kuala Lumpur! Congratulations to the Toy8 Team for this achievement that will for sure help increase their impact in ASEAN. Additional impact activities provided by our team also included for instance the contribution to the conceptual design of a Japanese project dedicated to Inaka Revitalization through responsible tourism.
• GROW - as part of our 「synaptik」 service line, we were proud to support SHE LOVES TECH, the world's largest acceleration platform for women and technology,  through the provision of mentoring sessions to four of their East Asia 2024 COMPETIT10N finalist companies offering solutions in sectors as diverse as FemTech, Circular economy, sustainability and Medical/Health DX. We also directly supported in their development journey a Singapore-based Alt. Material startup with a first product positioned at the intersection of textile and sustainability.
• EXPAND - beyond the on-going support to our current 「XBORDR」 portfolio companies, we helped NautilusLog, a German company focused on Maritime DX thanks to a smart data management and automation platform, shape their initial Go-To-Market Strategy for Japan through mentoring sessions organized as part of a Start2 programme. 

Please, do not hesitate to contact us here if you are interested in discovering more about our cross-border innovation activities!

From FinTech and InsurTech to GreenTech and Alt. Energies, our encognize Japan X-Tech Force has kept delivering on its core missions of supporting sound cross-border innovation initiatives:

• SHAPE – encognize G.K. Founder & CEO was invited to co-moderate a roundtable at the Japan FinTech Festival 2024 alongside Naotaka Nishiyama, Founder & CEO of Tech Japan Inc., debating the question of the key factors required to reignite the entrepreneurial spirit in Japan.
•  EXPAND – our Japan X-Tech Force team is overly excited to welcome and support upsure, a comprehensive Insurance Digital solution platform from India built by industry veterans, with their Japanese Market entry in collaboration with their partner HCLTech.
• EXPLORE – Who are the APAC innovative companies ready to help scale up the Green Hydrogen Value Chain in Atlantic France, a region home to 130 H2-related projects, 7 expert clusters and 15 research centers focused on Hydrogen as an alternative energy source to support the energy transition? Thanks to the support of solutions&co, the economic development agency of Pays de le Loire Region, ,  We already have gathered 6 challenge statements distributed across the value chain waiting for an answer... Contact us if you want to know more!