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.

As Impact Ecosystem Builder for TOY8, a support activity delivered under our hyumpact ventures service line, we are delighted to announce the publication of the research project report 「Advancing Inclusive Education from the early ages in ASEAN using AI and digital technologies」 realized in collaboration with the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA).

​The research project report explores inclusive early childhood care and education in Malaysia, with a particular focus on integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies into developmental screening and intervention for preschool-aged children.

The research project report available for download at the ERIA Publications centre here is co-authored by Bruno Abrioux Takano, TOY8 Impact Ecosystem Builder, hyumpact ventures at encognize G.K., Chui Yee Chong, TOY8 Child Development Support Manager and Masaki Ishibashi, TOY8 Co-Founder and CEO.

Report Abstract
(source: ERIA Publications Research Project Reports)

This report explores inclusive early childhood care and education in Malaysia, with a particular focus on integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies into developmental screening and intervention for preschool-aged children.
While Malaysia has established a strong policy foundation for inclusion, significant challenges remain. Access to screening and intervention services is still limited, fragmented, and uneven, particularly for children aged three to six.
To help address these systemic gaps, TOY8 proposes an Inclusive Education 2.0 model that leverages AI-powered, mobile-based developmental screening tools and a digitalised Individual Education Programme (IEP). This model is designed to enable early identification of developmental delays, streamline individualised intervention, and strengthen collaboration amongst stakeholders.
Initial pilot studies in Sarawak have shown promising results, including improved detection rates, shorter delays in intervention, and strengthened inclusive practices.
The report concludes by calling for strategic policy reforms, cross-sectoral collaboration, and investment in scalable, ethically grounded digital solutions to accelerate the development of inclusive education systems in Malaysia.

【About TOY8】
By leveraging AI, digital tools and structured pathways to facilitate the early identification of developmental delays, provide targeted intervention support, and ensure smooth transitions into inclusive learning environments for preschoolers, TOY8 aims to address critical gaps and challenges that governments often encounter in implementing inclusive education systems for the early ages, starting in Malaysia and now expanding to other countries in the APAC region.

【About ERIA】
ERIA is an international organisation established in Jakarta, Indonesia, in 2008 through a formal agreement amongst the leaders of 16 East Asian countries. Its mission is to conduct research and provide policy recommendations to advance economic integration across the region.

【About hyumpact ventures】
hyumpact ventures is the encognize G.K. service line dedicated to helping innovative companies that can make a net positive impact to our world amplify their impact globally through ecosystem building and fractional expansion support services.

Under his role of Corporate × Startup Engagement Director at Rainmaking, Bruno Abrioux, co-founder and CEO of encognize G.K. has shared his views and insights on what to consider to think strategically and prepare for market expansion.

You can read the full article here.
This interview is part of the activities run by 「Rainmaking Expand」, a suite of programs that aims at supporting startups and scale-ups grow successfully their business outside of their home market.