Tokyo, Japan Cohort 3

• • • Region of focus: Tokyo Region Universities in Japan (Tokyo University of Science)
    • Comparative advantage:
      • Strong science and research universities.
      • Information Technology and biomedical industries are strong.
    • Core Challenges:
      • Lack of connection between the regions “innovation capacity” (iCap) and “entrepreneurial capacity” (eCap).
      • Comparatively low funding for basic research and development despite celebratory culture surrounding innovation.
      • Fractured ecosystem where prizes are very popular but there is a lack of entrepreneurial education and follow through.
      • Lack of promoting intrapreneurship.
      • Limited VC network available for later stage startups and a historically weak IPO market.
      • Challenged with overcoming a culture where larger corporations aren’t supportive of startups within the ecosystem
    • Stakeholder Insight:
      • Lack of connection between risk capital and university stakeholders.
      • Local universities have been reluctant to share information on spin-out companies.
      • Large corporations don’t seem to want smaller companies to grow because it could hurt them in a number of ways, which is left over from an older mentality.

Tokyo E&I Center website: https://www.tus.ac.jp/research/venture/support/