SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026 pushes Tokyo’s startup push onto a bigger global stage

By AI, Created 11:46 AM UTC, June 02, 2026, /AGP/ – SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026 drew 770 startups, 68 major corporations and participants from more than 60 countries to Tokyo Big Sight, underscoring Tokyo’s effort to turn its innovation conference into a global deal-making hub. The event also spotlighted scale-up support, international expansion and stronger female participation as Tokyo prepares for SusHi Tech Tokyo 2027.

Why it matters: - SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026 is now a central platform for Tokyo’s startup strategy, linking the event to the city’s wider push for innovation, scale-up and global expansion. - The conference’s growth signals that Tokyo wants SusHi Tech to compete as a destination where startups, investors, corporations and public-sector leaders meet to form business deals. - The event also mattered politically and socially. Tokyo highlighted women’s leadership, youth participation and inclusion as part of its innovation agenda.

What happened: - SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026 took place at Tokyo Big Sight over three days starting April 27. - The event featured 770 startups and 68 major corporations as partners. - Organizers aimed to facilitate 10,000 business meetings, with the first two days set aside as Business Days. - The final day was Public Day, opening hands-on technology experiences to visitors of all ages. - The conference drew 21 country and city pavilions, up from 16 last year. - A pitch contest brought in 820 startups from more than 60 countries and regions, with seven finalists advancing after selection.

The details: - Tokyo positioned the event as the main implementation platform for the “Tokyo’s 10 × 10 × 10 Innovation Vision,” launched in 2022. - The strategy targets tenfold growth over five years in three areas: startups based in Tokyo, globally competitive unicorns and collaboration projects between TMG and startups. - Over two years, public-private partnership initiatives grew 28-fold to 252 cases. - Tokyo upgraded its startup strategy last November to put more weight on scale-up and international expansion. - High-potential startups are set to receive funding and long-term support through partnerships with overseas institutions. - The grand prize in the pitch contest went to Qarbotech, a Malaysian agritech startup using carbon quantum dots to enhance plant photosynthesis. - Qarbotech CEO and Co-Founder Chor Chee Hoe said the company sees Japan as a gateway for global expansion. - TechCrunch introduced a new prize this year for startups with strong innovation and global growth potential. - The inaugural TechCrunch award went to LIFESCAPES, a Japanese startup developing brain-computer interface technology for people with severe paralysis. - LIFESCAPES has been invited to compete in TechCrunch Disrupt Startup Battlefield 200 in San Francisco. - On the first day, Japan’s first female prime minister, Takaichi Sanae, delivered a keynote and was welcomed by Governor Koike, Tokyo’s first female governor. - Tokyo said women made up more than 50% of session speakers.

Between the lines: - The event is evolving from a showcase into a transaction-focused market where deal-making is the point, not a side effect. - The jump in country and city pavilions suggests stronger international interest in Tokyo’s startup ecosystem. - The new TechCrunch prize and the San Francisco invitation give SusHi Tech a clearer bridge to U.S. venture networks. - Tokyo is using the conference to frame inclusion as part of competitiveness, not just representation.

What’s next: - Tokyo plans to continue expanding the conference’s global reach as it moves toward SusHi Tech Tokyo’s 10th edition in 2032. - SusHi Tech Tokyo 2027 is scheduled for May 20 to 22. - Tokyo is expected to keep emphasizing startup scale-up, overseas partnerships and business matching at future editions.

The bottom line: - SusHi Tech Tokyo is becoming more than a conference. Tokyo is trying to turn it into a global innovation hub and a practical engine for startup growth.