Shibuya Startup Support (SSS) held an Ambassador Meetup on January 30, 2026, at their support hub in SHIBUYA BRIDGE.
(Photo: Shibuya City)
This event was organized as an opportunity for ambassadors involved with SSS, S-Startups, startup visa holders, and representatives from Shibuya City to gather in one place and engage in direct dialogue. By centering the event around startup pitch sessions and encouraging interaction, the meetup aimed to create opportunities for sharing practical advice and fostering new collaborations across members’ different fields.
The Ambassador Meetup welcomed ambassadors from diverse professional backgrounds, including global investors, entrepreneurs, and ecosystem builders.
The six ambassadors who participated were:
Daisuke Odajima (Representative, EDGEof INNOVATION)
Skylar Cole (VC / Ecosystem Builder)
Sophie Mellari (Venture Investor, Eight Roads)
Jonathan Siegel (Founder, Xenon Partners)
Francisco Dalla Rosa Soares (Founder & CEO, Furious Green)
Kenji Fujita (Business Design Department, Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance)
(Photo: Shibuya City)
As the main content of the event, a pitch session was held featuring startups supported by SSS. From the S-Startups program, NIJIN Inc. and Midoriku NbS Inc. took the stage.
S-Startups is a certification program operated by the Shibuya Innovation Institute (SII). The program selects promising startups tackling social challenges and supports their growth from Shibuya to the global stage via information dissemination, networking, and opportunities for proof-of-concept experiments.
For more details about the companies newly selected for the third cohort of S-Startups last December, see our previous article:
▶︎▶︎Introduction to the S-Startups Certified Companies
NIJIN is an education venture guided by the mission “Illuminating the nation through education.” The company operates NIJIN Academy, a metaverse-based alternative school supporting students experiencing school refusal, and also provides teacher training programs.
The second presenter, Midoriku, is a startup that utilizes Spatial AI and 3D technologies to support the optimization of natural environments and human wellness. The company works on projects ranging from landscape design and environmental evaluation to the automation of environmental monitoring and management. During the pitch, the team also presented their vision of developing an urban model originating in Shibuya and sharing it with cities around the world.
(Photo: Shibuya City)
Both companies prepared and delivered their pitches in English for the ambassadors, many of whom are English speakers. This provided an opportunity for the startups to practice pitching in an international context, helping them refine their pitches from a global perspective as they prepare for international expansion.
Several startup visa holders also presented, including Alex Kunin of Kanju Tech, Ramon Haaf of Tomobi, Bilal Kharouni of ekei labs, and Abhishek Gupta of OneInbox.
Kanju Tech develops technology solutions that support operational efficiency and data utilization while exploring opportunities for partnerships in the Japanese market. Tomobi develops services that connect people with communities through technology, aiming to create more sustainable communities. ekei labs focuses on product development that combines research and advanced technologies while pursuing innovation originating in Japan. OneInbox provides a platform designed to streamline business communications and is expanding its services with a global market in mind.
Each company shared updates on their business progress in Japan and their future strategies. In response, ambassadors offered advice related to market development and partnership opportunities.
After the pitch sessions, a networking session was held where startups, ambassadors, and participants continued their conversations.
(Photo: Shibuya City)
Startups shared their business models and the challenges they are currently facing, while ambassadors provided insights and advice based on their experience. Ambassadors exchanged updates about their recent activities and discussed developments in startup ecosystems around the world.
This meetup became more than simply an opportunity for information sharing. Through open dialogue, it created a lively space for participants to contribute together to the development of Shibuya’s startup ecosystem.
In 2026, SSS will continue working with ambassadors and startups to build a more open and collaborative community. We sincerely thank everyone who participated in this event and look forward to your continued support for startups challenging the world from Shibuya.
Website https://www.shibuya-startup-support.jp/ja
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/shibuya-startup-support/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/shibuya.startup.support
X (formerly Twitter) https://twitter.com/ShibuyaStartup
