Shibuya Startup Support not only supports international startups with visa acquisition and registration procedures, real estate leasing, and banking; we also provide co-working space for Shibuya Startup Visa holders in Shibuya. We asked our new Shibuya Startup Support community team about their vision for what the future holds for our startup family.
Our Co-Working Space (Photo: Shibuya City)
Co-working space in Shibuya
The co-working space operated by Shibuya Startup Support is located about a 5-minute walk from Shibuya station. It is used by Shibuya Startup Visa holders and S-Startups certified companies. It has open desks, meeting rooms, phone booths, and free-to-use hardware.
Networking event on the rooftop of the co-working space (Photo: Shibuya City)
Networking Events and Workshops
We regularly host networking events and workshops for entrepreneurs and startups. Past Shibuya Startup Support events have included workshops on fundraising for Shibuya Startup Visa holders and our regular Community Gathering Event — co-hosted with startup communities around the world such as the Nordic Innovation Tokyo, Nordic Asian Venture Alliance, the Estonian startup community, Startup Island Taiwan, and the EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation. We play regular host to other events for the Japanese startup ecosystem, including heavy-hitters such as NFT Club Tokyo, a Tokyo-based NFT and Web3 community, and Takeoff Tokyo, a pitch event for entrepreneurs in Japan. Furthermore, side events were held before and after the City Tech Tokyo and IVS Kyoto.
“Food Popup Day" at the co-working space (Photo: Shibuya City)
There is also a huge variety of smaller, more focused events: the regular Fintech/Creative Night has proven extremely popular, and Food Popup Day brought together products from food tech startups around the world for test marketing in Japan (with lots of samples, of course).
Wednesday Weekly Brunch (Photo: Shibuya City)
Every Wednesday we host Wednesday Weekly Brunch, a networking brunch from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm. Entrepreneurs, startups, investors, and ecosystem stakeholders from Japan and abroad are invited to attend the brunch, so please feel free to stop by!
The new community team (Photo: Shibuya City)
Meet Shibuya Startup Support’s new community team: a Q&A
Hello! Would you tell us about the new community team structure?
Our community team is actually composed of two separate teams: the operation team and the community management team.
The operation team is responsible for ensuring that all members of the co-working space have a comfortable, pleasant environment in which to create their businesses. We are available at the reception booth located at the entrance of the co-working space, so feel free to ask us anything!
The community management team works closely with startups, as well as with consultants, lawyers, and accountants who are experts in their respective fields. We provide support for the business growth of Shibuya Startup Visa holders and companies certified under the “S-Startups” startup certification program in Shibuya City.
How does the community team support startups?
We are aiming to be a concierge and supporter of startups. There is a wide range of support needed to launch and scale a business. Therefore, it is easy to find yourself in a situation where you do not know who to ask for help, and this is even more true when you are taking on challenges in other countries. Our community team aims to be a contact point for such startups where they can consult with us at any time and receive referrals to the support they need. We will work closely with our Startup Visa team (Shibuya Welcome Service (SWS)) and Shibuya Startup Deck, our network with Japanese corporations based in Tokyo. We will also create a networking platform to connect startups in similar stages or similar industries with major companies willing to support startups for accelerating open innovation in Japan.
What kind of entrepreneurs and startups would you like to meet?
We want to meet entrepreneurs and startups who are up for a challenge! We are excited to meet and support those who persevere despite facing setbacks. Shibuya, the mecca of innovation and street culture in Japan, is the perfect place for this. Ultimately, our hope is that your companies can help solve social issues through innovative technologies and business models.
Please give a message to foreign startups and entrepreneurs, as well as to those foreigners who are considering entering the Japanese market!
As mentioned in the message from Somee of SWS posted, Tokyo is rapidly developing to become a more attractive city for startups. We want to do our best to support all startups who are working to realize their own visions. We are waiting for you in Shibuya!
In addition to events held at our co-working space, SSS will continue to organize events in collaboration with startups and communities in Shibuya. We are also welcome to any kind of collaboration opportunities! If you are interested, please contact us here.
From April 2023, Shibuya Startup Support will be under a new structure. If you are interested in our ecosystem or our Shibuya Startup Visa programs, please don’t hesitate to contact us, and follow us on social media to keep up-to-date on upcoming events!
More information on Shibuya Startup Visa program: https://shibuya-startup-support.jp/sws/
If you want to follow our future events, subscribe to our mailing list: http://eepurl.com/ifMP6H
Shibuya Startup Support’s social media account
LinkedIn：https://www.linkedin.com/company/shibuya-startup-support/
Facebook：https://www.facebook.com/shibuya.startup.support
Twitter：https://twitter.com/ShibuyaStartup
Shibuya Bridge B-5,
1-29-3 Higashi, Shibuya City, Tokyo
JAPAN 150-0011
Shibuya Startup Support
