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Autumn 2026 through spring 2027 brings a wealth of major startup events across Japan, creating opportunities for founders to connect with investors, established companies, and government agencies.
November will see events such as B Dash Camp in Fukuoka, one of Japan’s rising stars in the startup scene. In December, TechGALA will take place in Nagoya, followed by Japan Fintech Week and ICC Summit FUKUOKA in early 2027. Together, these events offer opportunities to explore partnerships, secure investment, and expand into new markets.
In this article, we highlight major startup events scheduled to take place in Japan between November 2026 and March 2027, organized by month.
Note: Dates and venues are based on publicly available information as of October 2026. Please check each event’s official website for the latest updates before attending.
Location: Across Shibuya, Tokyo
Dates: November 2 - 8, 2026
Focus Areas: Social Innovation, Urban Development
Organized by the Shibuya Future Design Association, SOCIAL INNOVATION WEEK is a citywide event that explores new ideas and approaches to shaping society, with Shibuya serving as its stage, with the previous edition attracting 70,000 attendees. The 2026 theme is “BE A CHANGE-MAKER.”
Throughout the week, businesses, government representatives, creators, and local communities come together to exchange ideas and explore innovations emerging from Shibuya.
Location: Muromachi Mitsui Hall & Conference, Nihonbashi, Tokyo, and online
Dates: November 5 - 7, 2026
Focus Areas: FoodTech, Agriculture, Food Innovation
Co-hosted with the US-based foodtech media platform The Spoon, SKS JAPAN is one of Japan’s leading conferences dedicated to food innovation.
This event brings together major food companies, startups, investors, and researchers from Japan and abroad. Through discussions on shared challenges and future visions for the food industry, participants explore opportunities for collaboration, real-world implementation, and the development of new markets.
Location: Fukuoka, Japan
Dates: November 11 - 13, 2026
Focus Areas: Startup Investment, Founder Networks, Pitch Competitions
Organized by B Dash Ventures, B Dash Camp is an invitation-only three-day startup conference that brings together entrepreneurs, executives from publicly listed companies, and venture capitalists.
The event features keynote sessions, discussions, and the Pitch Arena competition, alongside intensive networking opportunities. The autumn edition takes place in Fukuoka, complementing the spring edition held in Sapporo.
Location: Tokyo Innovation Base and other venues
Dates: November 26 - 27, 2026
Focus Areas: Well-being, Global Pitch Competition
WE AT CHALLENGE is a global pitch competition and summit focused on well-being.
With partners including the University of Tokyo and Hakuhodo, the event supports ventures addressing challenges related to well-being and society. It offers more than JPY30 million in total non-equity funding.
The previous edition received almost 600 applications from 40 countries, making it a fantastic opportunity for startups seeking global visibility and funding to develop their solutions.
Location: Toranomon Hills Mori Tower, Tokyo
Dates: November 30 - December 3, 2026
Focus Areas: Open Innovation, Corporate Partnerships, Deep Tech
Organized by Project Nippon, Innovation Leaders Summit (ILS) is one of Asia’s largest business-matching events for open innovation.
Each year, the summit brings together more than 700 startups, 110 major corporations, and 120 investors, facilitating over 2,500 business meetings.
One of its key initiatives is Power Matching, which connects startups with major corporations. Startup participation in this program is based on recommendations from partner organizations. Focus areas include advanced materials, decarbonization, robotics, and other emerging technologies.
ILS is particularly valuable for startups seeking corporate partnerships, business development opportunities, and pathways to commercialize their technologies in Japan.
Location: Muromachi Mitsui Hall & Conference, Tokyo
Dates: December 6 - 7, 2026
Focus Areas: Healthcare, Digital Health, Medical Technology
Healthtech Summit is a conference dedicated to digital technologies and innovation in healthcare. The 2026 edition marks its 12th event, with the theme “Who Leads Care?”
Researchers, hospital executives, policymakers, and other healthcare leaders gather to discuss the future of healthcare and the role of technology in transforming care delivery. A pitch competition for healthcare startups is also part of the program.
Location: Nagoya, Japan — Sakae district on Days 1–2; Tsurumai district, STATION Ai, and other venues on Day 3
Dates: December 15 - 17, 2026
Focus Areas: Deep Tech, Manufacturing Partnerships, Global Expansion
Organized by the Central Japan Startup Ecosystem Consortium, which includes Aichi Prefecture, Nagoya City, and Hamamatsu City, TechGALA is a technology festival focused on the future of industry and solutions to global challenges.
Its themes span mobility, the global environment, materials, life sciences, advanced technologies, and future-oriented storytelling.
On December 16, the event will host Grand Pitch 2026: BEYOND, a pitch competition for Japanese startups looking to expand overseas and international startups aiming to enter the Japanese market.
For startups seeking partnerships with manufacturers and other industrial players in central Japan, TechGALA offers an opportunity to connect with the region’s innovation ecosystem.
Location: Ariake GYM-EX, Koto City, Tokyo
Dates: December 16 - 17, 2026
Focus Areas: Startup Exhibition, Corporate Business Matching, Sales and Business Development
Organized by Eight, a business networking service operated by Sansan, Inc., Startup JAPAN EXPO is an exhibition focused on startups and business collaboration.
The winter edition will be the event’s eighth event, with an expected 450 exhibitors and 13,000 attendees. Representatives from leading Japanese corporations, including Toyota Motor Corporation and Panasonic, are expected to be in attendance.
With executives and decision-makers accounting for more than 60% of attendees in past editions, the event is particularly relevant for startups looking to meet potential corporate customers, develop sales channels, and explore business partnerships.
Location: Around Shibuya Koen-dori and other locations in Shibuya, Tokyo
Dates: February 11- 14, 2027
Focus Areas: Creative Technology, Digital Art, Entertainment, Urban Innovation
DIG SHIBUYA is an urban art and technology festival that explores new forms of expression and experiences at the intersection of art, technology, and city life.
The festival showcases new possibilities for culture and urban experiences in Shibuya through digital artworks, live performances, and installations in public spaces. Visitors can discover experimental work by artists and creators while experiencing how technology can transform everyday environments.
In conjunction with DIG SHIBUYA 2027, Shibuya Startup Support (SSS) will host Creative Tech Shibuya 2027, a program designed to connect creative technology startups with Japanese companies and explore opportunities for collaboration.
Location: Across Shibuya, including Shibuya Startup Support and other venues in Shibuya City
Dates: February 8 - 12, 2027 (Public showcase on February 11 only)
Focus Areas: Creative Technology, Entertainment, Gaming, Japanese Market Entry
Creative Tech Shibuya 2027 is a five-day program organized by Shibuya Startup Support in collaboration with DIG SHIBUYA 2027. It is designed for creative technology startups looking to enter or expand in the Japanese market and exploring potential business partnerships and pilot projects.
Based in Shibuya, participating startups will have opportunities to build connections with Japanese companies, investors, and government representatives. The program covers a range of creative technology fields, including digital media, design, art, entertainment, gaming, music, fashion, and lifestyle.
Beyond networking, the program aims to facilitate tangible business opportunities and the development of collaborative projects. For international startups seeking Japanese business partners and opportunities to test their solutions in the local market, Creative Tech Shibuya offers a strong first step toward establishing a presence in Japan.
Location: Various venues across Tokyo and beyond
Dates: February 22 - March 5, 2027
Focus Areas: FinTech, Financial Digital Transformation, Digital Assets
Led by Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA), Japan Fintech Week brings together a series of fintech-related events organized by public- and private-sector organizations over two weeks.
The 2026 edition attracted more than 20,000 participants. Its flagship event, FIN/SUM, featured prominent financial industry leaders, including Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda.
Japan Fintech Week offers valuable opportunities for startups to engage directly with regulators, financial institutions, and other industry stakeholders, making it particularly relevant for companies working on financial innovation and digital finance.
Location: Hilton Fukuoka Sea Hawk and other venues
Dates: March 1 - 4, 2027
Focus Areas: Executive Networking, Industry Collaboration, Pitch Competitions
Held under the theme “Learn Together, Create Industries Together,” ICC Summit is an invitation-only conference for business leaders and entrepreneurs.
Each event brings together more than 500 speakers and over 1,200 participants. One of its signature programs is Catapult, a seven-minute pitch competition.
The conference is designed to encourage sustained interaction, with participants spending multiple days together through a range of sessions and networking opportunities. Held twice a year in Kyoto and Fukuoka, ICC Summit provides an environment for building meaningful relationships and exploring new business opportunities over time.
Location: SHIBUYA QWS, 15th floor of Shibuya Scramble Square, Tokyo
Date: March 9, 2027
Focus Areas: Pre-seed and Seed Startups, Pitch Competition, Urban Innovation
Organized by SHIBUYA QWS, a co-creation hub in Shibuya, QWS STARTUP AWARD is a pitch competition designed to bring together people who want to support and accelerate the growth of startups.
Startups in the pre-seed or seed stage that are already incorporated or plan to incorporate in Japan by January 2027 are eligible to apply, regardless of industry or previous fundraising experience.
The grand prize includes JPY 1 million in prize money, along with an advertising package featuring placements on the exterior vision of Shibuya Scramble Square and a large digital screen on the second floor of Shibuya Station, offering a truly unique opportunity to gain visibility and momentum.
From autumn 2026 through spring 2027, entrepreneurs will have numerous opportunities to connect with investors, major corporations, government agencies, and other startup ecosystem stakeholders.
Shibuya Startup Support will continue to organize events and programs that bring ecosystem players together and help international startups explore opportunities in Japan, including initiatives that support market entry and business development.
If you are interested in Shibuya’s startup ecosystem or the Shibuya Startup Visa, we welcome you to get in touch.
Follow us on social media for updates on upcoming events, programs, and seminars!
Shibuya Startup Support (SSS)
Website: https://shibuya-startup-support.jp/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/shibuya-startup-support/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shibuya.startup.support
X: http://twitter.com/ShibuyaStartup
