Go-to-Market Japan: The State of Japan’s Startup Ecosystem

Explore Japan's startup ecosystem, tackle entry challenges, build partnerships, secure PoCs and funding, connect with accelerators, VCs, and corporates, and discover strategies to scale and grow in Japan and beyond.

Agenda:

- Welcome and Introduction

- Workshop Discussion on key topics:

• Uniqueness of the Japanese startup ecosystem

• Key challenges facing startups in Japan

• Cultural aspects to prepare for when entering the Japanese market

• Market statistics and trends

• Insights on ecosystem players: Accelerators, VCs, CVCs, Corporates

- Q&A Session

- Networking Session

Moderator:

Erdinc Ekinci - Founder, Investment Lead of Co-capital.vc, Co-Founder, CEO of Openfor.co, Managing Director of Founder Institute Japan/Korea/Taiwan.

Who Should Attend

- Startups looking to expand or enter the Japanese market

- Entrepreneurs interested in understanding Japan’s unique business culture and dynamics

- Teams seeking to uncover new opportunities within Japan’s startup ecosystem

- Investors and advisors looking to gain insights into Japan’s startup scene

- Founders exploring strategies for market entry and growth in Japan

What You’ll Learn

- Key factors shaping Japan’s startup ecosystem and business landscape

- Strategies for entering and expanding in the Japanese market

- Insights into Japan’s unique business culture and market dynamics

- Opportunities within emerging industries in Japan

- Practical tips for navigating challenges and seizing growth opportunities

- Key resources and networks available to startups in Japan

About Ecosystem Organization:

- Openfor.co: It is an entrepreneurial talent development company and non-equity venture/ecosystem builder supporting individuals and organizations starting from individual-level; detects high-potential people with our proprietary system, developing and featuring personal stories to launching a digitally productized personal brands, content creation and visibility with our 700K audience reach, to turning it into a business, and monetization to all the way up to launching a company. All-in-one platform with a marketplace, education, back-office support, content creation, and global reach, combining early visibility with hands-on operational support. Meanwhile, as an ecosystem builder, we work with more later-stage startups, larger enterprises, and governments, building and operating complex multinational 7-8 figure programs. It all boils down to this: we are on a mission to make the venture ecosystem accessible, making the world a more entrepreneurial place. 

- Founder Institute: Founder Institute is an equity warrant-based non-funding accelerator that supports determined founders who already have some scalable ideas and are committed to entrepreneurship. At this stage, founders validate their ideas, build a strong founder mindset, and learn through structured programs, mentorship, and accountability. Founder Institute helps turn raw ideas into real startup foundations.

- Venture Cafe Tokyo: A global community where various innovators, including entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, and students, gather, connect, and create innovation in society through a variety of programs.

-Co-Capital: Co-capital is a strategic VC-as-a-Service firm pre-seed to Series A stage, focused on seeking strong partner alignment. Specializing in GTM expansion, venture building, and marketing-led growth, working with elite entrepreneurial talent and scalable startups preparing for global GTM and investment readiness. Powered by a 300+ individual expert network and delivered in close collaboration with Founder Institute and Openfor.co, enabling fast momentum and execution.

- Founder Capital: Founder Capital is a venture capital firm focused on investing in FI’s best-performing pre-seed full-time founders who have already demonstrated traction. This layer supports founders who are building full-time, executing consistently, and showing early signs of market validation. It provides capital, strategic guidance, and long-term partnership to help founders scale with confidence.