Event Report: Creativetech Shibuya

DIG Shibuya

The second edition of DIG Shibuya was held in Shibuya’s Koen-dori neighborhood, featuring 33 programs covering live performances, conferences, indoor and outdoor exhibitions, virtual experiences, and networking events.

One of the highlights from Day 1 was a large-scale drone show by Redcliff, a certified S-Startup supported by Shibuya City. Combining hundreds of synchronized drones with live music, the performance lit up the night sky to showcase a stunning blend of technology and art.

Startup pitch (Photo: Shibuya)

Creativetech Shibuya

Creativetech Shibuya was part of DIG Shibuya—a culture, art, and technology event organized by Shibuya City. Creativetech Shibuya attracted Over 120 startups, investors, and VCs from around the world. Over 35 events were held over the three days of the event, with pitches from the following startups:

Bandruption (US)

Bandruption helps music artists grow an online following that is 10x more likely to buy concert tickets while raising funds. The platform automatically generates fan growth campaigns, including levels, amounts, and rewards, based on an artist’s genre, following, and market data.

STAYGE NXT Lab (Shibuya Startup Visa Holder, Incorporated in Korea and Japan)

Runs a live fandom platform, LiNC, connecting fans and artists through real-time messaging, live streaming, and video calls, enabling global engagement and new revenue streams.

Yokaizen (Shibuya Startup Visa Holder, Incorporated in Japan)

Yokaizen is a mental health platform that combines AI with manga and anime to provide personalized, culturally relevant support, particularly for Japanese youth.

ERA Music (France)

ERA Music revolutionizes music promotion by using AI and Spotify playlist networks, to predict and ensure song success, replacing industry uncertainty with data-driven precision.

Nemozlab Inc.(Korea)

Nemozlab provides alternative music media that integrates with existing charts and distribution platforms. Products include a range of new media formats and ICT-integrated merchandising.

Borderless Studios (US)

Mental health costs Japanese firms over 158 billion yen annually. Borderless Studios focuses on improving work well-being through high-quality training modules that provide a 360-degree view of employee well-being.

4861 (Shibuya Startup Visa Holder, Incorporated in Japan)

4861 is an anime production company developing original IPs and consulting for tech and entertainment companies. They bridge anime, AI, and NFTs, focusing on multimedia storytelling, NFT-based fan engagement, and AI-driven animation workflows.

Gamebeast (US)  

Gamebeast, a startup providing a no-code tool platform for Roblox developers, has raised $3.7 million in pre-seed funding to enhance game optimization and monetization through LiveOps tools, rapid fixes, and A/B testing. The company has been selected for a16z’s prestigious accelerator program, a major milestone that places it among the most promising startups globally.

FlickPlay (US)

FlickPlay allows users to discover, purchase, and access utilities tied to digital assets while providing IP holders tools to track fan engagement.

Pinkfong Company (Korea)

Pinkfong is a South Korean global entertainment company best known for creating the viral children’s song Baby Shark. It specializes in educational content for children, including animated videos, songs, mobile apps, and books.

ATHLX AI (Canada)

RaxUp is an augmented reality (AR) mental gym designed for athletes, coaches, and fitness enthusiasts to enhance their mental training.

Scenes from the networking session (Photo: Shibuya City）

Matchmaking

In the latter half of the event, a networking session connected startups with investors, media, and large corporations. Prior to the event, we gathered input from both startups and participating investors/corporates about their interest in specific matches, providing maximum opportunity to find potential collaborations with a high level of mutual interest.

Participants included a wide range of players in the startup ecosystem, such as Global Brain, Shizen Capital, Bandai Namco 021 Fund, Shibuya Startups, Ceres, Futureplay, Simsan Ventures, Clubberia, TBS, Takeoff Tokyo, Kadokawa, and  J-WAVE.

Startups in the music industry who participated were happy they were able to connect not only with investors, but also network with potential future collaborators.

SSS will continue to support international startups to enter the Japanese market while strengthening collaboration with the creative tech industry. If you are a creative tech-related startup interested in expanding into Japan or collaborating with SSS, 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/

Shibuya Startup Support’s Social Media Account:

Twitter：http://twitter.com/ShibuyaStartup

Facebook：https://www.facebook.com/shibuya.startup.support

LinkedIn：https://www.linkedin.com/company/shibuya-startup-support/

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