Event Report: Takeoff Tokyo 2025

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From March 25 to 26, Shibuya Startup Support (SSS) participated in Takeoff Tokyo 2025, an English-language startup event held annually in Tokyo. On March 24th, the day before the main event, SSS hosted 10 startups from Berlin participating in the AsiaBerlin Expansion Lab, a program supporting German startups expanding into Asia.



SSS also organized the official Takeoff Tokyo Side Event: Community Gathering at Shibuya Bridge, bringing together domestic and international startup support organizations and entrepreneurs, offering the opportunity for Japanese and international startups and support organizations to connect.

Yokaizen's booth at the event (Photo: Takeoff Tokyo)

Takeoff Tokyo 2025
This year, approximately 3,000 people participated in Takeoff Tokyo 2025. The event brought together entrepreneurs, investors, large companies, and students from around the world, with discussion panels featuring almost 60 entrepreneurs from Japan and abroad, offering a wide range of insights.

50 startups participated in this year’s pitch contest, with 40 investors serving as judges. For networking, there was a dedicated meeting area where startups and investors could engage in one-on-one discussions, and a mixer lounge for conversation between speakers and attendees. Both startups and large corporations set up booths, exhibiting solutions across a broad range of industries .

Exhibits from startups supported by SSS, such as Ringi, Polymerize, NERON Inc., and Yokaizen highlighted the increasing prominence of Shibuya-based startups.

Community Partner Session (Photo: Takeoff Tokyo)

Community Partner Session
On the second day of the conference, Shibuya Startups representative Yoshiro Tasaka joined the Community Partner Session panel, along with Venture Café Tokyo, CIC Tokyo, GIN Austria, and Ringi. The session explored the current state of Japan’s startup ecosystem and what it takes to thrive in a competitive global market.

AsiaBerlin Expansion Lab startups and the Shibuya Startup Support team (Photo: Shibuya City)

AsiaBerlin Startups
The day before the main event, SSS welcomed 10 startups participating in the AsiaBerlin Expansion Lab, a program led by the Berlin State Government and managed by betahaus X and AsiaBerlin to support European startups expanding into Asia.

The SSS Community Team gave an overview of Japan’s startup ecosystem and the support services available in Shibuya, while the Visa Team also provided a detailed explanation of the SSS Visa Program, which helps foreign entrepreneurs establish their businesses in Japan. Existing startups supported by SSS shared their experiences starting and expanding businesses in Shibuya and Japan, offering insights into the challenges involved and lessons learned.

Networking at the Community Gathering (Photo: Shibuya City)

Side Event: Community Gathering
As an official side event of Takeoff Tokyo, SSS hosted the Community Gathering, a casual networking event for entrepreneurs, investors, and ecosystem builders. It featured elevator pitches from startups, presentations by startup support organizations, and a networking session.

A highlight was the participation of around 10 startups from the Expansion Lab program, providing opportunities for interaction with the Japanese startup ecosystem. Event ambassadors, including representatives from the cities of Kobe, Yokohama, and Kyoto, as well as The Garrison, AsiaBerlin, and Ringi, helped create an engaging atmosphere that brought together a diverse range of ecosystem builders.

SSS exists to promote overseas collaboration efforts and support overseas startups entering the Japanese market. If you are interested in the Shibuya Startup Support program, 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 Accounts:
X (formerly 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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