本セッションは、ハイブリッド（現地＆オンライン）セッションです。
This session will be held in a hybrid format (onsite and online).
主催 | Organizer：openfor.co
会場 | Venue：CIC Tokyo（Toranomon Business Tower 15F, 1-chōme-17-1 Toranomon, Minato City, Tokyo 105-6415）
言語 | Language：English | 英語
*同時翻訳ツールをご利用いただけます（テキストのみ）→ こちらをクリック
概要 | Descriptions：
Breaking into the Japanese market is exciting, but building real traction inside Japan is a completely different challenge.
From understanding business culture and building trust to finding the right local partners, customers, investors, and go-to-market strategy, many global startups underestimate how different Japan can be.
This session brings together founders and ecosystem builders who have navigated the Japanese market firsthand. We’ll explore what actually works when entering Japan, the common mistakes foreign startups make, how local relationships shape growth opportunities, and what it takes to move beyond market entry into real business traction.
Whether you are preparing to enter Japan, already testing the market, or looking to expand locally, this session will give you practical insights, strategic perspectives, and real-world lessons from the frontlines of Japan’s startup ecosystem.
Venue: Venture Cafe Tokyo
Agenda:
- Welcome & Introduction
- Speakers Introduction
- Panel Discussion
- Q&A Session
Featured Speakers:
- Taisuke (Alex) Odajima, Ceo at EDGEof INNOVATION, LLC
- Jason Chen, Ceo & Co-Founder at Wada FoodTech
- Karen Onuma-Mielke, Co-Founder & COO at GlobalDeal
Moderator:
- Yu Li Shein, Co-founder, COO, Openfor.co, inc, Co-Director, Founder Institute Korea/Japan & /Taiwan, Venture Scout of Decile Hub
Who should attend
- Global founders planning to enter Japan
- Foreign startups are already testing the Japanese market
- Founders looking for local partners, customers, or investors in Japan
- Startup teams struggling to turn Japan's interest into real traction
- Ecosystem builders, investors, and operators supporting cross-border expansion
- Anyone curious about how Japan’s startup and business ecosystem really works
What you will learn
- How to approach Japan market entry with the right mindset
- What foreign startups often misunderstand about Japan
- How trust, relationships, and local credibility shape traction
- How to find the right partners, customers, and ecosystem support
- What it takes to move from initial interest to real business opportunities
- Practical lessons from founders and operators navigating Japan firsthand
About Ecosystem Organization:
- Openfor.co
- It is a non-equity incubator and ecosystem builder, starting at the individual level. We run a month-to-month virtual incubator that makes Silicon Valley-grade startup-accelerator support accessible to the 99%, which other accelerators don't provide. It is the entry point in a three-layer ecosystem: Openfor.co for the 99%, the Founder Institute as the selective venture accelerator, and Co-Capital as the curated investor community. In parallel, we operate complex multinational seven-to-eight-figure programs with later-stage startups, enterprises, and governments. The mission: make the venture ecosystem accessible, and the world a more entrepreneurial place.
- 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.
- Decile Hub
- Decile Hub gives emerging managers the tools to operate at institutional scale. Our unified platform combines AI assistance, automation, and expert guidance to help you close faster, operate smarter, and scale efficiently.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
—
■オンライン参加方法 | How to join the session online
- Thursday Gathering開始後、本ページ上に「Join Remotely」ボタンが表示されます。そちらをクリックし、オンライン参加いただけます。
- 「Join Remotely」ボタンが表示されていない場合は、メインページのセッション一覧にある「Join Remotely」ボタンよりご参加ください。
- Once Thursday Gathering begins, a “Join Remotely” button will appear on this page. Click the button to join the event online.
- If the “Join Remotely” button is not visible on the session page, please join by clicking the “Join Remotely” button in the session list on the main page.
Speakers
本セッションは、ハイブリッド（現地＆オンライン）セッションです。
This session will be held in a hybrid format (onsite and online).
主催 | Organizer：openfor.co
会場 | Venue：CIC Tokyo（Toranomon Business Tower 15F, 1-chōme-17-1 Toranomon, Minato City, Tokyo 105-6415）
言語 | Language：English | 英語
*同時翻訳ツールをご利用いただけます（テキストのみ）→ こちらをクリック
概要 | Descriptions：
Breaking into the Japanese market is exciting, but building real traction inside Japan is a completely different challenge.
From understanding business culture and building trust to finding the right local partners, customers, investors, and go-to-market strategy, many global startups underestimate how different Japan can be.
This session brings together founders and ecosystem builders who have navigated the Japanese market firsthand. We’ll explore what actually works when entering Japan, the common mistakes foreign startups make, how local relationships shape growth opportunities, and what it takes to move beyond market entry into real business traction.
Whether you are preparing to enter Japan, already testing the market, or looking to expand locally, this session will give you practical insights, strategic perspectives, and real-world lessons from the frontlines of Japan’s startup ecosystem.
Venue: Venture Cafe Tokyo
Agenda:
- Welcome & Introduction
- Speakers Introduction
- Panel Discussion
- Q&A Session
Featured Speakers:
- Taisuke (Alex) Odajima, Ceo at EDGEof INNOVATION, LLC
- Jason Chen, Ceo & Co-Founder at Wada FoodTech
- Karen Onuma-Mielke, Co-Founder & COO at GlobalDeal
Moderator:
- Yu Li Shein, Co-founder, COO, Openfor.co, inc, Co-Director, Founder Institute Korea/Japan & /Taiwan, Venture Scout of Decile Hub
Who should attend
- Global founders planning to enter Japan
- Foreign startups are already testing the Japanese market
- Founders looking for local partners, customers, or investors in Japan
- Startup teams struggling to turn Japan's interest into real traction
- Ecosystem builders, investors, and operators supporting cross-border expansion
- Anyone curious about how Japan’s startup and business ecosystem really works
What you will learn
- How to approach Japan market entry with the right mindset
- What foreign startups often misunderstand about Japan
- How trust, relationships, and local credibility shape traction
- How to find the right partners, customers, and ecosystem support
- What it takes to move from initial interest to real business opportunities
- Practical lessons from founders and operators navigating Japan firsthand
About Ecosystem Organization:
- Openfor.co
- It is a non-equity incubator and ecosystem builder, starting at the individual level. We run a month-to-month virtual incubator that makes Silicon Valley-grade startup-accelerator support accessible to the 99%, which other accelerators don't provide. It is the entry point in a three-layer ecosystem: Openfor.co for the 99%, the Founder Institute as the selective venture accelerator, and Co-Capital as the curated investor community. In parallel, we operate complex multinational seven-to-eight-figure programs with later-stage startups, enterprises, and governments. The mission: make the venture ecosystem accessible, and the world a more entrepreneurial place.
- 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.
- Decile Hub
- Decile Hub gives emerging managers the tools to operate at institutional scale. Our unified platform combines AI assistance, automation, and expert guidance to help you close faster, operate smarter, and scale efficiently.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
—
■オンライン参加方法 | How to join the session online
- Thursday Gathering開始後、本ページ上に「Join Remotely」ボタンが表示されます。そちらをクリックし、オンライン参加いただけます。
- 「Join Remotely」ボタンが表示されていない場合は、メインページのセッション一覧にある「Join Remotely」ボタンよりご参加ください。
- Once Thursday Gathering begins, a “Join Remotely” button will appear on this page. Click the button to join the event online.
- If the “Join Remotely” button is not visible on the session page, please join by clicking the “Join Remotely” button in the session list on the main page.
Speakers