The Japan Times - TechGALA 2025 - Aichi's First International Startup Conference

TechGALA, Nagoya's first major startup event, is fast approaching! From February 4-6 2025, TechGALA will open its doors to share Nagoya's business culture of innovation within a system with the world. Read on for more information about this exciting event!

TechGALA will be based mainly out of Chunichi Hall and Conference Center, but events will be held at several other locations around the Sakae and Tsurumai neighborhoods - including Nagoya Innovator's Garage and the new STATION Ai campus. Check out the map below for more details:

Almost a hundred speakers will be in attendance, including Professor Emori Seita from Tokyo University's Institute for Future Initiatives, Futurist Peter Swain, Chief Sustainability Officer at Toyota Motor Corporation Yumi Otsuka, and artist/writer/non-architect/drag queen Vivienne Sato.

In addition to speakers from the business and academic world, representatives from major corporations and financial institutions will be in attendance as sponsors. Toyota Connected Corporation, Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd, Google Cloud, and JR Central are just some of the august names in attendance.

All of our speakers, ambassadors, and representatives from the corporate world bring their own experience and expertise to the unique conditions of Nagoya and the rest of Japan. In the words of Jett Glozier from Sound Diplomacy: "I am excited to be speaking at TechGALA in Nagoya, where I will moderate a panel called 'Will the cities of the future become utopias or dystopias?' Drawing on my experience in music, culture, city policy, and urban regeneration with Sound Diplomacy, I look forward to exploring how these elements can shape sustainable and inclusive urban landscapes. I am particularly eager to learn how these ideas might apply to the unique challenges facing Japanese cities."

But speakers are not the only thing on the cards for TechGALA - we will also be hosting a slew of events over the jam-packed two days. The afternoon of February 5th sees Chunichi Hall hosting the TechGALA Global Startup Showcase pitch contest, where startups duke it out for the one-million yen purse.

Contestants will pitch their early-stage company in English within one of the five themes of Mobility, Sustainable Environment, Materials, Life Sciences, and Advanced Technology. They will be evaluated by our esteemed panel of judges:

Sixteen finalists from around the world have signed up to showcase their vision of a better tomorrow:

1. Phenikaa-X JSC (Vietnam): https://phenikaa-x.com/

2. Autopass Inc (Taiwan): https://www.autopass.xyz/

3. DeviceTotal (Singapore): Portal.DeviceTotal.com

4. Onoma AI (Korea): https://tootoon.ai/en

5. Smartsound Corporation (Korea): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_KiBuCh350

6. Acompany (Japan): https://acompany.tech/service/autoprivacy/datacleanroom

7. Map IV (Japan): https://www.map4.jp/solutions/

8. JOYCLE (Japan): https://joycle.net/#service

9. AC Biode (Japan): https://acbiode.com/plastalyst/

10. Human Life Cord (Japan): https://humanlifecord.com/

11. Baobab, Inc (Japan): https://baobab-trees.com/en

12. Preferred Computational Chemistry (Japan): https://matlantis.com/ja/

13. Choira Musictech (India): https://choira.io/

14. IANUS Simulation (Germany): https://ianus-simulation.de/en/stroemungsraum/

15. FAIRMAT (France): https://www.fairmat.tech/

16. Spornado (Canada): https://spornadosampler.com/about-us/about-us-spornado-system/

Don't have a full pitch but still want to get involved? One of the most exciting events we have planned is a speed-dating style business matching with open innovation partners. 16 corporate partners will be present all day, available for short introductory meetings with attendees. Whether you're pitching your business plan, seeking funding for your SME, or seeking mentorship, this is the perfect opportunity. This event is only available for Business Pass holders; but if you want to have a more thorough meeting, the TechGALA Executive Pass ticket includes a concierge service to set that up - among many other benefits!

The Executive Pass is under the same early-bird discount as all our other tickets; 20% off until the 4th of January. Be sure to follow the link below to our website to purchase your tickets so you don't miss out!

Contact Information
Tech GALA Media
Media Relations
[email protected]
03-6407-9982

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SOURCE: TechGALA

K.Inoue--JT