Tokyo's big startup date is SusHi Tech Tokyo 2027 (20–22 May 2027 at Tokyo Big Sight), the city government's global innovation conference, whose pitch contest takes applications until 18 December 2026. Before that, autumn 2026 brings a women-founder investor matchmaking with 2X Global (29 October), Techstars Tokyo's Demo Day (10 November) and ILS, Japan's big corporate-startup matching week (30 November – 3 December).
This guide lists startup, tech, investor and women-founder events in Tokyo from October 2026 to the end of 2027. Some of the biggest shows are held at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, about 40 minutes from central Tokyo; we mark them. We checked every date on the organiser's own website where it was published. We mark each event as Confirmed (date on the official site), Announced (date from a reliable second source) or Expected (based on past editions only). Prices are in Japanese yen.
This article is regularly updated with new events. Do you know about an event that needs to be added? Send us some info and we will see if it's a fit.
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Must Attend Startup Events in Tokyo 2026–2027: Calendar from October 2026 to October 2027
Autumn 2026: October to December
TOKYO WOMEN x INVESTMENT Matchmaking: 29 October 2026
Part of 2X Global's Japan Weeks, run with SDG Impact Japan and Akari Capital: ten Japan-based women entrepreneurs give five-minute pitches, then meet investors. It is the one investor event in Tokyo this autumn built for women founders.
Techstars Tokyo Demo Day and JPHACKS: 10–15 November 2026
Techstars Tokyo runs with Mitsui Fudosan and JETRO and invests USD 120,000 for 5% plus an uncapped SAFE. Demo Day shows which global startups are entering Japan.
The teams from the October hack days present their final builds: a good place to meet student engineers and possible technical co-founders.
DevFest Tokyo and TOKYO STARTUP GATEWAY: 29 November 2026
Run by GDG Tokyo with GDG Shibuya and Google Developer Groups on Campus: a low-cost day of AI and developer talks.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government's business plan contest for young founders. Its press release gives the final as planned for 29 November; the winners join the city's support programmes.
ILS: 30 November – 3 December 2026
About 700 startups meet Japanese corporates in pre-booked power matching meetings. Startups need a recommendation from a venture capital firm, so ask your investors early.
The same month, Global Entrepreneurship Week runs on 16–22 November, but GEN Japan lists no Tokyo events yet. GRIC 2026, announced for 4–6 November at Shibuya Hikarie, was suspended until further notice in August 2026.
Winter and spring 2027: February to May
Japan FinTech Week: 24 February – 5 March 2027
The Financial Services Agency's own week, where fintech founders meet regulators and banks. FIN/SUM, run by the FSA and Nikkei, usually sits inside it (2026: 3–6 March in Marunouchi); most of its sessions are by invitation.
Japan IT Week Spring: 7–9 April 2027
The bigger, spring edition of Japan's IT trade show, where SaaS and AI founders meet Japanese SME and enterprise buyers.
SusHi Tech Tokyo and Japan Energy Summit: May 2027
Tokyo's flagship startup event, run by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Applications for the pitch contest and the startup booths close on 18 December 2026.
The closest thing Tokyo has to a climate tech week: its Climatetech Theatre gives the stage to young companies.
Summer and autumn 2027
Interop Tokyo: 9–11 June 2027
The dates come from trade-fair listings; the official site shows only a 2027 banner so far.
WebX: 25–26 August 2027
Run by the crypto media group CoinPost, it is Japan's main Web3 meeting point, and regulators and politicians attend.
Tokyo Game Show and CEATEC: September and October 2027
The dates come from games press quoting the organiser, CESA; the official site was down for maintenance when we checked.
In 2026 its Next Generation Park showed startups, universities and research labs: a good stage for hardware and deep tech founders.
Dates not announced yet
- APT Women outcome report: the showcase of Tokyo's women-founder programme; the last one was on 12 February 2026 at Tokyo Innovation Base, free. Expected around February 2027. APT Women events
- FIN/SUM 2027: expected inside Japan FinTech Week; the 2026 edition ran on 3–6 March. FIN/SUM
- AWS Summit Japan: last held on 25–26 June 2026 at Makuhari Messe, Chiba; expected in June 2027. AWS
- Google Cloud Next Tokyo: last held on 30–31 July 2026 at Tokyo Big Sight; no 2027 date yet.
- BioJapan and the Japan Healthcare Venture Summit: last held on 7–9 October 2026 at Pacifico Yokohama; expected around October 2027. BioJapan, JHVS
- Japan Mobility Show: held every two years (2023, 2025) at Tokyo Big Sight; the 2027 dates are not on the official site yet. Japan Mobility Show
- ILS 2027: held every year in late November or early December.
- IVS, Japan's big startup festival, is in Kyoto, not Tokyo: IVS2026 ran on 1–3 July 2026; no 2027 date yet. IVS
Recurring meetups and communities
- Venture Café Tokyo Thursday Gathering: every Thursday, free, at CIC Tokyo in Toranomon Hills Business Tower. venturecafetokyo.org
- Tokyo Innovation Base (TIB): the city's startup hub in Marunouchi, with monthly meetups and the TIB PITCH series. TIB
- GDG Tokyo: developer meetups through the year. GDG Tokyo
- Founder Institute Japan: a pre-seed accelerator, taking applications for its Fall 2026 programme. Founder Institute
Some names have gone quiet: we found no local Startup Grind Tokyo event since October 2024, no Startup Weekend Tokyo since July 2024, and no Slush Tokyo since 2019.
Events for women founders in Tokyo
- TOKYO WOMEN x INVESTMENT Matchmaking: 29 October 2026, with pitches by ten women founders. 2X Global
- APT Women: the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's free accelerator for about 40 women founders a year; the 11th cohort started on 11 September 2026. APT Women
- FEW Japan: a women entrepreneurs' network, which held Women's Entrepreneurship Day in Tokyo on 19 November 2025. fewjapan.com
- Waffle: a nonprofit for women and gender minorities in IT, with programmes such as Technovation Girls. waffle-waffle.org
- Japan Energy Exhibition & Summit: a Women in Energy track, 26–28 May 2027.
If you organise an event for women founders in Tokyo, send it to us and we'll add it.
Funding and visas to know before you go
- Business Manager visa: since 16 October 2025, it needs at least ¥30 million in capital (up from ¥5 million), with stricter conditions on staff, Japanese language and experience. Immigration Services Agency
- Startup Visa: the Tokyo Metropolitan Government has been an approved body for the national startup visa since 17 February 2025. Shibuya runs its own version, for up to two years. METI, Shibuya
- J-Find: graduates of top-ranked overseas universities can stay up to two years to prepare a startup or look for a job, with savings of at least ¥200,000. Immigration Services Agency
- Tokyo startup grant: covers two-thirds of costs, up to ¥4 million, for new companies in Tokyo; about 200 grants a year. The FY2027 call is not published yet. Tokyo Metropolitan Government
- Setting up a company: the Tokyo One-Stop Business Establishment Center handles incorporation, registration, tax, social security and immigration filings, with interpreters. TOSBEC
How to get the most out of Tokyo startup events
- Apply to SusHi Tech Tokyo by 18 December 2026. The pitch contest and the startup booths are the best way to be seen at Tokyo's flagship event.
- Ask your investors about ILS. Startups get in on a VC's recommendation, and the pre-booked meetings are with large Japanese corporates.
- Go to Venture Café on a Thursday. It is free and weekly, the easiest way to meet Tokyo's founders and investors.
- Plan for Makuhari. Interop, Tokyo Game Show and CEATEC are in Chiba, about 40 minutes from central Tokyo.
- Bring Japanese materials. Many corporate buyers prefer a Japanese deck and business cards; see more startup competitions if you want to pitch.
List your event in this guide
Do you run a startup, tech or investor event in Tokyo? Send us the name, dates, venue and official link, and we'll check whether it fits this guide. We list events for founders, with a real date and an official page.
This article is regularly updated with new events. Do you know about an event that needs to be added? Send us some info and we will see if it's a fit.
🔗 Add an awesome event
Startup events in other places
- Must Attend Startup Events in New York, USA
- Must Attend Startup Events in Berlin, Germany
- Must Attend Startup Events in Paris, France
- Must Attend Startup Events in Stockholm, Sweden
- Must Attend Startup Events in Dubai, UAE
- Must Attend Startup Events in Lisbon, Portugal
- Must Attend Startup Events in Barcelona, Spain
- Must Attend Startup Events in Munich, Germany
- Must Attend Startup Events in Toronto, Canada
- Must Attend Startup Events in Las Vegas, USA
- Must Attend Startup Events in Boston, USA
- Must Attend Startup Events in Los Angeles, USA
- Must Attend Startup Events in Tel Aviv, Israel
- Must Attend Startup Events in Hong Kong
- Best startup events in Europe (with country guides)
FAQ
What is the biggest startup event in Tokyo?
SusHi Tech Tokyo, run by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, on 20–22 May 2027 at Tokyo Big Sight. Its pitch contest takes applications until 18 December 2026.
Are there events for women founders in Tokyo?
Yes: the TOKYO WOMEN x INVESTMENT Matchmaking with 2X Global (29 October 2026), the city's APT Women accelerator and its yearly showcase, FEW Japan and Waffle.
Is IVS held in Tokyo?
No. IVS, one of Japan's biggest startup festivals, is held in Kyoto; IVS2026 ran on 1–3 July 2026.
Are there free startup events in Tokyo?
Yes. Venture Café's Thursday Gathering is free every week, and the APT Women showcase was free in 2026.
How much capital does Japan's Business Manager visa need?
At least ¥30 million since 16 October 2025, up from ¥5 million. Tokyo's startup visa and J-Find are other routes for founders.
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
