The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS, Minister OH Youngju) and the Korea Institute of Startup and Entrepreneurship Development (KISED, President YOO Jong-pil) announced that they held the 2025 Super Gap Project Global IR in Tokyo event on Wednesday, June 25 at the Tokyo Innovation Base in Japan to actively support the entry of domestic super gap startups into the Japanese market.

The event was organized as part of the investment attraction program under the “Super Gap Startup 1000+ Project” being promoted by MSS and KISED. It aims to support promising domestic deep-tech startups in entering the global value chain and expanding their market presence through strategic partnerships with local venture capital firms (CVCs and VCs) and large corporations in Japan.

In particular, the program goes beyond the traditional single IR demo day format by offering a comprehensive set of initiatives to support the entry of super gap startups into the Japanese market. These include technology-matching-based PoC programs with Japanese conglomerates, reverse pitching sessions by local investors, and legal and IP mentoring.

A total of 13 super gap startups at Series A stage or beyond participated in the event. These companies possess advanced technologies in key sectors currently experiencing high investment demand and significant technological attention in Japan, including AI, robotics, future mobility, system semiconductors, and eco-friendly energy.

Prior to the event, a two-month preparatory program was conducted in Korea to deepen participants’ understanding of the Japanese market. Through various activities, including seminars with founders of startups that had previously entered Japan, one-on-one IR mentoring sessions with Japanese investors, and preliminary technology meetups with Japanese conglomerates, the participating companies enhanced their local adaptability and improved the quality of their technology pitches.

① Pre-IR (Strategic Fit PoC Day): Technology Matching and PoC with Japanese Conglomerates

On the first day of the event, Wednesday, June 25, a technology matching and open innovation-based PoC program was intensively carried out with the participation of 10 leading Japanese conglomerates, including NTT DATA, PayPay, Rakuten, Panasonic, and OKI.

This session consisted of one-on-one technology matching meetings, where participating startups proposed their core technologies based on the specific needs of each conglomerate. The discussions focused on practical collaboration models and potential PoC approaches.

Japanese conglomerates showed strong interest in the advanced AI, robotics, and semiconductor technologies of the Korean startups. The atmosphere on site was highly energetic, with several companies clearly expressing their willingness to pursue collaboration.

② Core-IR (Demo Day Showcase): Super Gap Startup IR Demo Day

On Thursday, June 26, an IR demo day will be held, during which Korea’s super gap startups will directly present their technologies and business models to major VCs and CVCs in Japan.

Before the demo day, a reverse pitching session will be held in which Japanese CVCs introduce their investment strategies, fund characteristics, and areas of technological interest. This will be followed by IR pitches and Q&A sessions from the 13 super gap startups. Major investment institutions such as Salesforce Ventures, Global Brain, Toshiba TEC, 500 Global, and Shinhan Venture Investment are expected to participate in the demo day.

In addition, an expert panel talk is scheduled to enhance understanding of the Japanese deep-tech investment ecosystem. The session will feature in-depth discussions on topics such as the growth potential of Japanese startups within the global manufacturing value chain, trends in government-led funds, and case studies of Korea–Japan open innovation collaboration.

➂ Post-IR (Matching & Cross-Border Enablement): Follow-Up Support for Investment Attraction

On the final day of the event, Friday, June 27, one-on-one mentoring sessions with experts in legal affairs, IP, accounting, and marketing will be offered, providing participating startups with the opportunity to develop practical strategies for entering the Japanese market.

This mentoring program was specifically designed based on the prior needs of the super gap startups. It will provide practical guidance aimed at overcoming key barriers to entering the Japanese market, including go-to-market strategies, IP-based exit scenarios, and critical considerations when forming local partnerships.

In addition, follow-up meetings with local VCs and CVCs, as well as discussions on cross-border collaboration, will be held to convert the connections formed during the demo day into concrete business opportunities.

CHO Kyung-won, Director General for Startup Policy, stated, “The 2025 Super Gap Project Global IR in Tokyo is a comprehensive IR program designed to help promising domestic deep-tech startups concretize business opportunities in Japan, a major economic market, and accelerate their entry into the global value chain based on technological competitiveness.”

He added, “Going forward, MSS will continue to strengthen systematic follow-up support and global linkage programs to ensure that our startups can achieve sustained growth based on their technological capabilities and business potential in key global markets, including Japan.”