本セッションは、現地参加のみの開催です。参加ご希望の方は本ページ上部にある“セッション事前登録 | INTERESTED IN ATTENDING”ボタンから事前登録をお願いします。

主催 : Venture Café Tokyo

現地会場：TECH HUB YOKOHAMA
Google Map：横浜市西区みなとみらい２丁目２番１号 横浜ランドマークタワー TECH HUB YOKOHAMA

言語：英語/日本語 | English/Japanese

概要：

【YOKOHAMA CONNÉCTに初めてご参加いただく方（Beginner）向け | For YOKOHAMA CONNÉCT Beginners 】

“Connecting Innovators to make things happen”をミッションに掲げ、これまで数多くの“Happen”を生み出してきたVenture Caféコミュニティ、そして、毎月第２、第４水曜日に開催するシグニチャーイベント「YOKOHAMA CONNÉCT」のご紹介や、初参加者（Beginner）同士の交流会など初めてイベントにお越しいただく方にも、私たちのコミュニティを最大限お楽しみいただくためのコンテンツをお届けします！お気軽にご参加ください！

The Venture Café community, committed to the mission of “Connecting Innovators to Make Things Happen,” has brought about numerous “Happenings” in the past. This session is designed to introduce newcomers to our bi-weekly signature event on every 2nd and 4th Wednesday, “YOKOHAMA CONNÉCT” and facilitates networking among first-time attendees (Beginners). Our aim is to ensure that everyone can fully enjoy and engage with our community. Please feel free to join us!

登壇者 | Speaker :

• Eiki Homma, Venture Café Tokyo

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).
※Please note that the program is subject to change without prior notice. We appreciate your understanding.

Organizer: Yokohama City

Venue: Tech Hub Yokohama (Landmark Tower, 2-2-1 Minatomirai, Nishi-ku, Yokohama)

Language: English 
*同時翻訳ツールあり（テキストのみ）

Description:

GLOBAL INNOVATION NIGHT IN YOKOHAMA is a recurring event series held as part of the Yokohama Startup Visa program, dedicated to connecting global founders and innovators within the local ecosystem.

Following the success of our previous five sessions, this 6th edition features a special collaboration with Takeoff Tokyo, one of Asia’s flagship startup conferences.
This session will feature a panel of international entrepreneurs building their businesses under the Yokohama Startup Visa program, alongside key ecosystem builders from the Takeoff Tokyo community. They will share their firsthand experiences navigating the Japanese market, the challenges of scaling globally, and why Yokohama is a strategic home base.

On this day, YOKOHAMA CONNÉCT will serve as a gathering point for the “Eve” of the Venture Café Global Gathering (taking place the following day in Tokyo). We expect a diverse mix of startups, investors, and ecosystem builders from around the world to drop in, making it a fantastic opportunity for organic networking.

Join us to explore how Yokohama and Takeoff Tokyo are working together to accelerate the next generation of global innovation.

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■オンライン参加方法 | How to join the session online

• YOKOHAMA CONNÉCT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 YOKOHAMA CONNÉCT 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.

Since this is a ROUNDTABLE SESSION, it will be held on-site only.
※ Please note that the program is subject to change without prior notice. Thank you for your understanding.

Organizer: Nomadic Wisdom AI

Venue: Tech Hub Yokohama (Landmark Tower, 2-2-1 Minatomirai, Nishi-ku, Yokohama)

Language: English

Description:

For most of human history, people had clarity about their roles in life. They had a clear understanding of their purpose and a sense of ownership over what they were responsible for. Relevance wasn’t dictated by job titles or material wealth. It was earned through contribution, responsibility, and courage within a community.

In this era of increasing isolation and technology, how can people rediscover their sense of belonging and purpose in life?

Join us for this intimate roundtable with visiting global adventurer Anthony Willoughby. His work spans over five decades across Japan, Africa, Australia and Europe. Best known for developing the Territory Mapping methodology and the philosophy of I Will Not Complain, Anthony focuses on how humans navigate meaning, identity and contribution in an increasingly complex world.

This roundtable will be a chance to explore what relevance looks like today. The session is designed to be thoughtful, personal, and practical, offering insights participants can carry into their daily lives, relationships, and organizations.

※ Since this is a DEMO TABLE, it will be held on-site only.
Please note that the program is subject to change without prior notice. Thank you for your understanding.

Organizer: Bochum Economic Development Agency, Startup Unit Bochum

Venue: Tech Hub Yokohama (Landmark Tower, 2-2-1 Minatomirai, Nishi-ku, Yokohama)

Language: English or German

Description:

Bochum Economic Development represents the innovation ecosystem of Bochum, Germany.

We showcase three of the most promising and successful deep-tech startups from our region, giving them the stage to present cutting-edge technologies in areas such as semiconductors, advanced materials, and AI hardware.

Our mission is to connect international partners with high-potential startups, foster meaningful exchange, and build long-term collaborations between industry, research, and innovation ecosystems.

Startups on display：

• GEMESYS
  • The only ultra-low-power edge-AI solution that combines always-on operation with on-sensor training: bringing true intelligence directly into sensors.
  • On-site representative：Moritz Schmidt　Co-Founder and CFO of GEMESYS GmbH
• LIDROTEC
  • Building laser dicing machines for the semiconductor industry that enable thinner cuts with a 0% demage rate for every wafer (Green Hydrogen/Materials).
  • On-site representative：Alexander Igelmann　Co-Founder and CEO of LIDROTEC GmbH
• xemx material space exploration GmbH
  • Laser-based processing of microchips and semi-conductors (Microtechnology/Production).
  • On-site representative：Sven Maihöfer　Co-Founder and COO of xemx materials space exploration GmbH

Representatives of the Bochum Economic Development Agency：

1. Dr. Thomas Wollinger　CEO
2. Jannis Heuner　Head of Startup Unit Bochum
3. Anika Schiller　International Scaleup Program

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).
※Please note that the program is subject to change without prior notice. We appreciate your understanding.

Organizer: Antler Japan

Venue: Tech Hub Yokohama (Landmark Tower, 2-2-1 Minatomirai, Nishi-ku, Yokohama)

Language: English & 日本語
*同時翻訳ツールあり（テキストのみ）| Simultaneous translation tool available (text only)

Description:

The Future of Japan-Based Global Teams - Insights from Data Points across Talent Markets and Investments

“We have team members working from different countries would this actually work as a startup?”

This is a question the Antler Japan team hears constantly from early-stage founders.
Many startups begin in Japan with international or distributed team members, aiming for global markets from day one. But does this setup become a competitive advantage or an operational risk?

In this panel, Antler Japan Senior Director Florian moderates a conversation with Fuminori Gunji, Head of GTM at ZooKeep, and Paul McMahon, Representative Director of TokyoDev, to unpack this question through data, patterns, and real-world observations.

Drawing from Antler’s investment and founder data including

• 4,000+ startup applicants in Japan
• 1,600+ investments globally
• 25,000+ founder data points globally

alongside ZooKeep’s insights from the talent market, and TokyoDev's unique data from its international software developer community such as

• The share of foreign national hires in scaling startups
• Operational maturity levels as startups expand globally
• Cross-regional mobility patterns and evolving work-style preferences
• Talent availability by skill set across markets
• Experienced respondents used English more frequently

The discussion will explore:

• When and how cross-national teams become a strength for Japan-based startups
• Common organizational and hiring bottlenecks during global scaling
• What globally-minded startups need to design from the very beginning

This session is designed for founders building from Japan with global ambition especially those navigating international teams, talent strategy, and early organizational design.

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■オンライン参加方法 | How to join the session online

• YOKOHAMA CONNÉCT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 YOKOHAMA CONNÉCT 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.

This session will be held in a hybrid format (onsite and online).
※Please note that the program is subject to change without prior notice. We appreciate your understanding.

Organizer: GREEN x EXPO Association

Venue: Tech Hub Yokohama (Landmark Tower, 2-2-1 Minatomirai, Nishi-ku, Yokohama)

Language: English
*同時翻訳ツールあり（テキストのみ）| Simultaneous translation tool available (text only)

Description:

Recently, many people around the world have become conscious of the planetary boundaries. Nature-based solutions are more important than ever to think about a sustainable and livable future together in harmony with Nature. In the forefront of the GREEN x EXPO 2027 taking place in Yokohama in 2027 from March to September this session gives you an overview of this international exposition and gives you insight about opportunities for startups and companies with green technologies.

Schedule

• Overview on GREEN EXPO, Ms. Misa Kemmiya, Executive Director for Sustainability Management, GREEN×EXPO Association
• Sumitomo Forestry's mission for the EXPO, Sumitomo Forestry Co., Ltd.(speaker coming soon)
• Talk Session: Opportunities at GREEN×EXPO 2027 by Ms. Kemmiya and Sumitomo Forestry Co., Ltd.(speaker coming soon)
• Q&A

Speakers

• Misa Kemmiya | GREEN×EXPO Association - Executive Director for Sustainability Management
• Yuuko Iizuka | Sumitomo Forestry Co., Ltd. Executive Officer, Head of Sustainability - Deputy Head of Corporate Division

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■オンライン参加方法 | How to join the session online

• YOKOHAMA CONNÉCT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 YOKOHAMA CONNÉCT 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.