Kansai as a Gateway for Global Innovation: Reflections from GSE 2025

At the Global Startup EXPO 2025 (GSE 2025), held within the Osaka World Expo, our CEO Joshua Flannery of Innovation Dojo Japan joined a packed session on “Promoting Solutions to Global Issues through Collaboration with Overseas Startup Ecosystems in the Kansai Region.”

The event brought together diplomats, corporates, universities, investors, and startups across Kyoto–Osaka–Kobe, highlighting just how international and applied the Kansai startup ecosystem has become.

The session was moderated by an Innovation Analyst Andy Kondo , representing the Kansai ecosystem and featured an impressive line-up of panelists:

• Marc Kuipers, Consul-general for the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Osaka
• Dr. Felix Moesner, Swiss Consul, Head of Post
• Dr. Yoshiki Sawa, Chairman, Organization for Advanced Healthcare Innovation
• Joren Tangelder (Co-founder, Hydyx) and Jeyran Hezaveh (CEO, AVAtronics), founders entering Japan via Kansai
  
  

Together, they shared perspectives on how global ecosystems and Japan can collaborate to address pressing challenges.

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Key Themes from the Discussion

• Government and institutional support
  Public programs and local institutions play a vital role in helping startups connect with the right partners, networks, and market entry pathways. Kansai in particular is developing concrete support frameworks for international innovators.
  
  
• Local networks matter
  Success in Japan requires more than entry, it depends on building trusted relationships. Time, patience, and cultural understanding are critical to establishing long-term partnerships with corporations and universities.
  
  
• Kansai as a gateway
  Panelists agreed that starting in Kansai provides startups with access to a dense industrial base, while also serving as a strategic launchpad to expand into Japan’s wider market.
  
  

Founders Joren Tangelder and Jeyran Hezaveh provided real-world insights, sharing what has worked for them in Japan, the challenges they encountered, and how Kansai has served as a practical base for their expansion journey.

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Why Kansai?

In his remarks, Josh emphasized why Kansai should be considered as an entry point into Japan for global founders:

• Diverse industrial base: Kansai hosts a large B2B market across heavy industry, medtech and diagnostics, energy and utilities, advanced manufacturing, electronics, food, and mobility.
  
  
• Academic and municipal partners: Universities and local government programs are eager to collaborate with international startups, and are already driving successful partnerships.
  
  
• Strategic geography: With Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe all within an easy commute, Kansai offers a large market with less local competition and lower business operating costs compared to Tokyo.
  
  

Josh also cautioned against common mistakes: over-assimilating into Japanese culture at the expense of a startup’s unique strengths, and failing to clearly define Japan’s role within a company’s global expansion strategy.

Looking Ahead

GSE 2025 underscored Kansai’s role as a gateway for international startups tackling global challenges. With its diverse industries, strong institutions, government backing, and an increasingly international outlook, the region offers real and lasting opportunities for founders committed to entering the Japanese market.

At Innovation Dojo Japan, we remain dedicated to building these cross-border bridges and supporting global founders in creating impactful solutions in partnership with the Kansai ecosystem.

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