For Startups and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation to Co-Host 'M&A for Startups Conference 2026' to Promote Startup M&A

For Startups Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director & CEO: Yuichiro Shimizu, Representative Director & COO: Yukiko Tsuneta; hereinafter "For Startups"), a company promoting support for growth industries, announces the co-hosting with Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President & CEO: Akihiro Furudome; hereinafter "SMBC") of the "M&A for Startups Conference 2026" on Friday, September 4, 2026. The event aims to invigorate the M&A market targeting startups and support the growth of both transferring and acquiring companies.

Event Overview

Name: M&A for Startups Conference 2026

Theme: Connecting to Innovation – Startup M&A: An Inverted M&A Strategy that Unleashes the 'Capital' of Acquiring Companies and the 'Agility' of Startups

Date and Time: Friday, September 4, 2026, 13:00–19:00 (Networking: 19:00–20:00)

Venue: 31st Floor, Mori JP Tower, Azabudai Hills (For Startups Headquarters)

Organizers: Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation / For Startups Co., Ltd.

Target Audience: Executives and professionals from corporations, startups, venture companies, and financial institutions interested in M&A as a growth strategy

Participation Fee: Free

Official Website: https://www.forstartups.com/services/startup-ma/conference2026

Registration

Background and Concept: M&A as the Key to Japan's Economic 'Metabolism'

Japan's economy currently stands at a pivotal turning point, striving to overcome the 'lost 30 years' and regain global competitiveness. While the government's 'Five-Year Startup Nurturing Plan' and similar initiatives have improved the entrepreneurial environment, Japan's exit landscape still strongly favors IPOs, and M&A utilization lags significantly behind Europe and the United States.

As outlined in the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's 'Startup M&A Guidance,' M&A is an essential business strategy enabling both transferring and acquiring companies to achieve discontinuous growth. For acquiring companies such as large and mid-sized enterprises, M&A drives 'creation of new businesses,' 'enhancement of existing businesses,' and 'productivity improvements and business diversification.' For startups, it directly leads to gaining 'social credibility' and 'new customer bases.' However, in practice, numerous deals have been hindered by practical and psychological barriers such as 'valuation accuracy,' 'fear of accounting goodwill and impairment risks,' and 'the difficulty of post-acquisition PMI (organizational integration).'

This conference will bring together Japan's top-tier stakeholders, including startups, acquiring companies, investors, financial institutions, and policy makers. By identifying the fundamental bottlenecks in startup M&A and discussing concrete approaches for both parties to leap to the next stage, the event aims to reconstruct the innovation ecosystem.

Schedule and Program Structure

The event will feature six dynamic sessions starting at 13:00, followed by a networking party designed to accelerate actual deals and partnerships.

13:00–13:10 | Opening Remarks

13:10–14:00 | [Opening Session] A New Growth Equation to Break Japan's Stagnation – Startup M&A

14:10–15:00 | [Session 1] Why Did That Startup Choose M&A?

15:10–16:00 | [Session 2] Startup M&A as a Survival Strategy for Acquiring Companies

16:10–17:00 | [Session 3] The Clash Between a Startup's 'Future Value' and an Acquirer's 'Depreciation'

17:10–18:00 | [Session 4] A 100-Day PMI Plan to Turn Cultural Conflicts into Synergy

18:10–19:00 | [Session 5] From a VC's Perspective: Conditions for Deal Success and Ecosystem Evolution

19:00–20:00 | Networking

First Wave of Confirmed Speakers (Partial List, in Order of Appearance)

The following top leaders, who are driving Japan's innovation ecosystem, have confirmed their participation:

Shimei Kobayashi (Member of the House of Representatives, Liberal Democratic Party, Chair of the Economic Affairs Committee)

Noboru Saito (President & CEO, BIPROGY Co., Ltd.; Chair, Keidanren Startup Committee)

Toru Miyagi (President & CEO, UPSIDER Holdings Inc.)

Yuhong Luo (Founder & Chairman, GRAND Co., Ltd.)

Kazuhiko Nakaba (Executive Officer CBDO, Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. / Mizuho Bank, Ltd.)

Masakazu Masashima (Partner Attorney, Mori Hamada & Matsumoto)

Yusuke Asakura (Representative Partner, Animal Spirits G.K.)

Mariko Yazawa (Founder and CEO, Yazawa Ventures)

Toshihiko Ishikawa (Managing Director, Talent Reinvention Partner, Accenture Co., Ltd.; Founder, Aidemy Inc.)

Shozo Takeuchi (Managing Director, Talent Reinvention Partner, Accenture Co., Ltd.)

Yasuhiko Yuriimoto (President & CEO, Global Brain Corporation)

Tomotaka Goji (President & CEO, The University of Tokyo Edge Capital Partners Inc.)

Yutaka Konno (Representative Partner, GLOBIS Capital Partners Co., Ltd.)

※ Additional speaker information and detailed schedules will be announced sequentially on the official website once confirmed.

[Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation Overview]

Company Name: Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation

Representative: President & CEO Akihiro Furudome

Founded: June 1996

Business: Deposit services, lending, commodity securities trading, securities investment, domestic and foreign exchange, bond trusteeship and registration, financial futures trading agency, distribution of securities investment trusts, etc.

Headquarters: 1-1-2 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

https://www.smbc.co.jp

[For Startups Co., Ltd. Overview]

Company Name: For Startups Co., Ltd.

Representatives: Representative Director & CEO Yuichiro Shimizu, Representative Director & COO Yukiko Tsuneta

Founded: September 1, 2016

Business: Support for growth industries

Securities Code: 7089 (Listed on the Tokyo Growth Market)

Headquarters: 1-3-1 Azabudai, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Mori JP Tower, Azabudai Hills, 31F

https://forstartups.com/

For Startups aims to build a 'Growth Industry Support Platform' that supports company growth through talent support for startups as its core, along with database operations, community building, funding support, and exit support, providing various services to support startups and entrepreneurs.

For recruitment information, please visit our careers page:

https://www.forstartups.com/careers