HiJoJo Partners Supports Startup Support Initiative by Kyoto Chie-sangyo Sozo-no-mori

On May 1, 2026, the 'Foreign Investor and Venture Capital Recruitment Project in Kyoto' (hereinafter 'the Project'), hosted by Kyoto Chie-sangyo Sozo-no-mori, was held at KOIN (Kyoto Open Innovation Network) in the Kyoto Industry Center.

Kyoto is one of Japan's leading innovation hubs, home to world-class research institutions, universities, global corporations, and startups in the deep-tech sector. The project was part of a startup ecosystem support initiative by Kyoto Chie-sangyo Sozo-no-mori (Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture) aimed at creating new businesses and industries by leveraging Kyoto's 'wisdom.'

Features of the Project:

- Attracting Interest in Japan: Recruiting leading foreign VCs with a high interest in the Japanese market to create practical opportunities for interaction with Kyoto startups.
- Design Focused on Solving Regional Ecosystem Challenges: Conducting high-density matching based on regional characteristics such as Kyoto's industrial, research, and university networks.
- Support for Relationship Consolidation: Supporting the building of relationships that lead to continuous investment and business collaboration, rather than mere one-off exchanges.

HiJoJo Partners has been promoting initiatives to solve challenges facing the domestic startup ecosystem. Kyoto Chie-sangyo Sozo-no-mori recognized the company's global expertise and commitment to strengthening the startup ecosystem, leading to this collaboration to design and operate the project. By utilizing Kyoto's unique regional characteristics and networks, HiJoJo Partners supported the collaboration with leading foreign venture capital firms and contributed to creating opportunities for direct dialogue between foreign investors and Kyoto-based startups, corporations, financial institutions, universities, and government officials. The company also supported the creation of dialogue opportunities so that constructive conversations for future growth can emerge continuously among various stakeholders in the venture ecosystem.

Comments from Tomoyuki Tsuji, Participant (in charge of startups and industry-academia-government collaboration) at Kyoto Chie-sangyo Sozo-no-mori:
'I believe this initiative is an important opportunity to create new points of contact with foreign investors, based on the technological, research, and industrial strengths accumulated in Kyoto. Kyoto possesses a globally unique environment where companies and research institutions challenging cutting-edge fields gather, in addition to its uniqueness backed by history and culture. I am grateful to HiJoJo Partners for creating these contact points, as the ability to create a venue where foreign VCs and diverse entities such as startups, universities, financial institutions, corporations, and government officials can directly interact is more than just networking; it provides potential for development into concrete collaboration and investment. It is important to ensure these exchanges do not remain one-off and instead lead to continuous relationship building and effective collaboration. We will continue to contribute to the formation of a startup ecosystem that can compete globally by promoting innovation that leverages Kyoto's strengths.'

Comments from Yoichi Morimoto, Executive Officer, Business Promotion Department at HiJoJo Partners:
'While Kyoto is known as the 'City of a Thousand Years,' valuing tradition and culture as a representative of Japan, it is also a major hub where world-influencing technology companies are concentrated. It is also a region where universities and research institutions conducting world-leading research are gathered. I believe that many investors in charge of the technology sector in the listed stock market share the same perception of Kyoto, and I believe this recognition will spread to the startup sector as well. In line with the philosophy of creating new businesses and industries by leveraging Kyoto's 'wisdom' advocated by Kyoto Chie-sangyo Sozo-no-mori, we intend to dedicate ourselves even further to regional contribution.'