Kicker Ventures Partners with Mayo Clinic Platform and Others to Support U.S. Expansion of Japanese Healthcare Startups

Kicker Ventures, a U.S.-based venture capital firm, is pleased to announce its collaboration with the Mayo Clinic Platform and the Mayo Clinic Berg Innovation Exchange, leading U.S. medical institutions, within the "J-StarX US Healthcare Breakthrough" entrepreneur development program for fiscal year 2026, implemented by the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO). This initiative aims to support the U.S. expansion of Japanese healthcare startups.

Over the past two years, Kicker Ventures, together with JETRO and the Mayo Clinic Platform, has provided practical support for U.S. expansion to a total of 30 Japanese healthcare startups through J-StarX related programs. Building on the insights gained from this past support, the "J-StarX US Healthcare Breakthrough" program will offer more practical and individualized assistance tailored to the growth stage and U.S. expansion readiness of participating companies.

Program Overview

The "J-StarX US Healthcare Breakthrough" program targets Japanese startups in the MedTech, HealthTech, and Digital Health sectors, providing support for entry into the U.S. healthcare market, business development, regulatory understanding, establishing connections with clinical sites, fundraising, and building commercialization strategies. (Application deadline: June 1, 2026)

This program offers two courses, Foundational and Business Development, depending on the growth stage and U.S. expansion readiness of participating companies. The Foundational course supports companies in the early stages of U.S. expansion by helping them understand the structure of the U.S. healthcare market, organize business hypotheses, provide mentoring, and establish connections with the U.S. medical, investment, and business development ecosystems. The Business Development course provides intensive, individualized support for regulations, fundraising, business development, and commercialization for companies that are further along in their U.S. expansion preparations.

For details and application methods, please refer to JETRO's public offering page.

Foundational Course: https://www.jetro.go.jp/services/j-starx/foundational.html Business Development Course: https://www.jetro.go.jp/services/j-starx/business_development.html

Kicker Ventures' Support Content

Leveraging over 20 years of investment and business development experience in the U.S. medical and healthcare sectors, the Kicker Ventures team provides support from an investor and business development perspective on what is required to grow a business in the U.S. market. Furthermore, understanding the technological and business strengths of Japanese startups, we offer practical support such as building business hypotheses required in the U.S. market, engaging with investors and customers, and verification processes for implementation. Specifically, we provide the following support to participating startups:

* Formulation and verification of U.S. market entry strategies * Refinement of business hypotheses from an investor and corporate perspective * Clarification of customer, clinical, and business development hypotheses to be validated in the U.S. market * Pitch preparation and fundraising strategy development * Organization of potential collaborations with medical institutions, insurers, and corporations * Setting goals and designing execution actions for U.S. expansion

Through this program, Kicker Ventures will support the strategic formulation and execution for excellent Japanese healthcare technologies and services to expand their business in the U.S. and global markets.

Representative Comment

Masashi Kiyomine, Founder & Managing Partner, Kicker Ventures

Japan boasts numerous excellent startups in medical AI, medical devices, tech bio, and digital health that have the potential to succeed globally. However, the U.S. healthcare market is highly challenging, with complex interconnections of regulations, insurance reimbursement, clinical settings, sales channels, and fundraising.

Over the past two years through J-StarX related programs, we have supported the U.S. expansion of a total of 30 Japanese healthcare startups. What we reaffirmed during this process is the importance of not just who you meet when challenging the U.S. market, but clearly defining what to verify, what to prove, and what actions to take next, accumulating small but concrete achievements. As a VC based in the U.S. and investing...