Asia's Largest Global Innovation Conference Attracts Approximately 60,000 Participants from 103 Countries and Regions

SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026 was held from April 27th to 29th, bringing together startups, large corporations, investors, and cities from around the world to discuss and implement initiatives for realizing a sustainable future society. As Asia's largest global innovation conference, it saw approximately 61,000 participants from a record 103 countries and regions, generating over 25,000 business meetings and enhancing Tokyo's presence as a hub for global innovation.

Furthermore, the "G-NETS" international city network initiated by Tokyo hosted its largest-ever summit of city leaders, with 55 cities participating, to discuss solutions for global common challenges.

We are pleased to announce that the official report summarizing the results of "SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026" and archive videos of the sessions are now available. We encourage you to view them.

1. Global Innovation Conference

(1) Overview

● Dates

April 27 (Mon), 28 (Tue) <Business Days> - April 29 (Wed, Holiday) <Public Day>, 2026

● Venue

Tokyo Big Sight, West Exhibition Halls 1-4 (3-11-1 Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo) and other locations

(2) Key Highlights

<Growth of SusHi Tech Tokyo>

● The number of exhibiting startups has increased 2.4 times, business meetings 18 times, and participants approximately 5.4 times from 2023 to 2026, demonstrating the steady growth of SusHi Tech Tokyo in its fourth year.

<Leaders in Innovation and Cities Discuss the Future Urban Landscape>

● A record 61,000 people visited the venue to engage in broad discussions about the future urban landscape (44,000 in the previous event).

● A total of 678 leaders in innovation and urban development, including CEOs of global companies, prominent startups, influential overseas investors, as well as ministers from various countries including Prime Minister Takaichi, and mayors from overseas cities participating in the G-NETS summit, took the stage to conduct 158 sessions discussing the future of cities. (Of these, 328 speakers participated in organizer sessions (50% women, 54% overseas))

● Focus was placed on "AI," "Robotics," "Resilience," and "Entertainment" as key areas for innovation to bring about significant changes in society and people's lives, with diverse sessions and demonstrations of cutting-edge technologies.

<Fostering Encounters Leading to New Business Through Participation of All Innovation Stakeholders>

● A record 798 startups from around the world exhibited their outstanding technologies (607 in the previous event).

● Over 50 promising growth-stage startups participated as "SusHi Tech Global Startups," showcasing their products and technologies, and giving pitches.

● The winner of the "SusHi Tech Challenge 2026," which received applications from 820 companies in 60 countries and regions, was Qarbotech, an agri-tech company from Malaysia (developing a photosynthesis enhancer using nano-carbon technology to increase crop yields).

● Leveraging the platform of SusHi Tech Tokyo, which attracted numerous domestic and international media, exhibiting companies and others made over 108 new announcements, including new product launches, funding rounds, and MoU signings (268 media outlets attended, with over 2,260 articles published).

● 24 countries, regions, and cities participated as city partners, bringing together startup ecosystems from around the globe.

● A large number of VCs and investors active on the global stage attended, totaling 580 participants (506 in the previous event).

● 68 corporations, including leading companies from various industries, served as corporate partners, showcasing their open innovation initiatives to the world through joint pavilion exhibitions with collaborating startups (47 in the previous event).

● To promote Japanese startups and ecosystems globally, 48 local governments nationwide (35 in the previous event), university-launched startups and researchers from 19 universities nationwide, and 17 small and medium-sized enterprises, including second-time entrepreneurs, gathered.

● Various initiatives were implemented to connect people with those they wished to meet, including networking events for large corporations, VCs, and startups to interact, meetups between session speakers and attendees, and an app that uses AI to recommend business partners, resulting in the creation of 25,140 business meetings.

<Citizens and Future Generations Experience Future Technologies and Startup Passion>

● Student-led projects such as "ITAMAE"* organized and operated tours of overseas startup exhibition booths and a pitch contest for student entrepreneurs called "Shusseuo Pitch." Approximately 846 student volunteers (349 in the previous event) assisted with reception and guidance, and 14 students from four universities nationwide participated as interns to support overseas startup exhibitions and business meetings, showcasing the active role of the next generation.

● A public day was held on the final day (April 29th) to allow citizens to experience cutting-edge technologies shaping the future, fostering excitement and a sense of familiarity with startups, while nurturing the curiosity and challenging spirit of children and young people. Approximately 25,000 people, mainly families and young individuals, participated (15,000 in the previous event).

(*ITAMAE: An acronym for "Innovative Technology Academic MAEstro," named by the student team with the intention of evoking the image of a chef (itamae) who creates sushi (SusHi Tech Tokyo).)

2. G-NETS Summit of City Leaders

(1) Global City Network for Sustainability (G-NETS) Leaders Summit

● The G-NETS Summit of City Leaders, held during SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026 from April 27th to 29th, was attended by leaders from 55 cities across five continents. They discussed and shared knowledge under the theme "Forging a New Urban Future Through Climate and Disaster Resilience." The outcomes of the discussions were compiled into a joint statement (communiqué), and as a new initiative, each city declared specific actions and goals for enhancing resilience, which were then disseminated globally.

● Participating Cities (55 cities)

3. Official Report and Archive Videos

(1) Official Report

● This report summarizes the achievements of SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026, including sessions, startup exhibitions, pitch contests, and the public day.

https://sushitech-startup.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/index/pdf/2026-official-report_full_ja.pdf

* Summary Version

https://sushitech-startup.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/index/pdf/2026-official-report_summary_ja.pdf

(2) Archive Videos of Sessions, etc.

● Archive videos of the sessions from SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026 are now available.

https://www.youtube.com/@SusHiTechTokyo_SU/videos

* The YouTube channel above will also feature highlight videos and footage of the venue from SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026 in the future.

4. Next Event Schedule

The next "SusHi Tech Tokyo 2027" is scheduled to be held as follows. We look forward to your attendance.

(1) Global Innovation Conference

● Dates

May 20 (Thu), 21 (Fri) <Business Days> - May 22 (Sat) <Public Day>, 2027

● Venue

Tokyo Big Sight (3-11-1 Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo)

* Information regarding SusHi Tech Tokyo will be regularly updated on our website and social media.

Website https://sushitech-startup.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/ X (formerly Twitter) https://x.com/sushitech_sujp

<Website> <X>

(2) 4th G-NETS Working-Level Meeting

● Dates

May 19 (Wed) to May 21 (Fri), 2027

● Venue

Hilton Tokyo Odaiba (1-9-1 Daiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo) and other locations

Website: https://www.g-nets.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/ja/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAXzV0Ah5m_VQuQIVEvZnRA

<Website> <YouTube>

This initiative is part of the "2050 Tokyo Strategy."

Strategy 10: Startups - "Build a field where startups are born and nurtured." Strategy 28: Co-creation for the Future - "Achieve a sustainable society through collaboration with global cities."