Startup JAPAN EXPO 2026 Winter
Overview
The second edition within the same year of the startup exhibition organized by Eight, Sansan's business-card app. Following the April Makuhari edition, it moves to Ariake GYM-EX. Startups meet large corporations, investors, municipalities, and media through Dream Pitch, conferences, and themed networking sessions. Its shift to a twice-a-year cadence reflects growing demand for domestic startup exhibitions.
Program
- Exhibition area with 450+ exhibitors and three themed zones: manufacturing, logistics and SCM, and AI
- 80 stage program slots with 130 speakers
- Dream Pitch Grand Prix on Day 2 with five finalists from the spring edition, plus themed pitch stages
- Conference sessions and a special CVC program with three sessions and two networking rounds
- Themed networking events including a morning meetup and the Eight Mega Networking event
- Co-located Shinki Jigyo Daikaigi at Ariake Central Tower, linked by a free shuttle bus
Foundation
- Founded
- 2024
- Founder
- Sansan, Inc.
A startup-focused exhibition founded by Sansan, provider of the Sansan business-card management service, leveraging the event platform of its Eight business.
Transition
- 2024 First Startup JAPAN EXPO held
- 2025 Expanded to two locations, Tokyo and Osaka
- 2026 The spring edition at Makuhari Messe had over 450 exhibitors and around 13,000 visitors
- 2026 Moved to Ariake GYM-EX for a winter edition, the second within the same year
Voices
As an exhibitor, one participant held repeated dialogues with the buyer side and analyzed the types of startups that get chosen in fundraising and M&A (from Hitoshi Kawano's exhibitor report, in Japanese)
Management-level visitors reacted strongly to a demo of AI agents integrated with core systems; concerns such as shadow AI surfaced, and inquiries and spot-consulting applications increased (from Qualiteg's exhibitor report, in Japanese)
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