Opening Ceremony for "Japan Innovation Campus" Held in Silicon Valley, the United States

1. Background

Building networks with top-level startup ecosystems overseas is critical in establishing a global ecosystem of startups in Japan and incubating internationally competitive startups.

To this end, METI decided to establish a base in Silicon Valley (City of Palo Alto), the U.S., one of the most developed startup ecosystems in the world, as a joint effort with the local public, industrial, and academic sectors to support Japanese startups aiming to expand business overseas.

METI will work together with local private companies, including accelerators and venture capital firms, world top-class universities and academic institutions, including Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley, and administrative organizations, including the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), to support Japanese startups in fund raising and business development in the U.S., and also support Japanese companies in collaborating with startups and venture capital firms in the U.S., and other activities.

2. Details of the opening ceremony

On November 12 (Sun.), in local time, METI held an opening ceremony for the base. This ceremony brought together around 70 stakeholders, including Minister Nishimura, representatives of local venture capital firms and startups, and of public, industrial, and academic sectors, including universities, academic organizations, and public organizations. The participants have high hopes that the facility and the Japanese startup ecosystem will make great progress.

3. Details of the name of the base “Japan Innovation Campus”

METI named the facility “Japan Innovation Campus,” hoping that the base will be integrated into the Silicon Valley ecosystem and bring together like-minded entrepreneurs and their stakeholders from Japan and around the world, which will lead to fostering innovation.

4. Decision on tenant companies and companies that will use a co-working space at the base

METI decided on five companies as users of private office spaces, called “office members,” and on 47 companies as users of the co-working space, called “co-working members." For details, see the Appendices.

• For details of the office members, visit here.(PDF:512KB)
• For details of the co-working members, visit here.(PDF:352KB)

Division in Charge

Startup and New Business Promotion Office, Economic and Industrial Policy Bureau