Japan's METI Wraps Up Global Startup EXPO 2026 and Nippon Startup Awards
Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has concluded the Global Startup EXPO 2026 in Osaka, which drew more than 10,000 visitors, and the Nippon Startup Awards 2026, which honored 10 companies. According to METI, the two events show the strength and growth of Japan's startup ecosystem.
- METI held Global Startup EXPO 2026 in Osaka from October 5 to 7, with more than 10,000 visitors and over 50 conference sessions.
- Ben Horowitz of a16z and Andy Rubin, co-founder of Android, took part.
- METI plans to hold the Global Startup EXPO again next year.
- The Nippon Startup Awards 2026 recognized 10 companies; Mujin won the Prime Minister's Award.
- Regional Fish won the METI Minister's Award for genome editing in aquaculture, cutting breeding cycles from about 30 years to two or three, according to METI.
Global Startup EXPO 2026 draws investors to Osaka
From September to October 2026, METI ran two initiatives: the Global Startup EXPO 2026 (GSE2026) and the Nippon Startup Awards 2026. According to the ministry, GSE2026 brought together investors, startups, corporations and other ecosystem participants from Japan and around the world.
The expo took place in Osaka from October 5 to 7. METI says it welcomed more than 10,000 visitors and featured over 50 conference sessions. The ministry describes the event as a global hub that produced business matchmaking sessions and gave international investors and Japanese startups a chance to explore strategic investments and collaborations.
Among the participants were Ben Horowitz, co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), and Andy Rubin, co-founder of Android. METI says their presence underscored growing global interest in Japan's tech ecosystem. The ministry also announced that the Global Startup EXPO is planned to be held again next year.
Nippon Startup Awards honor 10 companies
The Nippon Startup Awards 2026 are a separate initiative. METI says they recognized 10 outstanding companies for innovation and impact, and that the awards reflect Japan's growing capacity to turn deep-tech breakthroughs into real-world industrial solutions. The press release highlights two winners.
- Mujin (Prime Minister's Award): Recognized for becoming the first company to globally commercialize complex motion-planning technology, which METI describes as an achievement considered practically impossible for 50 years. Through its proprietary MujinMI technology, the company enables automation of complex logistics and manufacturing operations. METI presents this as an effective answer to global labor shortages.
- Regional Fish (Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award): Recognized for pioneering the use of genome-editing technology in aquaculture. According to METI, the company has shortened aquatic breeding cycles from approximately 30 years to just two or three years, which it says contributes to sustainable solutions for global food challenges and the revitalization of regional fisheries.
What it means for investors and startups
For international investors, the expo offers a recurring venue to meet Japanese founders, and METI's plan to hold it again next year points to continued government backing for that format. The attendance of well-known figures such as Horowitz and Rubin, in the ministry's words, reflects rising global interest in Japan's tech scene.
For startups, the awards show the kind of companies the government is choosing to highlight: those applying deep-tech to concrete problems such as labor shortages in logistics and manufacturing, and food supply and regional fisheries. The figures on attendance, sessions and breeding cycles come from METI itself.
METI has published further information on the summit at global-startup-expo.com and a full list of recognized companies on its own website.
