(Last updated: February 5, 2026) Newly added: the winners of the “GO GLOBAL PRIZE” and “SPONSOR PRIZE.”
for Startups, Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Yuichiro Shimizu; COO: Yukiko Tsuneta), which promotes growth-industry support initiatives, is pleased to present the event report for “GRIC2025,” held from November 11 (Tue) to 13 (Thu).
GRIC2025, one of Japan’s largest conferences dedicated to the mission of “bringing Japan’s startup ecosystem to the global stage,” marked its sixth edition this year. Online sessions were streamed via EventHub on November 11 and 12, followed by an offline program at Hikarie Hall, Shibuya Hikarie, on November 13. The event received over 12,000 registrations—surpassing last year's 11,000—and achieved the highest registration count in its history. We extend our sincere gratitude to everyone who participated.
[New Announcement] GRIC PITCH Award Results
GO GLOBAL PRIZE
What is the GO GLOBAL PRIZE?
The GO GLOBAL PRIZE offers valuable opportunities for startups to take on global challenges, including participation in overseas events and networking with international investors and entrepreneurs.
Global Incubator Network Austria (Austria) ｜ OEDO Dynamics, Inc.
Inovexus (France) ｜ Coming soon...
Indogen Capital (Indonesia) ｜ Craif, Inc.
StartupBlink (Switzerland) ｜ Craif, Inc.
Hello Tomorrow Japan (France) ｜ LINEA Innovation, Inc.
VivaTech (France) ｜ Coming soon...
Quay Acceleration (United States) ｜ Coming soon...
DMZ (Canada) ｜ Coming soon...
*For further details on the GO GLOBAL PRIZE, please refer to the information below.
SPONSOR PRIZE
Nikkei CNBC ｜ ElevationSpace, Inc.
November 11–12 (Tue–Wed): ONLINE STAGES
On the online stage, a total of 16 sessions featuring speakers from Japan and abroad were made available. Among them, sessions focusing on highly replicable scaling strategies drew particular attention, including practical insights into startup growth trajectories and business scalability enabled by marketing approaches that integrate language and data.
In addition, sessions addressing strategies for expanding Japan-born innovation overseas through global ecosystems, as well as discussions on the current state and future outlook of the space industry, also attracted strong interest, highlighting pathways for translating technology into social implementation and scaling it globally.
November 13 (Thu): OFFLINE PROGRAM
■ OPENING
The final offline day opened with a special session featuring Takaya Matsuda (Co-CEO, HERALBONY), Tim Rowe (Founder & CEO, CIC), and Yuichiro Shimizu (CEO, for Startups, Inc.), kicking off the program with an inspiring Opening Session.
■ SESSIONS
At the venue, sessions were held simultaneously across three stages. On the main GRIC STAGE, keynote addresses were delivered by Hiroshi Mikitani, Chairman and CEO of Rakuten Group, Inc., and Hiroki Naito, President and CEO of Drecom Co., Ltd., alongside the GRIC PITCH competition.
The SKY STAGE, located near the venue entrance, served as the first stage to welcome attendees and was filled with energy as many participants gathered throughout the day. The FIRESIDE CHAT stage offered an immersive and intimate setting, creating a sense of closeness reminiscent of conversations held around a campfire.
On the day, significant attention was drawn to discussions on the latest funding trends from an investor’s perspective, as well as next-generation go-to-market (GTM) strategies leveraging AI. Programs addressing the critical challenges of securing capital in a rapidly changing financial environment and industry transformation driven by AI—both essential to startup survival and growth—captured strong interest from a wide range of attendees.
■ SPEED DATING
In the “SPEED DATING” rapid-pitch program, startups presented their businesses across four booths to 23 investors and corporate leaders from Japan and abroad.
■ GRIC PITCH
GRIC PITCH is a pitch competition designed to provide startups with opportunities to take on the global stage. Organized around three themes—Climate Tech & Resilience, Frontier Tech, and Uprising Digital—the competition brought together 18 startups with strong potential for global success, who presented their ideas before more than 120 judges from Japan and overseas.
The pitches were conducted with simultaneous English interpretation, attracting audiences from both the on-site venue and online platforms, and positioning GRIC PITCH as an internationally benchmarked pitch competition. In addition to the GRAND AWARD, the highest honor, this release introduces the winning companies of the Theme AWARD and SPONSOR AWARD.
GRAND AWARD
Following the award presentations, Yuichiro Shimizu, CEO of for Startups, Inc., concluded GRIC2025 with the following remarks:
“It is our mission to support these entrepreneurs as a society, help them expand globally, and connect their challenges to innovations for humanity. Just as Craif has won today, and HERALBONY—our winner from two years ago—has stepped onto the global stage, we believe many more world-changing companies will emerge from this platform. I am certain that among everyone here today, new ventures will again rise to the world. We look forward to delivering an even more exciting GRIC2026 next year.”
＜Theme1 CLIMATE TECH & RESILIENCE＞
SPEAKERS
Theme AWARD CLIMATE TECH & RESILIENCE
The Theme Award for CLIMATE TECH & RESILIENCE was presented to LINEA Innovation, Inc., an energy-tech startup developing the innovative FRC Mirror Hybrid Reactor, designed to achieve neutron-free p–11B fusion.
CEO Yuta Nojiri commented:
“Fusion energy is an exceptionally large and challenging field, but receiving this award is a tremendous encouragement for us. We will continue working tirelessly toward making fusion a reality.”
＜Theme2 FRONTIER TECH＞
SPEAKERS
Theme AWARD FRONTIER TECH
The Theme Award for FRONTIER TECH was awarded to ElevationSpace Inc., a next-generation space-tech startup building an orbital platform that enables research and manufacturing inside unmanned satellites, along with safe return to Earth—an infrastructure designed for the post-ISS era.CEO Ryohei Kobayashi stated:“We believe that what we are building will become essential national infrastructure in the future. Although the challenge is significant, we are committed to taking on this mission from Japan and expanding globally.”
＜Theme3 UPRISING DIGITAL＞
SPEAKERS
Theme AWARD UPRISING DIGITAL
The Theme Award for UPRISING DIGITAL went to Craif, Inc., a startup developing cancer-risk detection tests and medical devices using urine samples, powered by its proprietary biomarker analysis and “Bio-AI” technology.COO Mika Mizunuma said:“To help bring an end to the fight against cancer, we are refining our Bio × AI technologies and preparing for expansion into the U.S. We will continue taking on the challenge of transforming the world with technology originating from Japan.”
Sponsor Prize
AGS Consulting Co., Ltd. |Craif, Inc.
Nomura Securities Co. , Ltd. | AstroX, Inc.
INTEC Inc. | Resilire Inc.
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation｜Space Quarters inc
SoftBank Corp.｜Kanaria Tech Inc.
Zoom Communications inc.｜Craif, Inc.
■ CLOSING
After the award ceremony, Yuichiro Shimizu, CEO of for Startups, Inc., concluded GRIC2025 with the following remarks:
“We believe it is our mission to support these entrepreneurs as a society, help them take their challenges to the global stage, and connect their efforts to innovations for humanity. Just as Craif has been recognized today, and as HERALBONY—our winner from two years ago—has spread its wings globally, we are confident that many more world-changing companies will emerge from this platform. I am certain that among everyone here today, new ventures will again rise to the world. We look forward to creating an even more exciting and inspiring GRIC2026 next year.”
During the offline program on November 13, VCs, startup CEOs, and CVCs from Japan and overseas gathered for a highly successful final day, with total registrations exceeding 12,000.
GRIC will continue to create cross-border opportunities by placing startups at the core, increasing players in growth industries, and expanding connections with global investors.
Event Overview
- Event Name: GRIC2025
- Dates:
- Nov 11 (Tue) Online 10:00–18:00
- Nov 12 (Wed) Online 10:00–18:00
- Nov 13 (Thu) Hybrid 10:00–19:00
- (Schedule subject to change)
- Venue: Hybrid (Online: EventHub / Offline: Shibuya Hikarie - Hikarie Hall)
- Admission: Free (pre-registration required)
- Official Hashtag: #GRIC2025
- Official Website: GRIC2025 Website
About GRIC (Growth Industry Conference)
GRIC is Japan's largest hybrid global conference and community dedicated to growth industries. Talks in January 2021, the first conference was held fully online, and from the second edition, all sessions have been bilingual (Japanese-English). The fifth edition, GRIC2024, was held as the first hybrid (online + offline) event, won over 11,000 registered employees from 63 countries. GRIC aims as both a global stage for top-tier ecosystem builders and a community hub for challengers driving innovation and growth.
