Gyeonggi Province Seeks Startup Participants for Japan Market Entry Support through Open Innovation Program

Gyeonggi Province and the Gyeonggi Institute of Economics & Science are now accepting applications for companies interested in participating in the "2026 Japan Open Innovation Program," which supports local startups aiming to enter the Japanese market and attract local investment. The application deadline is June 5.

The Japan Open Innovation Program focuses on providing practical business matching opportunities with major and mid-sized local companies in Japan, as well as investment presentations (IR pitching) tailored to the characteristics of the Japanese market.

Eligible applicants are startups headquartered in Gyeonggi Province that have been in business for seven years or less. For companies in new industries, those established within ten years may also apply. Ten promising companies in technology sectors such as digital transformation (DX), healthcare, and fintech will be selected based on document review and presentation evaluation.

The selected companies will receive localization acceleration support for three months, from June to August. Key support includes: ▲global business capability assessment, ▲advancement of IR materials and pitching consulting, ▲pre-meetings with Japanese investors, ▲participation in the Tokyo Open Innovation Meeting and one-on-one investment consultations, and ▲follow-up investment connections.

Gyeonggi Provincial Government

In particular, at the "Tokyo Local Program" scheduled for late July, meetups and networking sessions will be held with leading Japanese conglomerates and venture capital firms (VCs) such as Fuji Electric, JTB, and Richelle.

Companies wishing to participate can apply online through the Gyeonggi Startup Platform (www.gsp.or.kr) until 5:00 p.m. on June 5. For further inquiries, please contact the Startup Support Team at the Gyeonggi Institute of Economics & Science (031-8039-7104).

Ryu Soonyeol, Head of the Venture Startup Division of Gyeonggi Province, stated, "This program is focused on helping local startups overcome challenges in entering the Japanese market and expanding practical cooperation opportunities with local companies. We will spare no effort in supporting Gyeonggi's outstanding technology companies to create new opportunities in Japan and grow into global businesses."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.