Meet 10+ Japanese corporates looking to invest in and partner with Bay Area startups

What if the investors and corporate partners came to pitch to you?

AZCA and JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization) invite you to an in-person Reverse Pitch Night in Palo Alto. Ten of Japan’s leading corporations and corporate venture arms will take the stage to tell Bay Area startups what they’re looking for: the technologies they want to invest in, the pilots they want to run, and the partners they want to build with.

Who’s pitching

Finance & Insurance: Nippon Life X, MUFG

Mobility & Aviation: Honda Innovations, JAL Ventures

Healthcare & Life Sciences: Astellas

Materials & Advanced Manufacturing: Zeon Ventures, Niterra Ventures

AI/IT, Industrial & Infrastructure: NEC X, Hitachi Ventures, Mitsubishi Electric

Why early-stage founders should attend

If you’re at seed to Series A, a corporate partner can be the difference between a promising product and a real business. Japanese corporates bring strategic investment, paid pilots, distribution, manufacturing know-how, and access to one of the world’s largest economies, and they’re actively looking for startups to work with right here in the Bay Area. This evening is a direct way to find out who’s buying what, without a single cold email.

Later-stage startups are welcome too. If you’re looking to scale through enterprise partnerships or expand into Japan and Asia, this is a strong room to be in.

It’s not only about the 10 on stage

Beyond the pitching companies, we expect many more Japanese corporate representatives to attend as guests. So even if none of the presenters is an exact fit for you, you’ll have plenty of chances to meet decision-makers from across Japanese industry during the networking session.

Agenda:

4:30 PM: Doors open & check-in

5:00 PM: Welcome remarks from JETRO & AZCA

5:10 PM: Corporate reverse pitches (5-minute pitch + Q&A each)

6:15 PM: Networking

7:00 PM: Close

About JETRO: The Japan External Trade Organization is a non-profit organization under Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). It connects businesses with the resources they need to expand to and from Japan, and has supported more than 20,000 business investment projects since 2003, with 76 overseas offices in 50 countries.

About AZCA: Founded in Silicon Valley in 1985, AZCA is a strategic consulting and investment banking firm that helps companies expand and build new businesses across Japan and North America, connecting Japanese corporations with the Bay Area innovation ecosystem.