Go Global Hub 2026
WHERE BORDERS INTERSECT AND IDEAS GO GLOBAL
The Startup Lady Association (Head Office: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Moeko Suzuki) is pleased to announce that it has been selected for the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s FY2026 Global Exchange Activation Program for the second consecutive year and will host “Go Global Hub 2026,” a global business platform connecting entrepreneurs, companies, investors, and other ecosystem stakeholders in Japan and around the world.
Through this initiative, Startup Lady will create opportunities for startups, companies, investors, support organizations, and other diverse players from Japan and overseas to connect and collaborate, fostering new business opportunities, partnerships, and co-creation.
As the initiative expands in FY2026, we are also calling for corporate and organizational partners, as well as media partners, to join us in building and growing the Go Global Hub global business community.
What is Go Global Hub?
Go Global Hub is a global business platform established by Startup Lady Association in 2025 to connect entrepreneurs, companies, and investors from Japan and around the world and create opportunities for new businesses and co-creation.
The platform connects Japanese entrepreneurs and companies seeking to expand overseas with entrepreneurs, companies, and investors from around the world who are interested in the Japanese market. It provides opportunities to share practical knowledge, build networks, and develop business connections.
Rather than simply providing opportunities for networking, Go Global Hub aims to create opportunities for new businesses, partnerships, and international expansion through dialogue and collaboration among participants.
In FY2025, more than 500 participants in total took part in Go Global Hub. Through networking and business matching, the program created opportunities that led to new business partnerships and co-creation.
In FY2026, we will once again welcome a diverse lineup of keynote speakers from Japan and overseas to share global perspectives and practical insights, while promoting opportunities for participants to develop new businesses and collaborative projects together.
Voices from Go Global Hub 2025 Participants
Go Global hub ambassador
I help early-stage startups scale, fundraise, and go global.
As a founder of ZAIKO, a global ticketing and livestreaming platform, I spent over a decade building and scaling in Japan and across Asia. Now, I work with founders as a strategic advisor, fractional executive, helping teams turn big ideas into operating businesses.
My focus is on early-stage startups (Pre-Seed to Series A) in tech, education, F&B, and entertainment. I’ve advised or invested in companies such as 77hz, ZAIKO, and KA International, offering hands-on support in:
• Fundraising strategy & investor prep
• Product development & go-to-market
• Growth hacking & customer acquisition
• Cross-border expansion (Japan & SE Asia)
With over 20 years of experience across multiple industries and a global perspective on growth, I bring practical insight, deep networks, and operational expertise to every team I support.
Schyler is an investor and builder dedicated to supporting diverse founders and mission-driven companies creating healthier lives and livelihoods. With a strong commitment to empowering people with greater financial, physical, mental, and temporal agency, she invests in ideas and organizations shaping a more equitable and sustainable future. She earned her BA in Economics from Stanford University and MPP at The University of Tokyo. She is the first African American venture capitalist in Japan, and is now an EIR at Value Create Ventures and is launching an revenue-based finance company to fill the funding gap for SMEs and startups.
Christian had a successful corporate career before founding Aventa consultancy in 2009. He advised global and Japanese clients, launched startups, and established PDIE (Purpose Driven Innovation Ecosystem) in 2019. PDIE Group became a repeat Earthshot Prize nominator. Now Associate Partner at Venionaire Capital, Japan and senior advisor at the Future Food Institute, he's dedicated to global innovation for a better future.
I'm a partner of Apollo Capital Inc.I started my career at Japan Asia Investment Co., Ltd. After joining ITX Corporation, I was an director of several portfolio startups and subsidiaries. When ITX was acquired by Olympus corporation, I moved to it, where he acquired a Taiwanese company and was involved in PMI as its CFO. After that, I joined a VC-backed deep-tech startup, where he served as COO.
Entrepreneur, former executive, and educator in Japan since 2006.
My personal mission is to educate the next generation of kind entrepreneurs.
- MBA (Master of Business Administration), MOT (Master of Technology Management / Knowledge Science)
- QMS (ISO 9001) auditor, ISMS internal auditor ITIL certification
-After working for a business company,enter Global consulting firm PwCC (PricewaterhouseCoopers consulting), IBM, Abeam consulting, NTT data etc.
- Now mainly work as a management consultant, BCC CEO, GKLC association Chairperson
- Speciality are Project Management, Bx and Dx initiatives, Business and system audit etc.
- Favorite actors are Paul Walker, Ken Takakura, Yuki Matsushita
Harumitsu Kawamoto has held several senior positions at TV Asahi, including General Manager of Sales Development, General Manager of Planning and Marketing, and Executive Director in charge of Cross-Media Operations in the News Division. He also served as Secretary-General of the Japan Association for Educational Broadcasting (a public interest incorporated foundation).
Throughout his career, he has primarily focused on sales promotion strategies and new business development.
Currently, leveraging his extensive professional network and expertise in strategic planning, sales, and production, he serves as an advisor to numerous companies in the entertainment industry.
For more than a decade, he has also independently organized and hosted networking events, fostering new business opportunities, creating value through meaningful connections, and mentoring the next generation of professionals.
President & CEO, Silicon Valley Ventures Co., Ltd.
Advisor and Venture Partner to high-growth startups and venture capital firms worldwide.
Highly regarded for delivering lectures and workshops for major corporations, serving as a judge and moderator at startup pitch competitions in Japan and internationally, and providing investor pitch training in both English and Japanese.
Completed a leadership and innovation program at Harvard Business School in 2013, earning alumni status.
Current Roles and Affiliations
CV VC (Switzerland and Africa) – Advisor, focusing on Web3 investments.
Arka Venture Labs (Silicon Valley and India) – Advisor, focusing on generative AI, decarbonization, digital transformation (DX), and Web3.
Mendoza Ventures (Boston and San Francisco) – Venture Partner, focusing on cybersecurity, AI, and fintech.
BE Health Ventures (Taiwan) – Venture Partner, focusing on medical devices, healthcare AI, and digital health.
1982 Ventures (Singapore) – Operating Partner, focusing on fintech investments in Southeast Asia.
NEXs Tokyo (Tokyo Metropolitan Government) – Mentor.
Approximately 20 accelerator programs in Japan and internationally – Mentor.
Go Global hub partner
Go Global Hub collaborates with a diverse range of partners, including companies and organizations from Japan and overseas, startup support organizations, and media partners.
About Startup Lady
Startup Lady Association is a Japan-based accelerator specializing in supporting women entrepreneurs and the development of next-generation leaders.
Under our vision of “Building an international community and startup ecosystem where women who start businesses can be themselves and pursue what they truly want to do,” we pursue three core missions: Education, Inspiration, and Community.
Through our unique bilingual community and network, as well as our development programs, we aim to foster globally minded women with the entrepreneurial skills and mindset needed to create new value and lead across borders.
