Kyoto University has announced plans to start operating research facilities aimed at supporting startups. Kyoto University Venture Capital and BioLabs Global—a US-based startup support company in the life sciences field—will collaborate to establish the first lab by 2026.

The lab will be divided into 30 to 40 sections, to be rented out to startups at a discounted rate of around 400,000 yen per month. The aim is to provide an environment that reduces the financial burden on startups immediately after they have been established to allow them to focus on their research. There will also be an information exchange space within the facility, together with a system to promote collaboration between companies.

Tomoyoshi Koyanagi, an advisor to Kyoto iCAP, said that “the high cost of equipment and rent for specialized needs can be a burden for startups; cheap research space will greatly support the growth of development-type companies.”

‍