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If you’ve ever visited Japan, you may well have passed through the city of Nagoya on the Shinkansen between Tokyo and Osaka or Kyoto. However, this city and Aichi Prefecture, of which it is the capital, is far more than just a passing point. The area has been an industrial hub for generations, giving rise to globally renowned companies like Toyota and accounting for a huge portion of Japan’s economic output.
Roughly halfway between Tokyo and Osaka, Nagoya is now home to one of Japan's largest open innovation hubs, STATION Ai, which held a series of opening events beginning on October 31, 2024. I had the opportunity to attend, and in this article, I’ll introduce STATION Ai, its background, and the support it offers. First of all, though, let me explain a little about the industry of Aichi Prefecture and its burgeoning start-up ecosystem.
Aichi Prefecture is known for its strong manufacturing and automotive industries. With the establishment of STATION Ai, a key challenge will be how to engage established local companies in the start-up ecosystem.
Thanks largely to the development of the modern internet, start-ups worldwide are thriving in the software sector. Aichi seeks to integrate its established manufacturing companies with innovative software start-ups, especially in fields such as semiconductor manufacturing, drones, aerospace, mobility, and robotics.
STATION Ai is conveniently located a 5-minute walk from Tsurumai Station, which itself is just 10 minutes by train from Nagoya Station. The area contains the prestigious Nagoya Institute of Technology and the beautiful Tsuruma Park, making it the perfect setting to foster inspiration and innovation and encourage collaborative, research-driven business ventures.
In 2018, Aichi Prefecture launched the Aichi start-up Strategy, a collaboration between industry, government, and academia to promote entrepreneurship. STATION Ai serves as a central hub of this initiative and is operated by STATION Ai Inc., a subsidiary of SoftBank Corp., under contract with Aichi Prefecture.
The facility spans seven stories with a total floor area of 23,613 square meters, making it one of the largest open innovation spaces in Japan.
STATION Ai draws inspiration from STATION F, a globally renowned start-up hub in France that receives over 10,000 applications annually and attracts major corporations seeking partnerships. STATION Ai aims to replicate the success of STATION F in Asia, attracting global companies, universities, and financial institutions while fostering collaboration between start-ups and industry leaders.To this end, STATION Ai has formed alliances with global innovation hubs, including STATION F, and collaborations with universities and research institutions in nine countries. By leveraging this international expertise, Aichi Governor Hideaki Omura envisions STATION Ai as a global benchmark for start-up innovation in Asia.
Between 2022 and its grand opening in 2024, STATION Ai operated as PRE-STATION Ai, based in WeWork Global Gate Nagoya. Over the course of just two years, it supported more than 400 start-ups, offering various programs and initiatives to nurture entrepreneurs.start-up programsPRE-STATION Ai provided a year-long mentoring and networking program called the Founder’s Program as well as intensive four-month courses aimed at seed-stage (STATION Ai Catapult - Incubation Track) and pre-Series A to Series A start-ups (STATION Ai Catapult - Acceleration Track). It also established the STATION Ai Central Japan Fund to support start-up financing and launched a remote membership program to provide online support.
To truly revitalize the start-up ecosystem in Japan, it is crucial not only to support existing start-ups but also to create new ones. STATION Ai has taken proactive steps to discover and develop new entrepreneurs, offering tailored programs for students and professionals.
Through these efforts, STATION Ai is laying the groundwork for a start-up ecosystem that promotes collaboration and accelerates innovation.The opening ceremony and events
STATION Ai’s opening ceremony on October 31 and subsequent events on November 1 and 2 drew approximately 4,000 attendees, including key stakeholders and tenant companies. The ceremony featured speeches by key figures, including Governor Omura, SoftBank CEO Junichi Miyagawa, and STATION Ai President Hirotaka Sahashi. They emphasized the importance of global collaboration and shared their vision for the start-up ecosystem’s future.
At the event on November 1, around 20 sessions featuring over 100 speakers were held across four stages within STATION Ai. This event attracted numerous stakeholders, including major companies from Aichi Prefecture and the surrounding Tokai region, start-up stakeholders from the Kanto area, and students. While most sessions were conducted in Japanese and the proportion of international participants seemed relatively low, there were some notable exceptions. For example, the pitch session by manufacturing and logistics start-ups from the National University of Singapore’s incubation facility, BLOCK71 NAGOYA, and the "Aichi × Tokyo start-up Scramble" hosted by Takeoff Tokyo, a Tokyo-based start-up conference, were held in English, and both garnered plenty of interest from international attendees.Photo from「Aichi X Tokyo start-up Scrumble」
The next event, on November 2, featured programs open to local residents and children. In addition to talk sessions, there were digital experience activities using AR and AI, as well as programming workshops. Many young children participated, creating a lively and inclusive atmosphere.
Currently, over 500 start-ups and approximately 200 companies are based in STATION Ai. Simply being part of this community provides the benefit of building new connections. But what are the specific advantages of joining this community for international start-up stakeholders? Let’s focus on two key initiatives.
The Aichi Landing Pad, a global start-up matching program, launched in October 2024, targeting start-ups and SMEs offering groundbreaking solutions in fields such as environmental sustainability and manufacturing. The program's ultimate goal is to promote partnerships and collaboration with companies in Aichi Prefecture to create new businesses and ventures.Participation in the program is free, offering expert mentoring, education on entering the Japanese market, pilot testing, and business matching with major corporations. Given Aichi’s prominence in manufacturing, with numerous large companies based in the region, this program provides an unparalleled opportunity for start-ups in these sectors to collaborate with local firms and seize business opportunities in the Japanese market.In 2024, 15 overseas start-ups were selected by the Aichi Landing Pad. On November 25, 2024, a Demo Day was held, featuring pitches and networking by the chosen start-ups.
BLOCK71, a globally renowned entrepreneurial hub based in Singapore, has established a presence within STATION Ai. BLOCK71 provides support for start-ups at STATION Ai seeking to expand into overseas markets, including Southeast Asia. Conversely, it assists Southeast Asian start-ups aiming to enter the Japanese market, helping them adapt to Japan’s culture and business environment.Operated by the National University of Singapore, BLOCK71 collaborates with corporations and government agencies to support start-ups globally. Focused on creating a technology-driven ecosystem, it aims to connect start-up communities, with hubs in San Francisco, Jakarta, Suzhou, Singapore, and now, Nagoya.
I was born and raised in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, but I moved to Tokyo a few years ago. The difference is striking—Tokyo attracts a more international crowd, offering greater business opportunities. However, as I participated in start-up events in Tokyo, I frequently met start-up founders and ambitious entrepreneurs from my home prefecture.At the STATION Ai opening ceremony, Junichi Miyagawa remarked, “In the past, Aichi was a tough place for start-ups. I personally experienced many challenges when I started my business at 26. A thriving start-up environment requires collaboration between local companies, financial institutions, and municipal governments. I hope STATION Ai will foster start-ups that will lead Japan into the future.”
Although the partnerships and agreements with overseas start-up communities and global stakeholders that STATION Ai has already achieved are certainly impressive, I hope to see even greater support for international businesses and the movement of talent between countries. As it stands, the number of overseas participants visiting STATION Ai is still relatively low, and if the center aspires to become a hub on the same scale as STATION F, it will need to encourage more international start-ups to take up residence.Illustrating this challenge, most of the programs held during the opening event were conducted in Japanese, making it difficult for international attendees to participate. A French student at a university in Nagoya whom I met during the event shared this sentiment, saying, “I’m familiar with STATION F and was excited to see something similar being built in Nagoya, but it feels a bit too Japanese.”STATION Ai has the potential to become a massive incubator by retaining Japan’s strengths while creatively involving international stakeholders. I look forward to seeing how it evolves.
Station Ai : https://stationai.co.jp/en
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