UTokyo IPC and Cyber Valley Launch “Valley and Sunrise” to Support European Startups Expanding into the Japanese Market
PrintUTokyo Innovation Platform Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo; President & CEO: Kosuke Ueda; hereinafter “UTokyo IPC”) today announced the launch of a new joint program, “Valley and Sunrise,” in collaboration with Cyber Valley (Headquarters: Germany; Managing Director: Dr. Florian K Mayer), Europe’s leading research consortium in artificial intelligence and robotics.
This initiative marks the first joint project following the Letter of Intent (LOI) signed between the two organizations in spring 2024, representing a practical step toward building a deep-tech innovation bridge between Europe and Japan. The program aims to support startups within the Cyber Valley ecosystem by connecting them with leading Japanese corporations and stakeholders, fostering future opportunities for Proof-of-Concept (PoC) collaborations and joint research.
Partnership with Europe’s Leading AI and Robotics Consortium
Cyber Valley, based in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, is one of Europe’s largest and most renowned research consortia in AI and robotics. Founded by the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, the Universities of Stuttgart and Tübingen, and several global corporations, it serves as a central hub linking academia and industry. Partnering with institutions such as the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and supported by various foundations, Cyber Valley not only advances basic research and talent development but also promotes entrepreneurship and technology transfer. Global players including Amazon participate as corporate partners, while venture capital firms collaborate to accelerate commercialization by researchers in the field.
Through this partnership, UTokyo IPC and Cyber Valley have launched the Valley & Sunrise to support startups from the Cyber Valley ecosystem seeking to enter and scale in the Japanese market. Selected companies will benefit from UTokyo IPC’s strong corporate and academic networks developed through 1stRound, Japan’s largest multi-university startup acceleration program, gaining access to Japanese corporates, PoC funding, and hands-on support.
This joint effort will bridge Europe’s cutting-edge AI and robotics technologies with Japan’s industrial strengths, creating a new model of industry-academia collaboration and innovation across borders.
Program Overview
Program Name: Valley and Sunrise
Application Period: November 5 – December 5, 2025
Target Startups:
- European startups in AI and robotics seeking to explore and enter the Japanese market
- Members of the Cyber Valley startup ecosystem
- Startups with proven Product-Market Fit (PMF) in Germany
- Annual revenue of approximately €100,000 or higher (recommended)
Program Support:
- Partner matching with Japanese corporates and research institutions
- Market, regulatory, and cultural insights and guidance
- Financial support and follow-up for PoC projects
Expected Participants: 1–2 startups (for the first edition)
Organizers: Cyber Valley GmbH, The University of Tokyo Innovation Platform Co., Ltd. (UTokyo IPC)
Application Form: Click here to apply
Toward a Globally Connected Academic Startup Ecosystem
Through this collaboration, UTokyo IPC aims to combine its extensive academic and industrial networks with Cyber Valley’s global acceleration expertise to create a practical and strategic growth platform for deep-tech startups from both Europe and Japan.
UTokyo IPC will continue to foster the creation and growth of world-class, academia-related startups while deepening partnerships between domestic universities, corporates, and overseas ecosystems. Together with Cyber Valley and other global partners, UTokyo IPC seeks to further advance Japan’s startup ecosystem and its global connectivity.
Comments
Angelina Jukic, Program Manager, Cyber Valley GmbH
“This initiative has come to life through our close collaboration with UTokyo IPC. The Valley and Sunrise program turns our shared vision into reality – connecting German AI and robotics start-ups with Japan’s leading investors, corporates, and researchers, and strengthening collaboration between our two innovation ecosystems.”
Hideki Nagasaka, Partner & Director (1stRound), UTokyo IPC
Our collaboration with Cyber Valley serves as a foundation for uniting the knowledge and strengths of Japan and Germany to enable new challenges and innovation.
By fostering mutual understanding among researchers, entrepreneurs, and investors from both countries, the initiative aims to bridge technology and business, particularly in the field of deep tech.
For German startups, it offers opportunities to engage directly with Japan’s industries and societal challenges, while for Japanese researchers and technologies, it provides a gateway to new possibilities within the European innovation ecosystem.
Through this mutual exchange, we hope to deepen the understanding between the two ecosystems and to catalyze new collaborations across research, industry, and talent.
UTokyo IPC seeks to support academia-born startups in both countries and to build a sustainable ecosystem where experts from diverse backgrounds can collaborate by sharing their knowledge and experience.
In doing so, we aim to serve as a bridge connecting the innovation communities of Japan and Germany.
About 1stRound
1stRound—operated by UTokyo IPC—is Japan’s largest academia-cohosted startup formation and growth program. To ensure independence and fairness, screening is conducted by leading corporates and private venture capital firms. The program selects academia-related startups, provides non-equity funding to accelerate the earliest phase of business execution, and delivers intensive hands-on support so teams can mature into companies with clearly measurable enterprise value.
Over the past eight and a half years, 1stRound has selected 110 teams, supporting company incorporation and fundraising. Alumni have achieved a ~90% success rate in financing and over 50% success in securing large public grants. The program also emphasizes collaboration with major corporates; in each cohort, more than half of the teams move forward into concrete partnerships.
Several alumni have been accepted into world-class university-linked accelerators such as StartX and Berkeley SkyDeck, with support extending to overseas expansion including the establishment of U.S. headquarters. In April 2024, 1stRound announced a collaboration with Cyber Valley, and in May 2025, with the University of Helsinki, aiming to advance venture creation and development across university and national boundaries.
Going forward, 1stRound will evolve into a truly global program by supporting both outbound expansion of Japan-born startups and inbound entry of overseas, university-affiliated startups into Japan. By combining university-origin technologies, bold entrepreneurial drive, and global expertise, 1stRound is committed to building startups that can compete—and win—on the world stage.
About UTokyo IPC
UTokyo Innovation Platform Co., Ltd. (UTokyo IPC) is a venture capital firm wholly owned by the University of Tokyo, established in 2016 to strengthen Japan’s global industrial competitiveness through startup investment and ecosystem building.
As a public–private venture capital firm, UTokyo IPC has invested in more than 80 university-affiliated startups and venture funds both in Japan and overseas.
Beyond investment, UTokyo IPC operates the Startup Building Program, which supports the commercialization of research outcomes; 1stRound, Japan’s largest academia-linked accelerator; and DeepTech Dive, a program dedicated to cultivating deep-tech talent. In 2024, UTokyo IPC launched the ASA Fund under the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s initiative to promote global collaboration and establish Japan as a hub for deep-tech innovation.
About Cyber Valley
Cyber Valley is Europe’s largest and leading center of excellence in artificial intelligence and robotics. Its mission is to advocate for research, development, application, and acceptance of intelligent systems. By bringing together scientific excellence, entrepreneurship, and public engagement, Cyber Valley drives ethical and impactful innovation. Founded by the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, the Universities of Stuttgart and Tübingen, and several global corporations, Cyber Valley envisions a future where intelligent systems are leveraged for the greater good.
Contact
The University of Tokyo Innovation Platform Co., Ltd. (UTokyo IPC)
Entrepreneur Lab 261, South Research Building, The University of Tokyo,
7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
TEL: +81-3-3830-0200 / FAX: +81-3-3830-0183
Email: info2@utokyo-ipc.co.jp
Contact: Hideki Nagasaka