UTokyo IPC and Hakuhodo Conclude Official Agreement as Operating Partners for the Pilot Activities of the Global Startup Campus Initiative — Launch of “CONNECT,” a Fellowship Program for Global Talent Development —
PrintUTokyo Innovation Platform Co., Ltd. (President & CEO: Kosuke Ueda, hereinafter “UTokyo IPC”) and Hakuhodo Inc.,(President : Kenji Nagura, hereinafter “Hakuhodo”) announce that they have been formally selected and have concluded an official agreement as operating partners for the Commercialization Support and Talent Development (Fellowship) domains under the pilot activities of the Global Startup Campus Initiative, a Japanese government program promoted by the Cabinet Secretariat of Japan.
In this initiative, UTokyo IPC serves as the lead proposer, with Hakuhodo as the co-proposer. The project will be newly branded and launched as Go Abroad To Scale (GATS).
In addition, as part of the Talent Development (Fellowship) domain, applications are now open for CONNECT, a new fellowship program.
About the Global Startup Campus Initiative
The Global Startup Campus Initiative is a Japanese government program aimed at creating Japan-origin deep-tech startups while attracting outstanding talents and investment from around the world.
The initiative aims to build a world-class innovation ecosystem hub and foster Japan-origin deep-tech startups. Currently, as part of its pilot activities, it promotes efforts such as support for research and development leading to commercialization, as well as support for researchers’ commercialization activities, in order to attract global talent and investment.
For the Commercialization Support and Talent Development (Fellowship) domains, a collaborative structure led by UTokyo IPC as the lead proposer, with Hakuhodo as the co-proposer, has been selected as the operating partner. This partnership will be responsible for the planning and implementation of pilot activities in these two domains.
Go Abroad To Scale (GATS):
An Integrated Framework to Foster a Global Startup Ecosystem through Talent and Business Development
Go Abroad To Scale (GATS) is an integrated development and support framework implemented under the Global Startup Campus Initiative. It is designed to support the creation and growth of Japan-origin deep-tech startups by addressing both talent development and business commercialization in a coordinated manner.
Through collaboration with outstanding and ambitious researchers, startups, forward-looking venture capital firms, accelerators, and corporations in Japan and abroad, GATS seeks to promote transformation across Japan’s innovation ecosystem and contribute to the establishment of a world-class innovation ecosystem hub.
In line with this mission, GATS will collaborate with leading global venture capital firms, top-tier universities, and other key international players to provide seamless and comprehensive support spanning the full pathway from research to startup creation, commercialization, and societal implementation.
By deploying multiple interconnected development and support programs across the research, entrepreneurship, and commercialization phases, GATS aims to embed in Japan a global ecosystem in which talent, knowledge, networks, and capital circulate organically, thereby strengthening the long-term growth and international competitiveness of Japan-origin deep-tech startups.
About CONNECT: The Talent Development (Fellowship) Program
CONNECT is the core program within the Talent Development (Fellowship) domain of GATS. It provides Japanese professionals with hands-on opportunities to gain practical experience by engaging with overseas venture capital firms and other organizations that serve as central hubs within global startup ecosystems.
Beyond individual talent development, CONNECT is positioned as a strategic foundational program of GATS, aimed at accelerating the formation of an ecosystem that enables Japan-origin deep-tech startups to achieve sustained growth in global markets.
While Japan possesses a wealth of world-class deep-tech seeds emerging from universities and research institutions, practical knowledge related to business scaling, organizational development, and global expansion has yet to be fully embedded within Japan’s startup ecosystem.
To address this challenge, CONNECT dispatches fellows to overseas venture capital firms and related organizations that function as hubs for startup support. Through these placements, fellows will acquire practical expertise and networks in investment decision-making, business growth support, and deep-tech commercialization, and subsequently contribute this knowledge back to Japan’s startup ecosystem.
Through CONNECT, GATS aims to achieve the following:
・Establish global networks and collaborative platforms that support the international expansion of Japan-origin deep-tech startups
・Develop professionals who enable the circulation of talent, knowledge, and capital across startup ecosystems in Japan, the United States, and other regions
・Accumulate and disseminate practical knowledge related to deep-tech commercialization and business growth within Japan’s ecosystem
By strengthening the talent foundation, CONNECT will play a pivotal role in realizing GATS’ vision of an ecosystem in which Japan-origin deep-tech startups can sustainably grow and compete on the global stage.
For details on CONNECT and the application guidelines, please refer to the CONNECT Program Overview:
https://gats-web.jp/program3/connect
Operating Structure
The operating partner for these pilot activities is the GATS Management Office, jointly established by UTokyo IPC as the lead proposer and Hakuhodo as the co-proposer.
UTokyo IPC, in alignment with the objectives and institutional design of the Global Startup Campus Initiative, will oversee overall project planning and coordination. Leveraging its expertise in university-affiliated startup support and the societal implementation of academic innovation, UTokyo IPC will primarily lead the planning and operation of the commercialization support and talent development programs.
Hakuhodo will leverage its expertise in business development support and strategic communication design to facilitate collaboration among diverse domestic and international stakeholders, build dissemination platforms, and support the social implementation and value creation of the programs.
The knowledge and networks generated through these pilot activities are expected to serve not only as outcomes of the current phase, but also as critical foundations for the full-scale deployment of the Global Startup Campus Initiative.
Comment from UTokyo IPC
Junji Takaoka
Incubation Partner, UTokyo IPC
Executive Director, GATS Program Global Startup Campus Initiative
Deep-tech innovation grounded in advanced science has the potential to deliver sustainable solutions to global challenges in areas such as energy, healthcare, food systems, and disaster resilience. At the same time, successful societal implementation requires an environment in which practical commercialization knowledge, capital, and networks connect seamlessly across borders, on top of accumulated research and development.
As expectations for international collaboration continue to grow, GATS will connect diverse stakeholders in Japan and abroad and accompany startups from creation through growth. By cultivating talent capable of engaging in global collaboration, we aim to contribute to the formation of an open ecosystem in which knowledge and opportunity circulate continuously.
Comment from Hakuhodo
Itaru Yoshizawa
Executive Officer, Head of Mirai Design Unit, Hakuhodo Inc.
Managing Director, GATS Program Global Startup Campus Initiative
The importance of deep-tech in addressing global societal challenges and serving as the foundation for new industries continues to grow. Unlocking the full potential of Japan’s outstanding technology seeds and talent—through collaboration among industry, government, and academia in Japan, together with overseas support organizations and investors—is essential to creating startups that can compete globally.
With this vision in mind, GATS is launched. Our rallying cry is “Go Abroad To Scale!”
Through the continued evolution and growth of the ecosystem, we will support challengers who aspire to compete on the world stage.
About UTokyo Innovation Platform Co., Ltd. (UTokyo IPC)
Founded: January 2016
Shareholder: The University of Tokyo (100%)
Head Office: Entrepreneur Lab 261, South Research Building,
7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
President & CEO: Kosuke Ueda
Website: https://www.utokyo-ipc.co.jp/
About Hakuhodo Inc.
Founded: October 6, 1895
Head Office: Akasaka Biz Tower,
5-3-1 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan
President: Kenji Nagura
Website: https://www.hakuhodo.co.jp/
Inquiries
GATS Management Office
Email: press@gats-web.jp
Contact: Kawai, Tsuchiya