Join us for an evening spotlighting the power of global collaboration in healthcare innovation. University of Tsukuba Night 2026 brings together eighteen innovative ventures in the fields of MedTech and Biotech, including university startups and pre-startup teams.
University of Tsukuba is one of Japan's leading national universities, with more than 16,000 students, a vast campus in Tsukuba Science City, and a long tradition of academic excellence dating back to 1872. In 2024, the University established its Malaysia Campus, further strengthening its commitment to international education, research, and innovation.
The participating ventures represent not only individual technological breakthroughs, but also the growth of a global startup ecosystem built upon collaborations among universities across Asia, Europe, North America, and Central Asia. This event aims to strengthen connections between the Japanese and U.S. innovation communities while fostering new partnerships among entrepreneurs, researchers, investors, and industry leaders.
The participating ventures include startups and entrepreneurial teams emerging directly from the University of Tsukuba's research pipeline, alongside ventures affiliated with partner universities worldwide, including the University of Bordeaux, National Cheng Kung University, The Ohio State University, IIT Bombay, Ruhr University Bochum, and Al-Farabi Kazakh National University.
University of Tsukuba Night 2026 is more than a startup showcase. It highlights the important role that global university partnerships play in advancing healthcare innovation and translating research into real-world impact, demonstrating how universities, research institutions, entrepreneurs, investors, and innovation ecosystem partners can work together across borders to address some of the world's most pressing healthcare challenges.
View the event's poster here!
The backbone of Venture Café – come meet the community and make connections with all different kinds of innovators. How will you make your serendipitous moment come true?
We invite you to arrive by 5:00 PM to ensure you don't miss the opening program and the first round of startup pitches!
The evening opens with a video message from University of Tsukuba President Kyosuke Nagata, followed by remarks from Professor Maria Zuber, Presidential Advisor for Science and Technology Policy at MIT, and Consul General Seiichiro Takahashi of the Consulate General of Japan in Boston. Vice Director Takeshi Machino of the Tsukuba Clinical Research and Development Organization will then introduce the pitch session. Please join us in welcoming our esteemed guests.
Following the break, join us in the Havana Room as MedTech founders share their innovations and entrepreneurial journeys, spanning therapeutic robotics, micro 3D printing for medical devices, and other frontier technologies shaping the future of care.
Startups include:
- Certis Therapeutics SAS (Univ of Bordeaux)
- Vesica AI (Univ of Tsukuba)
- WeiAn MedTech (National Cheng Kung Univ)
- VentEase Inc (Univ of Tsukuba)
- PARO Robots (Univ of Tsukuba)
- AVIONOVA (Ohio State Univ)
- iLAC Co.,Ltd. (Univ of Tsukuba)
- University of Tsukuba, AMED project S1 (Univ of Tsukuba)
- Fabs3D AI (Al-Farabi Kazakh National Univ)
- PicoShape (RU Bochum)
- Ostic Pharma Pvt Ltd (IIT Bombay)
Founders take the stage to pitch Biotech ventures tackling some of healthcare's most pressing frontiers, from ferroptosis-targeted cancer therapy to non-coding RNA biology and next-generation drug delivery. The flash pitch lineup reflects Tsukuba's distinctive model of academia-industry collaboration, where research institutes, university-backed startups, and AMED-funded projects share a stage with international peers building at the same frontier.
Startups include:
- FerroptoCure Inc. (Univ of Tsukuba)
- CLOVERNA Inc. (Univ of Tsukuba)
- ER Stress Research Institute Inc. (Univ of Tsukuba)
- Permeasis Therapeutics (Ohio State Univ)
- DUCOLEGE Biotech Company (National Cheng Kung Univ)
- ZeitBio Therapeutics Inc. (Univ of Tsukuba)
- Kitasato University, AMED project S1 (Univ of Tsukuba)
The evening's Best Biotech Audience Award and Best MedTech Audience Award will be announced and voted on by attendees on-site via a QR code throughout the evening.
The evening concludes with a poster session, offering a valuable opportunity for in-depth conversations with founders and researchers. We warmly encourage participants to visit the posters that spark their interest, ask questions, and explore opportunities for future collaboration!
Join us for an evening spotlighting the power of global collaboration in healthcare innovation. University of Tsukuba Night 2026 brings together eighteen innovative ventures in the fields of MedTech and Biotech, including university startups and pre-startup teams.
University of Tsukuba is one of Japan's leading national universities, with more than 16,000 students, a vast campus in Tsukuba Science City, and a long tradition of academic excellence dating back to 1872. In 2024, the University established its Malaysia Campus, further strengthening its commitment to international education, research, and innovation.
The participating ventures represent not only individual technological breakthroughs, but also the growth of a global startup ecosystem built upon collaborations among universities across Asia, Europe, North America, and Central Asia. This event aims to strengthen connections between the Japanese and U.S. innovation communities while fostering new partnerships among entrepreneurs, researchers, investors, and industry leaders.
The participating ventures include startups and entrepreneurial teams emerging directly from the University of Tsukuba's research pipeline, alongside ventures affiliated with partner universities worldwide, including the University of Bordeaux, National Cheng Kung University, The Ohio State University, IIT Bombay, Ruhr University Bochum, and Al-Farabi Kazakh National University.
University of Tsukuba Night 2026 is more than a startup showcase. It highlights the important role that global university partnerships play in advancing healthcare innovation and translating research into real-world impact, demonstrating how universities, research institutions, entrepreneurs, investors, and innovation ecosystem partners can work together across borders to address some of the world's most pressing healthcare challenges.
View the event's poster here!
The backbone of Venture Café – come meet the community and make connections with all different kinds of innovators. How will you make your serendipitous moment come true?
We invite you to arrive by 5:00 PM to ensure you don't miss the opening program and the first round of startup pitches!
The evening opens with a video message from University of Tsukuba President Kyosuke Nagata, followed by remarks from Professor Maria Zuber, Presidential Advisor for Science and Technology Policy at MIT, and Consul General Seiichiro Takahashi of the Consulate General of Japan in Boston. Vice Director Takeshi Machino of the Tsukuba Clinical Research and Development Organization will then introduce the pitch session. Please join us in welcoming our esteemed guests.
Following the break, join us in the Havana Room as MedTech founders share their innovations and entrepreneurial journeys, spanning therapeutic robotics, micro 3D printing for medical devices, and other frontier technologies shaping the future of care.
Startups include:
- Certis Therapeutics SAS (Univ of Bordeaux)
- Vesica AI (Univ of Tsukuba)
- WeiAn MedTech (National Cheng Kung Univ)
- VentEase Inc (Univ of Tsukuba)
- PARO Robots (Univ of Tsukuba)
- AVIONOVA (Ohio State Univ)
- iLAC Co.,Ltd. (Univ of Tsukuba)
- University of Tsukuba, AMED project S1 (Univ of Tsukuba)
- Fabs3D AI (Al-Farabi Kazakh National Univ)
- PicoShape (RU Bochum)
- Ostic Pharma Pvt Ltd (IIT Bombay)
Founders take the stage to pitch Biotech ventures tackling some of healthcare's most pressing frontiers, from ferroptosis-targeted cancer therapy to non-coding RNA biology and next-generation drug delivery. The flash pitch lineup reflects Tsukuba's distinctive model of academia-industry collaboration, where research institutes, university-backed startups, and AMED-funded projects share a stage with international peers building at the same frontier.
Startups include:
- FerroptoCure Inc. (Univ of Tsukuba)
- CLOVERNA Inc. (Univ of Tsukuba)
- ER Stress Research Institute Inc. (Univ of Tsukuba)
- Permeasis Therapeutics (Ohio State Univ)
- DUCOLEGE Biotech Company (National Cheng Kung Univ)
- ZeitBio Therapeutics Inc. (Univ of Tsukuba)
- Kitasato University, AMED project S1 (Univ of Tsukuba)
The evening's Best Biotech Audience Award and Best MedTech Audience Award will be announced and voted on by attendees on-site via a QR code throughout the evening.
The evening concludes with a poster session, offering a valuable opportunity for in-depth conversations with founders and researchers. We warmly encourage participants to visit the posters that spark their interest, ask questions, and explore opportunities for future collaboration!