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)
  FerroptoCure is a clinical-stage oncology biotech pioneering a first-in-class, oral ferroptosis-inducing platform that overcomes apoptosis resistance in cancer. Our proprietary dual-targeting of xCT and ALDH drives synthetic lethality, unlocking therapeutic potential across all tumors. We completed Japan's first ferroptosis-based Phase 1 trial and are now expanding to Australia and the U.S. — backed by $12.5M raised and AMED government support.
  
  
• CLOVERNA Inc. (Univ of Tsukuba)
  CLOVERNA is an RNA therapeutics company developing CLV-201, a first-in-class antisense oligonucleotide for ALS and related TDP-43 aggregation. CLV-201 was discovered through CLOVERNA's proprietary DIRAC RNA-target discovery platform and is supported by preclinical proof-of-concept in disease-relevant models. The company is preparing a U.S. NewCo to accelerate IND-enabling studies, clinical translation, and partnering with venture investors and biopharma companies.
  
  
• ER Stress Research Institute Inc. (Univ of Tsukuba)
  ER Stress Research Institute is a drug discovery startup built on a proprietary ER stress-based screening platform targeting proteostasis dysregulation. Our lead compound IBT30, identified through this platform, targets TDP-43 proteinopathy in ALS, demonstrating dramatically superior chemical chaperone activity over existing drugs. Preclinical PoC has been confirmed in silico, in vitro, and in ALS mouse models. As an oral small molecule, IBT30 is advancing toward clinical trials.
  
  
• Permeasis Therapeutics (Ohio State Univ)
  Developing an MTD-based intracellular delivery platform that enables membrane-impermeable proteins and other macromolecular therapeutics to enter cells efficiently, supporting applications such as protein replacement, protein-protein interaction modulation, and in vivo gene editing.
  
  
• DUCOLEGE Biotech Company (National Cheng Kung Univ)
  Developing an advanced in vitro drug-screening platform that visualizes collagen fibril structure and stiffness to identify repurposed and novel anti-fibrotic therapies for keloids and organ fibrosis.
  
  
• ZeitBio Therapeutics Inc. (Univ of Tsukuba)
  ZeitBio Therapeutics is a University of Tsukuba spinout positioned to lead a paradigm shift in sleep medicine. Our patent pending small molecule platform targets circadian rhythm disruption, unlocking a large global market with limited treatment options. Focused on early morning awakening insomnia, we combine strong biological insight with a capital efficient development strategy to deliver first in class, potentially curative therapies and create significant long term value.
  
  
• Kitasato University, AMED project S1 (Univ of Tsukuba)
  Developing a gene therapy for DFNA10, a hereditary progressive hearing loss caused by mutations in the EYA4 gene. The approach targets the genetic root cause, offering potential for long-term hearing preservation. Building on cutting-edge research at Kitasato University, they are seeking co-development collaborators to accelerate growth.