Press release —
From Research to Global Markets: Inside Osaka and Kansai's Deep Tech Ecosystem
Global Startup EXPO 2026 (GSE 2026) will take place in Osaka from October 5–7, 2026, bringing together startups, investors, business leaders and innovators from Japan and around the world. Tickets are now available, offering international visitors an opportunity to connect with Japan's startup ecosystem firsthand.
GSE 2026 will spotlight six key deep tech fields—Bio/Healthcare, AI/Advanced Robotics, Fusion Energy, Quantum, Semiconductors/Communications, and Space.
Osaka and the wider Kansai region provide a fitting setting for these discussions, with leading universities, a long-established industrial base and a growing community of deep tech startups.
For international companies and investors coming to Osaka for GSE 2026, the opportunity extends beyond the three-day event. The region offers a chance to discover where emerging technologies are being developed, meet potential research and business partners, and explore how new technologies can move from the laboratory toward global markets.
Here are five Kansai-based deep tech startups working in some of the key fields highlighted at GSE 2026.
A strong research base for deep tech
With an economy of approximately US$970 billion, Kansai is one of Japan's major economic regions and is home to more than 150 universities and research institutions. These include some of Japan's leading research institutions, such as Osaka University, Kyoto University and Kobe University.
The scientific expertise concentrated across these universities has helped generate startups in fields where commercialization often requires years of research, specialized talent and close collaboration between academia and industry.
This research base is particularly relevant in areas such as biotechnology, advanced materials, robotics, quantum technologies and energy—fields in which technological breakthroughs can create entirely new markets.
Connecting research with industry
The region also has another important advantage: its established industrial base.
Osaka and Kansai have long been home to companies in manufacturing, chemicals, electronics, pharmaceuticals and medical technologies. For emerging deep tech companies, proximity to potential corporate partners can provide opportunities for joint development, testing, manufacturing and commercialization.
That combination of scientific research and industrial capability is visible in a new generation of university-linked startups emerging across the region.
Startups emerging from Kansai
AI/Advanced Robotics
Thinker, originating from Osaka University, develops intelligent robotic fingers combining proprietary proximity sensors with AI. The technology is designed to enable robots to perform delicate and stable tasks that have traditionally been difficult to automate.
Semiconductors
In next-generation semiconductors, Kyoto University startup FLOSFIA is working toward the commercialization of α-Ga₂O₃ power devices under its GaO® technology, with the aim of improving efficiency in power conversion.
Fusion Energy
EX-Fusion, originating from Osaka University, is developing technologies for commercial laser fusion, including fusion reactor components and related technologies that could also have applications beyond the energy sector.
Quantum
Quantum technology is another emerging field. Osaka University startup QuEL develops control systems used to send and receive microwave signals for controlling qubits and related devices—an essential part of quantum computing hardware.
Bio/Healthcare
Kyoto University startup RegeNephro is applying proprietary iPS cell technology to kidney disease treatment, developing both regenerative medicine approaches and small-molecule drugs.
Together, these companies illustrate the breadth of deep tech innovation emerging across Kansai—from technologies that could transform industrial automation to new approaches in energy, computing and medicine.
Opportunities for global collaboration
For international companies, investors and research organizations, Osaka and Kansai offer more than a pipeline of promising startups.
The region provides opportunities to explore joint research, technology partnerships, corporate-startup collaboration, investment and entry into the Japanese market.
GSE 2026 provides an opportunity to meet startups, investors and innovators working across these fields in Osaka. For international visitors, it can also be a starting point for exploring the universities, companies and partnerships that make up Kansai's wider deep tech ecosystem.
GSE 2026 will take place in Osaka from October 5–7, 2026. Tickets are now available.
