• BLOCK71 Tokyo, its second office in Japan, opens at TAKANAWA GATEWAY CITY, the country's latest global innovation hub.
• NUS collaborates with Japanese partners, who will invest about ¥1 billion to spur global venture creation.

SINGAPORE - Media OutReach Newswire - 28 March 2025-NUS Enterprise, the entrepreneurial arm of the National University of Singapore (NUS), is expanding its presence in Japan with the launch of its second BLOCK71 office in Tokyo today. This follows the successful opening of its first location in Nagoya in November 2024. In collaboration with key partners, Central Japan Innovation Capital (CJIC), Kyoto University, and TIS Inc., NUS Enterprise aims to support start-ups, researchers, and students while connecting them with investors. These partnerships align with Japan's efforts to accelerate the growth of its start-up ecosystem[1]. Located at TAKANAWA GATEWAY Link Scholars' Hub, BLOCK71 Tokyo will support the growth of Southeast Asian technology-driven start-ups in Japan, contributing to the urban development's focus on environmental sustainability, mobility and robotics, and smart health. It will also provide Japanese start-ups with the resources needed to expand into Southeast Asia and beyond. "Japan's strong foundation in technology and research makes it an ideal environment for start-up growth. It ranks among the world's top three countries for patent applications and invests over three percent of its GDP in R&D, one of the highest globally. This creates immense potential for innovation. With BLOCK71 Tokyo located in the country's latest innovation hub, we have a strategic platform to connect start-ups and drive cross-border collaboration. To amplify our impact, we are partnering one of Japan's top universities, a major corporation, and a leading venture capital firm, all sharing our vision to foster deep tech innovation and build a robust global ecosystem," said Professor Tan Eng Chye, NUS President, at the opening of BLOCK71 Tokyo. Professor Tan was joined by Dr Tan Sian Wee, NUS Senior Vice President, Innovation and Enterprise; Associate Professor Benjamin Tee, Vice President (Ecosystem Building), NUS Enterprise; Mr Hiroyuki Takeshima, Executive Officer, East Japan Railway Company (JR East); and Mr Kikukawa Jingo, Director-General, Innovation and Environment Policy Bureau, Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry[JO1] at the opening of BLOCK71 Tokyo. Building innovation ecosystems through strategic partnerships Building on the success of its globally recognised BLOCK71 model, BLOCK71 Tokyo will promote knowledge exchange, cross-border innovation, and new opportunities for start-ups entering the Japanese market. To deepen its impact, NUS has inked three new partnerships. NUS-Central Japan Innovation Capital collaboration Under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by Assoc Prof Tee and Professor Kazuya Takeda, CJIC CEO, CJIC will invest up to five percent of its assets under management in NUS-affiliated deep tech start-ups. The fund aims to raise approximately ¥5 billion by the end of its fundraising, expected in November 2025. A subsidiary of the Tokai National Higher Education and Research System, CJIC supports university start-ups focused on deep tech innovation. NUS and CJIC will also explore broader collaboration opportunities to help start-ups from both ecosystems expand into the Japanese and Southeast Asian markets. NUS-Kyoto University collaboration Beyond funding, NUS is enhancing entrepreneurial support for deep tech start-ups through its partnership with Kyoto University, formalised by an MOU signed by Prof Tan and Dr Nagahiro Minato, Kyoto University President. As a first step, Kyoto University will send start-ups to join the NUS Graduate Research Innovation Programme (NUS GRIP). They will also become the first overseas university partner in a localised version of the programme. This will empower Kyoto University's graduate students, researchers, and alumni to transform research into impactful deep tech ventures, addressing some of the social challenges in Asia and seizing new opportunities. Both universities will also offer exchange programmes to foster cross-border entrepreneurial experiences. Kyoto University students will have the opportunity to intern at NUS GRIP start-ups, while NUS GRIP start-ups can gain hands-on experience from Kyoto University Innovation Capital Co., Ltd (Kyoto-iCAP), the university's venture capital arm. This partnership enhances the flow of entrepreneurial talent and deepen innovation ties between the two countries, further boosting their deep tech ecosystems. NUS-TIS Inc. collaboration NUS is expanding its global entrepreneurship efforts through a partnership with TIS Inc., one of Japan's leading IT companies, to build a globally connected start-up ecosystem. This collaboration, formalised through a Collaboration Agreement signed by Prof Tan and Mr Yasushi Okamoto, TIS Inc. Group President, launches the Deep Tech Seed...