TechCrunch is heading to Tokyo — and bringing the Startup Battlefield with it

TechCrunch is partnering with SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026, Asia’s largest planetary innovation conference, taking spot April 27–29 astatine Tokyo Big Sight. And we’re not conscionable showing up to screen it — our precise ain Startup Battlefield programme manager, Isabelle Johannessen, volition beryllium connected the crushed arsenic a justice for the SusHi Tech Challenge, the conference’s flagship planetary transportation competition.

For the winner, the stakes couldn’t beryllium higher: The SusHi Tech Challenge Grand Prix recipient volition beryllium automatically entered into the TechCrunch Disrupt Startup Battlefield Top 200 — making them eligible to transportation connected 1 of the astir coveted stages successful the startup world.

Image Credits:Kimberly White / Getty Images

What is SusHi Tech Tokyo?

Now successful its 4th year, SusHi Tech Tokyo — abbreviated for Sustainable High City Tech Tokyo — has grown into the largest innovation league successful Asia, drafting startups, investors, firm partners, and metropolis leaders from astir the world. This year’s variation is the biggest yet: 750 startup exhibitors from 60 countries, much than 10,000 facilitated concern meetings, and an expected 60,000 attendees crossed 3 days.

The league is organized by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government with a wide mission: bring unneurotic the world’s champion innovators to physique the sustainable cities of the future.

On the expo floor, 62 firm partners — including Sony, Google, Microsoft, and Mizuho — are hosting reverse pitches and actively seeking startup collaborators, making it arsenic overmuch a unrecorded dealmaking marketplace arsenic a conference. And the programming reflects that ambition.

Four domains astatine the frontier

SusHi Tech 2026 is zeroing successful connected 4 exertion domains reshaping society: AI, Robotics, Resilience, and Entertainment. Expect unrecorded demos of humanoid robots, sessions connected autonomous driving’s bundle revolution, heavy dives into cyber defence and clime tech, and candid conversations astir however AI is rewriting the planetary euphony and anime industries.

Speakers see Howard Wright (Nvidia), Rob Chu (AWS), Eva Chen (Trend Micro), Qasar Younis (Applied Intuition), Christine Tsai (500 Global), Kathy Matsui (MPower Partners), and Tokyo politician Yuriko Koike, among galore others. Roughly 60% of speakers travel from extracurricular Japan, and astir fractional are women.

Image Credits:SusHi Tech Tokyo (opens successful a caller window) / SusHi Tech Tokyo (opens successful a caller window)

Going to beryllium successful Tokyo? Don’t miss it. Get your tickets here.

The SusHi Tech Challenge

The transportation contention drew 820 applications from 60 countries and regions — 437 international, 383 Japanese. Twenty semifinalists vie connected April 27, 7 finalists beforehand to the last connected April 28, and 1 Grand Prix victor takes location ¥10,000,000 and automatic introduction into the TechCrunch Disrupt Startup Battlefield Top 200.

Beyond the stage

The league extends good beyond the normal floor. City leaders from 49 cities crossed 5 continents — from Los Angeles to Nairobi to Singapore — are convening for the G-NETS Leaders Summit to forge factual commitments connected clime resilience and municipality sustainability. On the expo floor, 62 firm partners, including Sony, Google, Microsoft, and Mizuho, are hosting reverse pitches and actively seeking startup collaborators.

And due to the fact that this is Tokyo, the acquisition doesn’t halt astatine 6 p.m.: Classical euphony performances from La Folle Journée, waterfront cruises on Tokyo Bay, and the Tokyo Innovation NIGHTs networking bid circular retired the program.

Before you go, download the app

The authoritative SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026 Official app is your bid halfway connected the ground. Before you adjacent arrive, AI-powered matching recommends the close startups, investors, and partners for you to link with — and lets you publication gathering rooms successful advance. On-site, a GPS level map, QR concern paper exchange, and real-time propulsion notifications support you oriented crossed the sprawling Tokyo Big Sight venue. Download for iOS oregon Android.

SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026 runs April 27–29 astatine Tokyo Big Sight. Business days are April 27–28; Public Day (free admission) is April 29.