10 such as SOMPO’s investment in digital health platforms and Tokio Marine’s efforts to integrate AI-based healthcare technologies into its services.” “Japanese investors and corporations have been seeking investment opportunities and technological solutions in a wide range of sectors, most of them are those in which Israel is well known for around the world,” adds Pearl Cohen’s Guy. “These sectors include (1) cyber security and defense – impacted by the growing need in Japan for solutions in these areas and the massive increase in Japanese defense budget, (2) fintech and insurancetech – including direct investments by Japanese banks and the formation of innovation centers locally in Tel Aviv by each one of the three large Japanese insurance companies, (3) mobility – Israel provides a wide spectrum of mostly sensor and software solutions in these fields, which could complement the Japanese auto industry, (4) healthcare – from pharma and medical devices all the way to digital health and wellness, (5) enterprise software, (6) agtech and food-tech – including investment in food supplements, materials and more, (7) climate-tech – one of the sectors growing the most in recent years, fueled by Japan’s obligation to become carbon emissions neutral and other ESG objectives.” Japan’s startup ecosystem expanding with government support Gilad: “The startup ecosystem in Japan is growing and expanding mostly due to support of the central government, as well as local governments who initiate open innovation events, support local tech hubs, and provide funding options for startups in various areas. Most notably are the efforts of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government to create a vibrant international startup ecosystem in Tokyo by establishing several tech hubs throughout the city, each designed to focus on a different technological area.” “Japan’s start-up ecosystem, with various tech hubs like Tokyo and Fukuoka, is growing rapidly with government support and corporate interest, while Israel’s ecosystem is mature, particularly in deep tech; both can benefit from each other’s expertise and market access,” asserts One Line Group’s Arale. Shingo Ito, London-based Legal Director at Bird & Bird and part of the firm’s Japan practice, adds: “While investment in startups is growing in Japan, it still lags behind other major countries. Several factors contribute to this, including Japan’s unique practice of hiring graduates all at once and the limited number
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