TechCrunch is heading to Tokyo for this year’s edition of SusHi Tech Tokyo (Sustainable High City Tech Tokyo), bringing the prestigious Startup Battlefield to the heart of Asia’s largest innovation conference. From April 27 to 29, the event at Tokyo Big Sight will host 750 startups from 60 countries, facilitating over 10,000 business meetings and expecting a turnout of 60,000 attendees.
What is SusHi Tech Tokyo?
Organized by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, SusHi Tech Tokyo enters its fourth year with a singular focus: uniting global innovators to architect the sustainable cities of the future. The event serves as a high-stakes marketplace where 62 corporate giants, including Sony, Google, Microsoft, and Mizuho, engage in reverse pitches to identify and collaborate with cutting-edge startups.
Four domains at the frontier
The 2026 programming centers on four critical technological pillars: AI, Robotics, Resilience, and Entertainment. Attendees can expect live demonstrations of humanoid robots, deep-dive sessions into the software revolution behind autonomous driving, and critical discourse on how AI is reshaping the global anime and music sectors.
The stage will feature industry leaders such as Howard Wright (Nvidia), Rob Chu (AWS), Eva Chen (Trend Micro), Qasar Younis (Applied Intuition), Christine Tsai (500 Global), Kathy Matsui (MPower Partners), and Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike. Notably, the speaker roster maintains a diverse profile, with approximately 60% of participants joining from outside Japan and nearly half identifying as women.
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For those attending in person, you can secure your tickets here.
The SusHi Tech Challenge
The innovation competition received 820 applications from 60 countries. Twenty semifinalists will compete on April 27, with seven advancing to the final round on April 28. Beyond the ¥10,000,000 Grand Prix, TechCrunch will hand-pick one semifinalist to advance directly to the Startup Battlefield 200 at Disrupt.
Beyond the stage
The conference serves as a global hub for city leaders. Representatives from 55 cities across five continents are gathering for the G-NETS Leaders Summit to establish commitments regarding urban sustainability and climate resilience. Outside of formal sessions, the event integrates local culture, featuring classical performances from La Folle Journée, Tokyo Bay waterfront cruises, and the Tokyo Innovation NIGHTs networking series.
Before you go, download the app
To navigate the event, organizers recommend the SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026 Official app. The platform features AI-driven matchmaking to connect investors and startups, as well as tools for booking meeting rooms, GPS floor navigation, and QR-based business card exchanges. The app is available for download on iOS and Android.
SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026 runs April 27–29 at Tokyo Big Sight. Business days are April 27–28; Public Day (free admission) is April 29.
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