Corporate innovation opportunities for European startups in Japan
European startups ready to expand into Japan are invited to apply for ‘Calling2Scale Gunma: Gateway to Japan 2026’, an international market-entry programme connecting advanced European innovators directly with Japanese companies looking for solutions to specific business and technology challenges.
Delivered through EIT Global Outreach, the global arm of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union, and led by EIT Food in collaboration with Gunma Prefecture, the programme will offer up to 14 selected startups a fast track into the Japanese market through corporate matchmaking, market-entry support, and opportunities to develop pilots and proofs of concept.
Through its partnership with Gunma Prefecture, a leading Japanese manufacturing region, the programme provides a structured gateway for European startups seeking to enter the Japanese market. Selected startups will receive training, mentoring, matchmaking, and market-access support.
Applications are now open until 3rd September 2026, 17:00 CET.
Japanese industry leaders seeking breakthrough European technologies
For the 2026 edition, six participating companies – Sanden, Gunseisha, JINS, TAIYO YUDEN, Nippon Kayaku, and Kyowa Industrial – are opening innovation challenges to European startups.
Their needs span technologies and sectors including electric mobility, circular economy, advanced materials, electronics, energy, carbon management, healthcare and drug discovery, and advanced manufacturing.
Specific areas include intelligent thermal management and EV technologies; circular plastics and circular business models; innovative eyewear and healthcare applications; sustainable packaging, energy efficiency and environmental sensing; green hydrogen; electrochemical CO₂ capture; micro physiological systems; and smart factory and advanced manufacturing solutions.
The challenges also reflect growing Japanese interest in European technologies supporting the transition towards more sustainable, circular, and low-carbon industries.
From matchmaking to market entry: creating lasting partnerships
This new call builds on the first edition of Calling2Scale Gunma and the partnerships it has helped create between European startups and Japanese industry. One of these connections brought together Italian cleantech startup AraBat and TAIYO YUDEN, a global Japanese manufacturer of electronic components headquartered in Gunma.
Following their participation in the programme, the companies progressed their relationship from initial matchmaking to a Letter of Intent signed in January 2026 and subsequently to a Proof-of-Concept (PoC) Development Agreement. Under the PoC, AraBat will apply and adapt its proprietary bio-based recycling technology to new industrial matrices, focusing on the recovery of critical materials from end-of-life lithium batteries and multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs), while also exploring the use of selected biomasses from Gunma Prefecture. The agreement creates a concrete pathway for validating AraBat’s technology in an industrial context and opens the door to a potential longer-term partnership with TAIYO YUDEN.
The collaboration illustrates the ambition behind this programme: not simply introducing European startups to Japan but creating targeted connections around real corporate needs that can develop into pilots, proofs of concept, and longer-term commercial partnerships.
According to AraBat, the agreement marks a major milestone in its growth trajectory and international expansion, validating the company’s ability to attract strategic industrial interest for its proprietary recycling technology platform.
“This confirms the successful outcome of AraBatʼs mission in Japan within the Calling2Scale Gunma programme, demonstrating the concrete impact of international innovation bridges enabled by EIT Global Outreach, an initiative of the EIT – European Institute of Innovation and Technology, a body of the European Union,” said Raffaele Nacchiero, CEO & Co-Founder of AraBat.
“The collaboration between AraBat and TAIYO YUDEN shows what can happen when strong European technology meets a concrete industrial need in Japan,” says Catherine Breyssens, Programme Lead. “For startups, entering Japan independently can be challenging, particularly when it comes to identifying the right partners and building trusted relationships. Calling2Scale Gunma gives them a direct entry point through Japanese companies that are actively looking for innovative solutions.”
Who should apply?
Applicants must be legally incorporated in the European Union or a Horizon Europe-associated country, have a market-ready product at Technology Readiness Level 7 or above, have completed at least one funding round, and demonstrate a clear ambition to enter or expand in the Japanese market.
A founder, co-founder, or C-level executive must be able to participate in the full hybrid programme, including the in-person Immersion Lab in Japan.
How to apply
Applications must be submitted in English via the MyEITFood portal by 3rd September, 17:00 CET.
Applicants should demonstrate how their technology can address one of the innovation challenges identified by the participating Japanese companies.
Full corporate challenges, eligibility criteria, and application: https://www.go-eit.eu/calling2scale-gunma-gateway-to-japan
