Tokyo – October 19, 2026 -- Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) drew more than 10,000 visitors to Global Startup EXPO 2026 (GSE2026) in Osaka and named 10 winners at the Nippon Startup Awards 2026, putting robotics and genome-editing startups at the center of its deep-tech push.
GSE2026 hosts 50+ sessions with global investors in Osaka
GSE2026 ran October 5-7 in Osaka and featured more than 50 conference sessions. METI said the event generated business matchmaking sessions between global investors and Japanese startups exploring strategic investments and collaborations.
Ben Horowitz, co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), and Andy Rubin, co-founder of Android, took part. METI plans to hold the Global Startup EXPO again next year.
Mujin wins Prime Minister's Award for motion-planning commercialization
Mujin received the Prime Minister's Award as the first company to commercialize complex motion-planning technology globally. METI described the feat as considered practically impossible for 50 years.
Its proprietary MujinMI technology automates complex logistics and manufacturing operations. METI cited the technology as a response to global labor shortages.
Regional Fish cuts aquatic breeding cycles from 30 years to two or three
Regional Fish won the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award for applying genome-editing technology to aquaculture. The company has shortened aquatic breeding cycles from approximately 30 years to two or three years.
METI said the advance supports sustainable solutions for global food challenges and the revitalization of regional fisheries.
Awards cover 10 companies from September to October program
The Nippon Startup Awards 2026 recognized 10 companies in total. The GSE2026 and awards programs ran from September to October 2026, and METI highlighted only Mujin and Regional Fish in its announcement.