UK deeptech innovators kickstart commercial discussions with Japanese corporates

We just hosted the UK x Japan Deeptech Business Connect event in London, bringing together British deeptech companies and Japanese corporates.

Supported by Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG), we welcomed 70 participants including UK government representatives, venture capital investors, UK startups and Japanese companies operating in Europe. Through panel discussion, one-to-one meetings and networking, the event enabled new connections, practical discussion and future collaboration.

The panel discussion featured:

• Atsushi Nishikawa, Managing Director and Head of Japanese Corporate Banking Division for EMEA, MUFG

• Jessica Reilly, Incoming Head of Trade, British Embassy Tokyo

• Graham O’Keeffe, Partner, Amadeus Capital Partners

They shared their perspectives on how UK-Japan innovation collaboration is evolving and where new business opportunities are emerging.

Atsushi Nishikawa highlighted the strong fit between UK startups and Japanese corporates, noting that British companies often bring highly advanced, commercially viable technologies even at an early stage. He pointed to growing interest from UK companies in Japan, not only as a market for collaboration but as a strategic launchpad for wider expansion across Asia. 

And he said: “The UK is a highly attractive market, underpinned by world-class universities and research institutions. Japanese companies often look first to the US when exploring startup collaboration, but the UK also offers many promising partnership and investment opportunities.”

Jessica Reilly focused on the strength of the broader economic relationship. With bilateral trade now reaching around £33 billion, she noted that Japanese investment continues to make an important contribution to the UK economy, while significant untapped opportunity remains for UK companies entering Japan. She also encouraged greater use of bilateral support schemes in fields such as AI, quantum technologies and nuclear energy.

Graham O’Keeffe added an investor perspective, observing that structural funding gaps in the UK scaleup market create an opportunity for Japanese companies to play a broader strategic role – not only as investors, but as commercial and technology partners that can help businesses scale.

After the panel discussion, the startups and corporates in attendance had productive meetings in our B2B matching session, followed by networking over drinks and canapés.

Co-founder and CEO of spacetech startup Pan Galactic, Flow Collingwood, said:

“This was a fantastic opportunity to accelerate growth in our business, as understanding the business and cultural landscape is crucial to success in new markets. The panellists helped us to understand the nuances and key approaches to working with Japanese corporates. We left the event with several follow ups and are exploring new relationships already!”

Our CEO, Greg Sutch, added:

“Japan is home to many globally important companies with deep industrial expertise, while UK startups offer strong capabilities in areas such as advanced technology, digital transformation and decarbonisation. Bringing those strengths together creates real potential for growth, partnership and innovation and we’re committed to helping turn that into action.”

To discuss the prospects for your deeptech company in Japan, contact Paul Dupont at paul.dupont@intralinkgroup.com