NextGen AI Open Innovation Japan Kickoff 2025: Accelerating AI in Japan for Enterprise Collaboration ✨

On September 26, 2025, Tokyo became the epicenter of AI in Japan innovation as the NextGen AI Open Innovation – Japan Kickoff brought together leading enterprises, AI startups, and technology ecosystem partners to shape the future of AI collaboration and adoption.

Powered by GenAI Fund, in partnership with FPT Japan and NVIDIA, this landmark event marked a pivotal step toward strengthening enterprise–startup partnerships and driving AI-powered digital transformation across Japan’s industries.

💡 A Convergence of AI Visionaries Driving AI in Japan 

Hosted at Sumitomo Fudosan Tokyo Mita Garden Tower, the event opened with keynotes from experts leading global and regional AI transformation:

  • Susan Marshall (Senior Director, Developer Relations, NVIDIA) shared how Generative AI is revolutionizing industries worldwide — and what it means for enterprise AI strategy in Japan.
  • Shotaro Suzuki (Executive Evangelist, FPT Japan; Digital General Advisor & Chief Information Security Advisor, National Printing Bureau) introduced the FPT AI Factory, connecting startups and enterprises for real-world AI deployment.
  • Laura Nguyen (Partner, GenAI Fund) unveiled the vision for GenAI Open Innovation Japan, highlighting increasing collaboration between Japan and ASEAN in applied AI in Japan innovation and ecosystem growth.

🧠 Panels Shaping the Future of AI in Japan for Enterprises 

Two in-depth panel discussions provided actionable insights into scaling AI adoption and fostering successful enterprise–startup collaborations:

🔹 Enterprise–Startup Synergy: Building AI That Scales

Moderator: Kai Yong Kang (Partner, GenAI Fund)
Panelists:

The panel explored strategies for scaling enterprise AI systems, overcoming data readiness challenges, and identifying areas where startups can deliver immediate business value.

🔹 From Pitch to Production: How to Win with Enterprises

Moderator: Laura Nguyen (Partner, GenAI Fund)
Panelists:

Discussions focused on how AI startups can move beyond proof-of-concept (PoC) to achieve enterprise production success, emphasizing trust, measurable outcomes, and long-term collaboration frameworks.

🚀 Startup Demos: Real-World AI Innovation in Japan

Three pioneering AI startups — ModAstera, Fenrir, and LIFE AI — demonstrated how AI is solving real-world enterprise problems. From workflow automation to predictive analytics and Generative AI applications, these demos highlighted how AI innovation in Japan is moving from experimentation to impact.

🤝 Networking and Partnership Building for AI in Japan 

The event concluded with vibrant networking sessions, where startup founders, corporate leaders, and ecosystem enablers explored partnerships and future AI proof-of-concept opportunities. These connections are sparking collaborations across finance, energy, healthcare, and retail, further strengthening AI adoption in Japan.

 

🧩 Launch of the GenAI Matchmaking Platform: Accelerating AI in Japan

A key highlight was the announcement by Laura Nguyen of GenAI Fund’s AI-powered matchmaking platform — an intelligent tool that helps enterprises and startups connect faster and smarter.
By automatically surfacing relevant matches and streamlining AI collaboration workflows, this platform represents a major advancement in enabling frictionless enterprise–startup partnerships across Asia.

Explore the platform at: app.genaifund.ai  

⚡ FPT and NVIDIA: Powering Japan’s AI Ecosystem Growth

Both FPT and NVIDIA play a central role in supporting Japan’s AI transformation journey. Through the FPT AI Factory, enterprises gain access to NVIDIA-accelerated infrastructure, including H200 GPUs and NVIDIA AI Enterprise, delivering the computational performance, scalability, and security required to bring Generative AI and large language models (LLMs) into production environments.

This partnership empowers organizations to move beyond pilot programs and achieve real business impact with enterprise AI in Japan.

 

🎯 Looking Ahead: Building the Future of AI in Japan 

The NextGen AI Open Innovation – Japan Kickoff 2025 marks a new era of AI collaboration, connecting Japan’s enterprise strength with ASEAN’s innovation momentum. The event laid the foundation for scalable AI projects, turning proof-of-concepts into production-ready enterprise AI in Japan solutions.

 

🙌 Thank You to Our Partners and Community

A huge thank you to all speakers, enterprises, startups, and partners who made this event a success. Together, we are building a stronger AI innovation ecosystem in Japan — and shaping the next chapter of enterprise AI adoption across Asia.

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