Leave a Nest America Reports Half-Year Highlights for 2026: Bridging Japanese Academia and U.S. Deep Tech Ecosystems
Leave a Nest America, Inc. announces a summary of its key activities and achievements for the first half of 2026. Across three major initiatives, Leave a Nest America continued to fulfill its mission of building the infrastructure necessary for the advancement of science and technology — connecting Japanese universities, researchers, and innovators with the world's most dynamic innovation hubs.
1. Overseas Training Program Coordination for Tokyo Metropolitan University
We successfully organized and conducted an overseas training program for students from Tokyo Metropolitan University in March 2026 as a part of “TMU EntreBloom Business Idea Challenge”.
The program provided participants with immersive, hands-on experiences through visits to leading Silicon Valley innovation hubs, VC, and corporates offering direct exposure to the cutting edge innovation culture. Through carefully coordinated schedules including educational pre-visit training, seminars, participants deepened their understanding of startups, research environments and career pathways.
This initiative reflects Leave a Nest's longstanding commitment to arranging and conducting of educational training, courses, and seminars for university and graduate students as well as the tours to inspect the business of each country. Leave a Nest America served as the coordinating bridge, enabling Tokyo Metropolitan University students to engage with the North American ecosystem through direct experience.
Places to Visit to:
– KITCHENTOWN | Food Innovation Hub | Product Development
– Salesforce: The #1 AI CRM | Salesforce
– Plug and Play | We Drive Innovation
– Moon Creative Lab
–NEC X | NEC
Report link about this tour from TMU students
2. Facilitating Research Discussions Between Japanese Universities and U.S. Research Institutions
We facilitated research discussion opportunities between several prestigious Japanese universities including Osaka Universitiy and leading U.S. universities and research institutes in March 2026, at bayarea around San Francisco/Silicon Valley.
These engagements were designed to accelerate cross-Pacific academic exchange, promote collaborative research ideation, and lay the groundwork for long-term institutional partnerships. Participants included researchers and faculty from multiple Japanese universities, who engaged in structured discussions with their U.S. counterparts across fields including biotechnology, materials science, and engineering.
By organizing, arranging and conducting of research presentations by companies and researchers, Leave a Nest America acted as an active facilitator — connecting Japanese academic knowledge with U.S. institutional expertise in a format that drives meaningful scientific dialogue.
3. Validation Study: Japan & Southeast Asia Expansion Potential for North American Deep Tech Startups
Drawing on over a decade of engagement through its flagship TECH PLANTER program and related deep tech initiatives, Leave a Nest America conducted a comprehensive study to assess the potential for U.S. and Canadian deep tech startups to expand into Japan and Southeast Asia.
The study leveraged interaction data from more than 100 companies accumulated through TECH PLANTER and related programs, and was further enriched through in-depth interviews with 4 selected startups. The research examined market fit, regulatory considerations, and partnership opportunities across target regions.
Key findings include:
- Identification of deep tech sectors with strong alignment between North American innovation and Japanese/Southeast Asian market needs
- Profiles of 4 startups with validated expansion potential, based on deep interview data
- Strategic recommendations for North American startups seeking to enter Asian markets, and for Japanese and Southeast Asian partners sourcing frontier technologies
About Leave a Nest America, Inc.
Leave a Nest America, Inc. is the North American subsidiary of Leave a Nest Co., Ltd., a science and technology company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. We bridge researchers, innovators, and enterprises across Asia, North America, and beyond. Through its global network and programs including TECH PLANTER, Leave a Nest has connected thousands of deep tech startups and researchers across more than 10 countries.