Bridging the Valley of Death in Deep Tech Manufacturing: Monozukuri Manufacturing Highway Seminar
At the forefront of deep-tech innovation in Southeast Asia, one major bottleneck still slows down many promising ventures: manufacturing. Titled “Monozukuri Manufacturing Highway ~powered by KOBASHI HOLDINGS”, a new seminar will address this challenge head-on, empowering early-stage startups to break through the prototype ceiling and unlock access to Japan’s world-class manufacturing ecosystem. The session will take place twice, physically in both Singapore and Malaysia on August 20th and 22nd 2025, as part of Global Knowledge Hub Forum 2025 (hereby referred as “GKHF”) and Tech Garage Seminar (hereby referred as “TGS”), hosted by Leave a Nest.
The content is powered by KOBASHI HOLDINGS, a century-old manufacturing powerhouse from Okayama, Japan. Best known as the market leader in agricultural tillers — holding a significant market share in Japan — KOBASHI is far more than a machinery company. With a bold vision to support the next generation of innovators, they have ventured with over 150 deep tech startups in Japan and Southeast Asia, helping them overcome manufacturing bottlenecks and achieve industrial-grade scalability.
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10 visiting startups from Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam to KOBASHI HOLDINGS in Okayama, Japan during 2025
A Seminar Born from Real Startup Struggles
From Singapore to Vietnam to Tokyo, deep-tech startups face recurring issues that delay or derail manufacturing:
- Insufficient or unclear design data that leads to costly rework
- No ownership of manufacturing blueprints, causing lock-in with a single supplier
- Prototypes that can’t scale due to lack of design-for-manufacturing (DFM) principles
- Scattered or undocumented know-how, creating friction during handoff to production
- No clear quality definitions or technical documentation, risking failed builds and IP leakage
These challenges don’t just slow down production — they cost time, talent, and trust. For accelerators, VCs, and university spinouts, this manufacturing gap is one of the biggest barriers to market impact.
What You’ll Learn
Session 1 – Understanding the Manufacturing Process
- Basics of requirements definition and scalable design
- How to avoid “just build something” traps in early-stage prototyping
- Turning design data into a visible and valuable company asset
Session 2 – What Design Data Is Required for Manufacturing
- Types and quality of documents needed for production handover
- Creating and updating BOMs, CAD data, technical specs, and test criteria
- Case studies of startups that scaled effectively with Japanese partners
Why It Matters Now
In an era where global collaboration is key to technological advancement, the ability of Southeast Asian startups to understand and leverage Japan’s manufacturing strengths is a critical enabler. This seminar serves as a catalyst for cross-border synergy, helping founders build the fluency needed to engage with engineers, factories, and suppliers — and ultimately bring their solutions into the hands of society faster.
Seminar Overview
Singapore
Date: August 20th, 2025
Event: Global Knowledge Hub Forum 2025 (more about Global Knowledge Hub Forum)
Venue: The Legacy
NTU Alumni House Level 3, 11 Slim Barracks Rise, Singapore 138664
Seminar Time: 13:30-15:30 SGT
Malaysia
Date: August 22md, 2025
Event: Tech Garage Seminar (more about Tech Garage Seminar)
Venue: Centre of Garage Malaysia
2330, Century Square, Jalan Usahawan, Cyberjaya, 63000 Cyberjaya, Selangor, Malaysia
Time: 10:00-12:00 MYT
Target Audience:
- Pre-incorporation teams and university spinouts
- Pre-seed to Series B startups in deep-tech, hardware, biotech, robotics
- Accelerator program staff and early-stage venture builders
Join Us and Build What Matters: Registration contact
Haruka Sakurai / Leave a Nest Singapore Pte Ltd
📍 Limited seats available – pre-registration strongly encouraged.