GKHF Aug 2026 Panel | Bridging Innovation and Capital: UntroD Capital Asia Partnership Announcement
Leave a Nest Singapore is pleased to announce the panel session Bridging Innovation and Capital: UntroD Capital Asia Partnership Announcement, to be held as part of the Global Knowledge Hub Forum (GKHF). The session mainly explores why Japan’s regional industries are the next frontier for cross-border Deep Tech and why Southeast Asian startups should look now to Japan’s regional industries, particularly the Tohoku region. We are bringing together speakers at the forefront of investment, business development, and cross-border collaboration to discuss both the rationale and the concrete pathways forward.
About the Panel
Startups across Southeast Asia, with Singapore at the centre, have long sought connections with Japan’s large corporations. Yet many promising technologies stall in the “valley of death”: the gap between a working prototype and full-scale manufacturing and deployment. A demo in the lab and implementation in the field are entirely different actions, and crossing borders makes the gap even harder to close.
So who bridges that gap? One answer lies with Japan’s regional champions. As the country’s regions confront depopulation, aging, and labor shortages, the search for solutions is driving new collaboration with startups, especially in Southeast Asia. Companies with manufacturing capability and established customer bases have begun investing in these startups and building new businesses together.
Why are regional champions drawing attention now? What makes them distinctive, and on what basis should Southeast Asian startups partner with them?
This session focuses on the Tohoku region, and opens with a keynote by a representative of The 77 Bank, a leading financial institution in the region. UntroD Capital Asia then facilitates a panel discussion joined by JR East and ACE, exploring the potential to bridge Japan’s regional industries and Southeast Asia, with perspectives from the ground in both markets.
Session Panelists:
- Moderator: Mr. Daiki Kumamoto, Executive Director, UntroD Capital Asia Pte. Ltd.
- Panelist: Mr. Keiichiro Irie, Executive Officer, THE 77 BANK, LTD.
- Panelist: Mr. Junichi Eto, Managing Director, JRE VENTURES PTE.LTD.
- Panelist: Mr. Patrick Lim, CEO, ACE SG
Event details:
- Date: Friday, 14th August 2026
- Time: 11:00-12:00 SGT
- Venue: 9 Kent Ridge Drive, Singapore 119241
- Participation fee: FREE
Event Timetable
| Time | Main Hall | Booth Space | 1-1 Meeting Space |
| 10:00 – 10:30 | Registration | ||
| 10:30 – 11:00 | Opening Remarks | ||
| 11:00 – 12:00 | Bridging Innovation and Capital: UntroD Capital Asia Partnership Announcement | 1-1 Meetings | |
| 12:00 – 13:00 | Poster / Networking Session | ||
| 13:00 – 14:00 | Feeding the Future: Building Resilient Food Systems Together | ||
| 14:00 – 15:00 | Poster / Networking Session | ||
| 15:00 – 16:00 | D-0. Venture Building Program: Building from Day 0 | ||
| 16:00 – 16:30 | Closing Remarks | ||
| 16:30 – 17:30 | Networking Session |
For more information regarding the Global Knowledge Hub Forum, please visit our website main page for GKHF Aug 2026.