A 3 month challenge-based programme supporting advanced European startups seeking entry into the Japanese market.
EU startupS - MEET JAPANESE CORPORATES
The call is open until 3 September 2026, 17.00 (CET)
Calling2Scale Gunma invites EU-based startups to provide solutions to pressing business challenges sourced directly from leading Japanese corporates. Selected startups will receive:
Japan market entry training Targeted matchmaking with Japanese corporates On-site visits and pitching opportunities in Gunma Expert support & mentorship
Challenge 1 – Intelligent Thermal Management. How can AI-driven thermal management improve energy efficiency, passenger comfort and driving range in next-generation electric vehicles?
We are looking for innovative solutions that leverage AI, machine learning and vehicle data (navigation, weather, occupancy, driving behavior, etc.) to optimize HVAC performance while reducing energy consumption and improving vehicle efficiency. Solutions supporting NVH optimization are also welcome.
Challenge 2 – Thermal Energy Storage. How can innovative thermal energy solutions maximise energy efficiency and driving range in electric vehicles?
We are looking for scalable solutions that improve the storage, recovery and utilisation of thermal energy in EVs through advanced materials, energy recovery systems, heat exchangers or integrated thermal management technologies.
Challenge 3 – Advanced Heat Transfer. How can next-generation heat transfer technologies improve the efficiency and sustainability of electric vehicle thermal management systems?
We welcome breakthrough solutions that reduce energy consumption, improve thermal performance and simplify system design through innovative cooling technologies, advanced materials or new engineering approaches.
Challenge 1 – Circular Plastics. How can innovative technologies transform waste plastics into high-value circular products and sustainable fuels?
We are looking for breakthrough solutions in advanced recycling, waste valorisation, sustainable fuel production and circular business models that maximise both environmental and commercial value.
Challenge 2 – Environmental Value Certification. How can digital technologies and innovative assessment methods create trusted, internationally recognised markets for circular products and recycled fuels?
Solutions may include Life Cycle Assessment, Digital Product Passports, carbon accounting, traceability platforms, ESG technologies or other approaches that improve transparency and market acceptance.
Challenge 3 – Circular Business Models. How can innovative circular business models accelerate regional resource circularity by combining Japan’s industrial strengths with Europe’s circular innovation ecosystem?
We welcome scalable technologies, digital platforms and business models that transform waste into valuable resources while supporting a low-carbon future.
Challenge 1 – Seamless Eyewear Experience. How can we eliminate all forms of stress associated with wearing glasses to create an experience users forget they are wearing?
We seek comprehensive solutions that resolve physical, visual, environmental, and psychological discomforts, delivering a completely seamless daily experience.
Challenge 2 – Advanced Healthcare Eyewear. How can eyewear evolve beyond basic vision correction to actively solve and alleviate daily health and wellbeing issues?
We welcome solutions utilizing advanced technologies to provide direct, proactive care and therapeutic support for overall eye health, as well as physical and mental wellbeing.
Challenge 3 – Functionality in Critical Environments. How can innovative eyewear solve critical challenges and provide reliable assistance in severe or unpredictable situations?
We are looking for technologies that ensure stable operational support, safety, and high performance under extreme conditions, such as disaster environments.
Challenge 1 – Sustainable Packaging Solutions. How might we accelerate the adoption of more sustainable packaging solutions without compromising the performance and functionality needed to protect product quality?
We are looking for innovative packaging materials, designs, and circular solutions that improve sustainability, reduce waste, and lower carbon footprints while maintaining the functionality required for packaging and shipping electronic components.
Challenge 2 – Energy Efficiency and Resource Valorization. How might we accelerate decarbonization and energy efficiency across our manufacturing and non-manufacturing sites? And how can we unlock value from resources such as waste heat, wastewater, and other underutilized assets?
We are looking for innovative solutions that improve energy efficiency in HVAC systems and other energy-intensive operations, and create new value from waste heat, wastewater, and other underutilized resources across our manufacturing and non-manufacturing sites.
Challenge 3 – Sensing for Environmental Monitoring and Disaster Resilience. How might we leverage sensing technologies, including millimeter-wave and optical sensing, to create innovative solutions for environmental monitoring and disaster resilience, while contributing to a more sustainable society?
We are looking for startups interested in exploring opportunities to leverage our technologies for environmental monitoring, risk prediction, disaster prevention, and resilience.
Challenge 1 – AEM Water Electrolysis. How can we accelerate the commercialization of cost-efficient green hydrogen systems by integrating our advanced Anion Exchange Membrane (AEM) into high-performance water electrolysis solutions?
We seek startup partners to integrate our advanced Anion Exchange Membrane (AEM) into practical water electrolysis systems for cost-efficient green hydrogen production. We are interested in pilot-ready solutions that improve efficiency, durability, and system economics, including stack components, compact hydrogen units, and related subsystems. This collaboration aims to accelerate commercialization and build long-term international partnerships in scalable hydrogen technologies.
Challenge 2 – Electrochemical CO₂ Capture. How can we develop electrochemical CO2 capture systems with significantly lower energy consumption and system cost for industrial and atmospheric applications?
We seek partners to co-develop electrochemical CO2 capture systems for industrial exhaust gas and direct air capture. Using electrochemical cells and our proprietary redox-active materials, we aim to create pilot-ready solutions with lower energy consumption and cost. We welcome startups with strengths in system design, modular hardware, and process integration to help translate our core chemistry into scalable carbon management technologies.
Challenge 3 – Microphysiological Systems (MPS) for Drug Discovery. How can we accelerate the adoption of microphysiological systems (MPS) as trusted drug discovery tools by demonstrating stronger translational relevance to nonclinical and clinical outcomes?
We seek startup and academic partners to co-develop MPS-based drug discovery tools with stronger relevance to nonclinical and clinical outcomes. Our goal is to generate practical evidence that supports wider adoption of MPS while reducing reliance on animal testing. We welcome collaborations in disease models, toxicity and efficacy evaluation, biomarker analysis, and data-driven validation using our pharmaceutical nonclinical and clinical assets.
Challenge 1 – Intelligent Manufacturing. How can AI help create the next generation of intelligent manufacturing?
We are looking for innovative solutions that improve production efficiency, quality, flexibility and sustainability through AI, robotics, automation and predictive analytics.
Challenge 2 – Advanced Manufacturing Technologies. How can advanced manufacturing technologies improve precision, productivity and operational excellence?
We welcome machining technologies, digital manufacturing solutions and process optimization tools that increase productivity while reducing waste and energy consumption.
Challenge 3 – Factory of the Future. How can digital technologies transform traditional factories into intelligent, connected and sustainable production environments?
Solutions may include Industrial AI, Digital Twins, robotics, autonomous systems, IoT and smart factory platforms that accelerate the transition towards Industry 5.0.
Applications will be assessed through the following evaluation process:
The final ranking combines the application score (60%) and interview score (40%). Up to 14 start-ups will be selected.
You will find more information on the eligibility, admissibility and evaluation criteria in the Call Guidelines.
Largest economy in the world (Japan)
Annually invested in R&D in Japan
Startup funding raised in 2024 in Japan
of global robot revenue (Japan)
Gunma-based corporates
Annual ecosystem growth (Japan)
Forward-Thinking Leadership: Gunma’s Prefectural Government actively promotes innovation, with strong regional support for startups and international collaboration as reflected by Co-leading this programme.
*Source of data: StartupBlink, JIC, Crunchbase News, The robot report, JETRO,
Each selected start-up will receive a €2,200 lump-sum sub-grant to support travel and accommodation for the five-day Immersion Lab in Gunma and Tokyo.
The final payment is subject to approval of a short final report and proof of participation. Selected start-ups must complete the required onboarding and sign a sub-grant agreement with EIT Food.
The Immersion Lab will take place in Gunma and Tokyo during the week of 24 November 2026. Selected start-ups will participate in a five-day programme designed to turn the connections developed online into concrete collaboration, pilot and market-entry opportunities.
The draft programme will include:
The final agenda and logistical information will be shared with selected start-ups before the Immersion Lab. Programme activities and sequencing may be adjusted based on the participating start-ups and corporate matchmaking opportunities.
Have questions? Get in touch with our programme team at bohdan.novoshytskyi@eitfood.eu or catherine.breyssens@eitfood.eu.
Speakers in the programme include experts on the Japanese market, mature startups that have successfully entered new markets, key ecosystem players, and global professionals specialising in intellectual property, regulation, business development, branding, and storytelling. Among the speakers are representatives from participating Japanese corporations and from the Gunma Prefecture Governor’s Office – the programme’s strategic partner.
Innovation contact points for this programme will be from within the participating Japanese corporates and the Gunma Prefecture innovation staff, providing tailored support to European startups based on their specific needs. The team will facilitate the initial introductions. Once connections are established, startups are encouraged to continue developing relationships independently, discussing scaling opportunities, and receiving support to execute their Go-to-Market strategy.
A startup registered for programme should be able to select the relevant founder/co-founder to participate for the duration of the programme. We will meet every Friday morning for a two-hour online session. In addition, following the initial introduction and matchmaking between each startup and a relevant corporate innovation contact point made by the team, 1:1 X 45-minute meetings will be scheduled independently to foster deeper relationships and nurture future business opportunities. Attending the in-person Immersion Lab in Japan is a mandatory requirement for this programme.
The goal is to create meaningful global growth opportunities for European startups through the Japanese market, by addressing corporate challenges in EIT focus areas, while fostering strong connections between the Japanese and European ecosystems. The programme also supports Gunma prefecture’s innovation ecosystem by connecting local corporates with European technologies and boosting regional competitiveness.
The programme combines practical training with tailored corporate engagement. Topics include Japan’s innovation ecosystem, business culture, pitching to Japanese corporates, regulatory and market-entry strategies, industry trends, and successful corporate collaboration and Proof-of-Concept development. Selected start-ups will also explore specific use cases and partnership opportunities with participating Japanese companies.
Applications go through a merit-based selection process:
I. Eligibility and admissibility check
EIT Food verifies that the applicant is an eligible legal entity, has a PIC number, offers a market-ready solution at TRL 7 or higher, and has completed at least one funding round. The application must also be complete, submitted on time and in English, and address one of the participating corporate challenges.
II. Application evaluation
Each eligible application is assessed by an independent external evaluator with relevant skills, experience and knowledge. Applications are scored against three criteria:
Applicants must score at least 11 out of 15 points, with a minimum of 3 out of 5 for each criterion. Up to five of the highest-ranked applicants per participating corporate are invited to the next stage.
III. Online interview
Shortlisted applicants participate in an online interview of up to 30 minutes with representatives of Gunma Prefecture, the participating Japanese companies and EIT Food. The interview assesses the start-up’s overall quality and suitability for the programme. A minimum interview score of 3 out of 5 is required.
IV. Final selection
The application evaluation accounts for 60% of the final score, while the interview accounts for 40%. The highest-scoring applications are considered for selection, taking into account the available places and the aim of creating a balanced portfolio across the participating corporate challenge owners. Up to 14 start-ups will be selected.
All applicants will be informed of the outcome in writing and will receive structured evaluation feedback.
Applications are assessed against three criteria during the application evaluation:
Excellence: The quality and distinctiveness of your solution, evidence that it has been validated through a pilot or Proof of Concept, and its fit with the selected corporate challenge.
Impact: The commercial potential of your solution in Japan or Asia, the feasibility of the proposed collaboration or Proof of Concept, and the expected value for both your start-up and the Japanese corporate.
Quality and efficiency of implementation: Your team’s relevant skills and experience, track record in international market entry and corporate collaboration, and readiness to prepare for and enter the Japanese market.
Each criterion is scored from 0 to 5. To progress to the interview stage, applications must achieve at least 11 out of 15 points overall, with a minimum score of 3 out of 5 for each criterion.
The Health not The Death is a fundamental human right. A healthy population is not to be seen as human and social capital, an input, or by-product, towards economic growth. Alongside a healthy and sustainable environment, a solidarity, a healthy population must be the ultimate goal especially nowadays in helping Ukrainian migrants with cancer and their families.
Solidarity in health is a cornerstone of EU health policy. There are wide disparities in many health outcomes across the region and those outcomes. The access rules dramatically affect healthcare systems which are at the forefront of the migrant way, the people who are searching for help and the way how we could enhance and support their healthier and wellbeing status.
In order to ensure their access to care and continued cure in need, the probability of receiving a timely diagnosis and of surviving differs greatly from country to country where they are now. There is lack of information, help and inequalities in access. People need help in navigating cancer knowledge, diagnostics, secondary monitoring and prevention, way of treatments, and care.
Shifting our mindset, supporting healthcare connectivity, removing inequalities overall across Europe is our mission and even more now in a time of crisis, helping the Ukrainian people dealing with cancer is a good place to begin this transformative revolution.
1) Whether we have a chance to foster more holistic and integrated approaches to receive information and care, by supporting coordination and maximising an enabling and health-enhancing effect of care across services from different countries?
2) Whether actions should address the social determinants of health, the countries where they are now, the health need which they have, the social and language barriers are the conditions which have to be taken into consideration in a coordinated manner?
How might we improve patients and /or people who seek healthcare support, access to healthcare services at an EU & the Member States Healthcare systems level? Especially in a time of crisis in Europe.
How might we support refugees fleeing from their countries by navigating them to medical centres to receive best available care?
Precision medicine aims to personalise care for every individual. Nongenomic and genomic determinants, combined with information from patient symptoms, clinical history, and lifestyle (nutrition, physical activity, stress etc.), can facilitate personalised diagnosis and prognostics. Yet this goal requires access to massive amounts of data which may come from different structured and unstructured sources; these can be our medical records, laboratory testing, a range of medical devices as well as from the patient himself. AI & ML can combine input from these multiple sources, analyse them and identify biomarkers that can support health professionals make more informed decisions. The convergence of precision medicine with the advanced AI capabilities will improve the ability to personalise care – improve diagnosis, risk prediction as well as therapy planning.
HCPs want to better predict treatment response, given uncertainty around which treatment to prescribe to which patient and when to prescribe. How do we risk assess the patients, match them with the right treatment (personalised). How can we transform the wealth of data and link it to the predictive nature of how the patient will respond?
Being diagnosed with cancer is overwhelming and comes as a blow. Patients may feel on a roller coaster of emotions—they are scared, lost & confused not knowing what to expect, who to refer to, what to do and how to tell their loved ones. They directly refer to “Dr. Google” to look for information about their disease, possible treatments, QoL strategies with the aim to have better understanding of their disease and learn how to better cope with their disease & treatment, yet information is not always valid, accessible, nor personalised or tailored to the patient’s status and needs therefore left with huge amounts of non-relevant information. Coming to the doctor, the physician’s time is limited and mostly focusing on the physical aspects of the disease & treatment, not leaving much time to ask questions nor discuss more holistic aspects of the disease such as emotional, psychological, social aspects. The patient (& caregiver in many cases) leaves the room with unanswered questions, doesn’t remember much of what has been said, and feels he is not heard, nor seen as a whole.
The need for navigating this journey along the emotional psychological stress is overwhelming & patients and their caregivers look for support (case manager/companion/partner) to help manage their disease holistically – starting from having clarity around their disease and treatment by having access to reliable and personalised information during their journey as well as having an integrated holistic care system , supporting them and their loved ones to navigate through the different aspects of their disease – medical, emotional, logistical, psychological, social, rights.
How can we support patients to navigate through the complexity of their disease and treatment ensuring they have validated holistic information about their disease journey & treatment and be empowered to effectively manage their care
As medical events pivoted from conference centres and meeting rooms to the virtual settings, learning opportunities continue. Lectures and presentations are translated to the new digital world, yet the ability to connect and network is relatively lost. Peer interaction is essential not only for information exchange but to share practical insights, allows consultation & in-person experience cross country and across borders leading to better disease management.
This peer-based learning/ consultation is highly valued amongst practising clinicians and was generally achieved when HCPs and KOLs met their peers in national & Intl conferences, group debates, advisory boards and even during quick corridor conversations. Attempting to replicate these in-person experiences into the digital space creates challenges and are not effective nor impactful as face-to-face engagements.
How might we improve HCP medical exchange enabling physicians to easily communicate, consult, exchange opinions leveraging individual experts & centres of excellence knowledge, experiences, and practices?
How can we leverage the technological expertise to allow HCPs to connect with leading experts across countries to get advice / counselling for their cases?
Application for 2022Calling2Scale is closed.
Interested in participating in the next cohort?
Email maayan.sharon@eithubisrael.eu
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