Category: Press Release

Honorees to be Recognized at Japan–U.S. Innovation Awards Symposium at Stanford University

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, UNITED STATES, July 7, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ — The Japan–U.S. Innovation Awards Program announced today that Waymo (USA) and teamLab (Japan) have been selected as the 2025 recipients of the SunBridge John Thomas Emerging Leader Award. The awards recognize one innovative, high-growth company from each country that is poised to transform a major industry or value chain.

Waymo, the U.S. recipient, is the developer of the world’s first autonomous ride-hailing service. The Japan honoree, teamLab, is an internationally acclaimed art collective known for immersive exhibitions that blend digital technology with art and nature.

The Japan–U.S. Innovation Awards Program is the longest-running annual event celebrating innovation and collaboration between Silicon Valley and Japan. It is produced by the Japan Society of Northern California in partnership with the Stanford University U.S.-Asia Technology Management Center.

The awards will be presented at the 2025 Japan–U.S. Innovation Awards Symposium, to be held in-person on July 17, 2025, at the Frances C. Arrillaga Alumni Center at Stanford University.

Award presentations will be followed by a featured session with top executives from the honoree organizations. Mizuki McGrath, Vice President of Engineering at Waymo, and Takeshi Yamada, Head Recruiter at teamLab, will accept the awards on behalf of their companies and join a panel discussion on innovation.

Since 2011, the Emerging Leader Awards have spotlighted pioneering companies from the U.S. and Japan, including previous recipients such as Tesla Motors, Square, Zoom Video Communications, Joby Aviation, SanBio, Line Corporation, Preferred Networks, and ispace Inc.

The Emerging Leader Awards are sponsored by SunBridge Corporation, a leading partner for enterprise IT firms entering Japan. SunBridge Founder and Chairman Allen Miner helped create the Japan-U.S. Innovation Awards program 15 years ago and served as the first Chair of the Awards Program Steering Committee. The Emerging Leader Awards also honor the memory of John Thomas, a co-founder of the Innovation Awards Program and a long-serving board member of the Japan Society of Northern California.

About the Honorees

Waymo (https://waymo.com/)
Waymo is a self-driving technology company and creator of the world’s first autonomous ride-hailing service. Its mission is to become the world’s most trusted driver, making it safer, more accessible and sustainable for people to get around.

teamLab (https://www.teamlab.art/)
teamLab is an international art collective known for its immersive exhibitions that highlight the intersection of art, science, technology, and the natural world. The group consists of “ultra-technologists” — artists, programmers, engineers, CG animators, mathematicians and architects.

About the Organizers

Japan Society of Northern California (https://www.usajapan.org/)
Founded in 1905, JSNC promotes mutual understanding between the U.S. and Japan through programs that connect the Bay Area’s innovation ecosystem with Japan’s dynamic economy and culture.

Stanford US-Asia Technology Management Center (https://asia.stanford.edu/)
The US-Asia Technology Management Center (US-ATMC) is an industry-funded center in Stanford University under the Stanford Global Studies initiative. Established in 1992, the US-ATMC conducts education and research into innovation and emerging business trends in technology intensive industries. Its courses and public programs provide Stanford students and the Silicon Valley community with knowledge and analytical capabilities that are important to global success in high-tech fields in the 21st century.

For media inquiries or to register for the Symposium, please visit: https://www.usjinnovate.org

Steve Pollock
Japan Society of Northern California
admin@usajapan.org

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SAN FRANCISCO, CA, UNITED STATES, June 30, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ — Japan-U.S. Innovation Awards Program announced today the five Japanese startup companies selected for the 2025 Innovation Showcase. These exceptional startups will be featured at the 15th Annual Japan–U.S. Innovation Awards Symposium (https://www.usjinnovate.org/)

Each year, the Innovation Showcase honors up to five exceptional Japanese startups founded on transformative technologies and innovative business models with the potential for global impact.

2025 Innovation Showcase Honorees:

Alpha Fusion Inc. (https://alpha-fusion.com)
AlphaFusion Inc. is a startup company dedicated to the societal implementation of astatine (At-211)-based drug discovery. In the rapidly emerging global field of targeted alpha therapy (TAT), which has recently garnered significant international attention, we aim to unlock the full potential of astatine drug development by leveraging Japan’s unique originality. By advancing our pipeline from research and development to business development at a global standard, we strive to bring this new cancer treatment modality into practical use. Our mission is to establish this groundbreaking modality as a foundational approach in cancer therapy.

Josys (https://www.josys.com)
Josys is the SaaS Management Platform that simplifies how IT works. Our holistic approach equips IT teams with 360-degree control over their SaaS applications by making it easier to visualize user access, analyze utilization trends, and automate provisioning processes that will make IT operations run more efficiently.

NanoQT (https://www.nano-qt.com)
NanoQT is Japan’s first quantum hardware startup founded in 2022, specializing in fiber-based cavity quantum electrodynamics (QED). We have developed proprietary technology to manufacture ultra-low-loss nanofiber cavities, enabling high-efficiency quantum interconnects that link quantum processing unit with fiber-optic communication networks. The company operates in California (Palo Alto), Maryland (College Park) and Tokyo.

POCKETALK Corporation (https://www.pocketalk.com)
Pocketalk is the leading provider of innovative, secure, and cost-effective translation solutions designed to solve language-related challenges across a wide range of industries, including education, healthcare, law enforcement and public safety.

Thinker Inc. (https://www.thinker-robotics.co.jp/en/)
Thinker Inc. is revolutionizing collaborative robots by advancing the “true shift from a robot to a living entity.” We’ve created a “pre-touch” sensor for robot hands, combining a proximity sensor with AI technology that allows the robot to capture the shape of objects, including blind spots, to recognize mirror surfaces and transparent materials. With the ability to handle objects that formerly posed a challenge for robot hands, a new world of possibilities opens for robot implementations in new applications, areas, and work sites.

The Japan – U.S. Innovation Awards Program is the longest-running annual event dedicated to celebrating innovation and collaboration between Silicon Valley and Japan. It is produced by the Japan Society of Northern California in partnership with the Stanford University U.S.-Asia Technology Management Center.

About the Organizers:

Japan Society of Northern California (https://www.usajapan.org)
Founded in 1905, JSNC promotes mutual understanding between the U.S. and Japan through programs that connect the Bay Area’s innovation ecosystem with Japan’s dynamic economy and culture.

Stanford US-Asia Technology Management Center (https://asia.stanford.edu/)
The US-Asia Technology Management Center (US-ATMC) is an industry-funded center in Stanford University under the Stanford Global Studies initiative. Established in 1992, the US-ATMC conducts education and research into innovation and emerging business trends in technology intensive industries. Its courses and public programs provide Stanford students and the Silicon Valley community with knowledge and analytical capabilities that are important to global success in high-tech fields in the 21st century.

For media inquiries or to register for the Symposium, please visit: https://www.usjinnovate.org

Steve Pollock
Japan Society of Northern California
+1 415-986-4383
email us here

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, USA, July 1, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ — The Japan – U.S. Innovation Awards Program (https://www.usjinnovate.org/) has announced that Joby Aviation from the U.S. and ispace Inc. of Japan have been selected as the winners of the SunBridge-John Thomas Emerging Leader Award for 2024. Each year, the Japan – U.S. Innovation Awards selects one innovative high-growth company from Japan and one from the U.S. that are already beginning to transform a major industry or value chain.

The 2024 SunBridge-John Thomas Emerging Leader Award – U.S. winner is Joby Aviation (https://www.jobyaviation.com/), the developer of an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft intended to serve as a ridesharing service for the skies, while the Japan award goes to ispace Inc. (https://ispace-inc.com/), creators of robotic spacecraft and other technology built to map, discover, and utilize natural resources on the moon.

The Japan – U.S. Innovation Awards Program, the longest running annual program in the Bay Area celebrating the links between Silicon Valley and Japan innovation, is produced by the Japan Society of Northern California (https://www.usajapan.org/) in cooperation with the Stanford University U.S.-Asia Technology Management Center (https://asia.stanford.edu/). The Symposium will be held in-person at the Frances C. Arrillaga Alumni Center on the Stanford University campus.

Eric Allison, Chief Product Officer of Joby Aviation, and Atsushi Saiki, Chief Revenue Officer of ispace Inc., will accept their awards at the 2024 Japan – U.S. Innovation Awards Symposium (https://www.usjinnovate.org/) on July 18, 2024, which will also include a presentation and panel discussion on innovation by top executives of the two firms.

Awarded every year since 2011, prior U.S. winners of the Emerging Leader Award include: Tesla Motors (2011), Square (2012), Zoom Video Communications (2019), and Figma (2023). Prior Japan winners include SanBio (2011), which later had Japan’s largest IPO, Line Corporation (2014), Preferred Networks (2017), which became Japan’s first unicorn, and Treasure Data (2023).

The Emerging Leader Awards are sponsored by SunBridge Corporation, the premier partner and investment firm for leading enterprise IT companies to enter the Japan market. SunBridge Founder and Chairman Allen Miner (https://www.linkedin.com/in/allenminer/) helped create the Japan – U.S. Innovation Awards Program 14 years ago and served as the first Chair of the Awards Program Steering Committee.

The Emerging Leader Awards are also named in honor of the late John Thomas, one of the Japan Society of Northern California’s longest-serving Board members. John was a co-founder of the Japan – U.S. Innovation Awards Program, as well as a champion of US-Japan friendship and innovation.

For more information about the Symposium, including speakers and participants, and to register, please visit: https://www.usjinnovate.org/

Joby Aviation (https://www.jobyaviation.com/)
Joby Aviation is a transportation company that manufactures autonomous and environmentally sustainable aircraft for the purpose of aerial ridesharing. Its all-electric planes are built to operate quickly and quietly, providing cleaner and more convenient travel across the world.

ispace Inc. (https://ispace-inc.com/)
ispace Inc. is a global lunar resource development company with the vision “Expand our planet. Expand our future.” that specializes in designing and building lunar landers and rovers. ispace aims to extend the sphere of human life into space and create a sustainable world by providing high-frequency, low-cost transportation services to the Moon.

Organizers:

Japan Society of Northern California (https://www.usajapan.org/)
Since its founding in 1905, the Japan Society of Northern California has advanced U.S.-Japan mutual understanding in a global context. The Society offers an array of programs and networking opportunities for people and organizations in the Bay Area with a strong interest in Japan, and is a dynamic link connecting the world-renowned innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem of San Francisco/Silicon Valley to a resurgent Japan.

Stanford University US-Asia Technology Management Center (https://asia.stanford.edu/)
The US-Asia Technology Management Center (US-ATMC) is an industry-funded center in Stanford University under the Stanford Global Studies initiative. Established in 1992, the US-ATMC conducts education and research into innovation and emerging business trends in technology intensive industries. Its courses and public programs provide the Silicon Valley community with knowledge and analytical capabilities that are important to global success in high-tech fields in the 21st century.

Registration and additional information are available on our website.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, USA, June 27, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ — Each year, the Innovation Showcase recognizes up to five exceptional Japanese startup companies built around new technologies and innovative business ideas that have the potential for major worldwide impact. We are excited to announce the 2024 Innovation Showcase honorees, which will be featured at the 14th Annual Japan–U.S. Innovation Awards Symposium (https://www.usjinnovate.org/) on July 18, 2024 at Stanford University.

2024 Innovation Showcase Honorees:

AI Medical Service (https://en.ai-ms.com/)　
AI Medical Service (AIM) is a Tokyo-based med-tech company established with the mission to “Save Lives All Over the World.” Japan leads the world in endoscopic diagnosis and treatment, providing firms and researchers with access to large amounts of high-quality data. AIM is the leading player in the field of endoscopic AI, engaging in joint research with more than 120 medical institutions such as Stanford and the University of Tokyo. By bringing endoscopic AI to the real-world clinical setting as soon as possible, we AIM to reduce the number of missed cancer diagnoses and save lives around the world.

Citadel AI Inc. (https://www.citadel.co.jp/en/)
Citadel AI builds software products to test and monitor high-risk AI systems. Our customers use our technology to develop AI systems safely across a variety of industries including healthcare, automotive, finance, and more. We also work with certification organizations, including the British Standards Institution, to ensure that AI regulations such as the EU AI Act are underpinned by effective technology for assessing AI systems. Our team has previously worked at leading US and Japanese companies such as Google, Waymo, Toyota, Apple, Stripe, and we’re honored for Citadel AI to be part of the US-Japan Innovation Awards.

EdgeCortix (https://www.edgecortix.com/en/)
EdgeCortix is a fabless semiconductor company focused on energy-efficient AI processing of Generative-AI workloads at the edge. Founded in 2019 with R&D headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, EdgeCortix delivers a software-first approach with its patented “hardware and software co-exploration” system, delivering an industry leading AI specific runtime reconfigurable accelerator processor. The company recently announced SAKURA-II, its next generation high performance, energy efficient edge AI accelerator to address the latest Generative AI solutions at the edge from vision to billions of parameters large language models. EdgeCortix’s products disrupt the rapidly growing edge AI hardware markets including aerospace, smart cities, industry 4.0, defense, autonomous vehicles and robotics.

Helical Fusion Co., Ltd. (https://www.helicalfusion.com/en)
Helical Fusion is a Japanese start-up company aiming at the social implementation of fusion energy with a magnetic confinement fusion reactor. Various fusion methods have been developed in the world over the past 60 years as a next generation energy source. In Japan, the helical fusion method, which uses a superconducting helical coil with a double-helical structure similar to DNA to stably confine high-temperature plasma, has been developed and nurtured to a great extent. We are aiming to develop the world’s first steady-state fusion reactor by incorporating more advanced technologies into the helical-stellarator type fusion reactor.

Synspective Inc. (https://synspective.com/)
Synspective Inc., founded in 2018, develops and operates Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites and provides SAR data and analytics solutions. We aim to develop a constellation of 30 SAR satellites by the late 2020s, allowing us to create a new system that can observe changes anywhere on Earth. With a SAR satellite constellation that enables high-frequency and high-resolution Earth observation, Synspective delivers satellite data and various analytics solutions for disaster response and management, national security, and environmental monitoring.

Organizers:

Japan Society of Northern California (https://www.usajapan.org/)
Since its founding in 1905, the Japan Society of Northern California has advanced U.S.-Japan mutual understanding in a global context. The Society offers an array of programs and networking opportunities for people and organizations in the Bay Area with a strong interest in Japan, and is a dynamic link connecting the world-renowned innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem of San Francisco/Silicon Valley to a resurgent Japan.

Stanford University US-Asia Technology Management Center (https://asia.stanford.edu/)
The US-Asia Technology Management Center (US-ATMC) is an industry-funded center in Stanford University under the Stanford Global Studies initiative. Established in 1992, the US-ATMC conducts education and research into innovation and emerging business trends in technology intensive industries. Its courses and public programs provide the Silicon Valley community with knowledge and analytical capabilities that are important to global success in high-tech fields in the 21st century.

Registration and additional information are available on our website.