1. Overview

The Tokyo Consortium hosted the "Bio Wellness Tokyo Startup Pitch" on January 19, 2023, targeting startups and various supporters (corporations, VCs, universities, local governments, etc.).On the day, five startup founders based in the Tokyo metropolitan area took the stage at the Nihonbashi venue. They presented their companies' business overviews and the social challenges they aim to solve. Audience members participated both on-site and online, engaging in lively discussions.

2. Event Implementation Overview

Positioning of the "Bio Wellness Tokyo Startup Pitch" within the Tokyo Consortium

The Tokyo Consortium continues its activities with the goal of "establishing Tokyo's position as a global hub city for the startup ecosystem." Tokyo boasts a concentration of 30% of Japan's top universities and the second-highest number of Fortune Global 500 companies worldwide, possessing abundant resources to nurture startups and high potential.

Today's pitch is presented by the Bio-Wellness Working Group (WG), one of the initiatives of the Tokyo Consortium. The WG is engaged in "efforts to commercialize seeds in the bio-wellness field, promote investment, and expand the market."

Current Status and Goals for "Healthcare/Drug Discovery, Regenerative Medicine, and Biotechnology" in Our Country

The importance of initiatives using technology to address the challenge of rising social security costs (pensions, welfare, etc.) due to declining birthrates and an aging population is growing significantly. The figure below divides the healthcare domain into phases: health and prevention (Pre-hospital), diagnosis and treatment (Intra-hospital), and prognosis and care (Post-hospital).Recently, various services utilizing IT technology and digital data have been provided across each phase. However, the market size is expected to expand particularly in the "Pre" and "Post" hospital areas, which encompass the periods before and after diagnosis and treatment (respectively, 10.3 → 12.5 trillion yen and 17.3 → 20.6 trillion yen, both from 2020 to 2025).

In response to this trend, both the government and private companies are promoting digitalization to build seamless service delivery leveraging big data such as electronic medical records, medical fees, and claims data.

Meanwhile, in the field of biotechnology, the Tokyo metropolitan area possesses abundant academic resources and development pipelines even when compared to global biotech communities. To achieve the goal of "realizing a world-leading bioeconomy society by 2030" outlined in the Bio Strategy 2020, the government launched the Greater Tokyo Biocommunity (GTB) in the Tokyo metropolitan area.

GTB aims to establish a framework to become a "bioinnovation hub" that attracts talent and investment from around the world to provide market-attractive products and services. To achieve this, it is advancing efforts to build a strategic value chain by concentrating and networking diverse institutions within the region that handle each function from research and development to commercialization.

Biotechnology is advancing in research, development, and application across a wide range of industries, including materials, chemicals, agriculture, and food, as well as healthcare and pharmaceutical development. Today's pitch session featured three startups from the Wellness (Healthcare) sector and two from the Bio sector.

Introduction to the Five Participating Companies

Human Life CORD Japan Inc.

Human Life Code (Chuo-ku, Tokyo) is a drug discovery biotech venture in its sixth year of operation, focused on the social implementation of cell-based therapeutics utilizing "umbilical cord tissue (umbilical cord)." Based on technological seeds from the University of Tokyo's Institute of Medical Science, we are engaged in the research and development of cell-based therapeutics manufactured through the large-scale cultivation of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal cells.Simultaneously, to realize sustainable cell therapy, we have established a supply chain through partnerships to deliver cell-based therapeutics manufactured from discarded umbilical cords to as many patients as possible with unmet medical needs. Currently, a Phase 2 clinical trial is underway for a highly fatal, intractable disease: non-infectious pulmonary complications following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Integrity Healthcare, Inc.

Integrity Healthcare (Chuo-ku, Tokyo) is a company that develops and provides YaDoc, an online disease management system connecting physicians and patients. It currently serves approximately 4,000 medical institutions nationwide.It has strengthened its network not only in the Tokyo area but also with regional healthcare systems like Nagasaki Prefecture's "Ajisai Net," which serves many remote islands. The system is highly appreciated for its convenience to patients, including remote consultations for those with intractable diseases and device-linked management of diet and exercise for patients with lifestyle-related diseases.

Algal Bio Co., Ltd.

Algal Bio (Kashiwa City, Chiba Prefecture) is a company that leverages research and development outcomes and databases originating from the University of Tokyo to provide optimal algae technologies for industrial sectors such as health, food, and the environment. While industries utilizing algae are gaining attention in forms like biofuels and health foods such as chlorella, only about 30 species out of the estimated 300,000 algae species are currently used industrially.We are building a biofoundry for algae to provide the specific algae needed by specific industries and markets, aiming for a market-driven business model.

株式会社クォンタムオペレーション

Quantum Operation (Chuo-ku, Tokyo) develops and provides proprietary optical devices enabling non-invasive continuous glucose monitoring.Currently, self-monitoring of blood glucose (blood sampling) requires invasive procedures and is painful. Our optical device enables continuous blood glucose measurement without pain, improving patient quality of life (QOL). Additionally, through our group companies, we develop IoT devices such as the medical-grade ring-type pulse oximeter (Vainsta® Ring), operate pharmacies for domestic and international patients, and provide online medication guidance.

​INNOPHYS CO., LTD

Innofis (Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo) is a company that develops and sells assistive suits for the waist and arms, utilizing technology spun off from Tokyo University of Science. We provide our assistive suits as solutions to issues such as the shrinking workforce due to declining birthrates and aging populations, increased burdens on caregivers, and promoting independence for the elderly.Our products are characterized by being lightweight and easy to wear, without using motors or batteries. Field tests have shown they can reduce lower back strain by up to 45%. Our customers primarily use them in caregiving, manufacturing, agriculture, construction, and other fields. They are already sold in 18 countries and regions worldwide (including Japan).

For details on the startups that have caught your interest, we encourage you to visit each company's website.