1. Overview

The JETRO CES 2024 Dispatch Program Results Report Meeting was held on February 29, 2024. CES, the world's largest technology festival, took place in Las Vegas from January 9, 2024, with two companies—Innofis Inc. and TECHMAGIC Inc.—traveling to the event.This time, two representatives—Ms. Yu Yajie, Manager of Overseas Business at Innofis Inc., and Ms. Mariko Sekiya, CEO Office Manager at TECHMAGIC Inc.—took the stage. Together with the Tokyo Consortium Secretariat, they discussed their impressions of CES, behind-the-scenes stories, and the support provided.

2. Event Implementation Overview

At the opening, Mr. Yoshiki from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government addressed the attendees gathered at the venue.
　　

Mr. Yoshiki: This fiscal year, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government collaborated with JETRO to support promising startups with rapid growth potential and future overseas expansion plans. We assisted them with business matching at the CES 2024 Dispatch Program Results Presentation held in the United States. CES is an extremely large-scale event, attracting over 130,000 participants from around the world, including executives from major overseas corporations.Tokyo Metropolitan Government implemented this program with the intention of introducing such opportunities, facilitating actual travel to the venue, and helping participants secure opportunities for future capital and business alliances or collaborative projects with overseas companies. Thanks to the support of the Tokyo Consortium Secretariat, which assisted with this program, I believe it turned out very well.
I also traveled overseas to CES and observed the business negotiations firsthand. It was conducted in a format where products were experienced right there on the spot during negotiations, resulting in highly intensive discussions.
The goal of this program was to make overseas expansion feel more accessible and strengthen the ecosystem by receiving feedback on the insights gained at CES. I hope this results report serves as a valuable time for the startups who participated this time.

3. Roundtable Discussion: Experience Sharing and Results Report by Two CES-Attending Companies

A roundtable discussion was held with three participants: Mr. Yu Yaji of Innofis Inc., Ms. Mariko Sekiya of TECHMAGIC Inc., and Mr. Date from the Tokyo Consortium Secretariat (Deloitte Tohmatsu).The discussion covered two main topics: "Support Prior to CES Travel (Knowledge Sharing, Business Meeting Coordination, etc.)" and "Support During CES Travel (Business Meetings with Promising Companies, On-Site Meeting Support, etc.)."

Date: We provided support beyond the exhibition itself, including matchmaking and business negotiations. While hands-on support on-site is a common form of assistance, this time we supported by arranging pre-arranged business meetings. We also held sessions explaining what CES entails and provided preparatory study sessions. What aspects of these study sessions were particularly beneficial?

Innofis Co., Ltd. Overseas Business Manager Yu Yajie (hereinafter referred to without honorifics): Before traveling, a consultant from the Tokyo Consortium Secretariat (Deloitte Tohmatsu) shared valuable knowledge, emphasizing the importance of clearly defining our purpose for participating in CES. They advised that we shouldn't attend just because CES is a large event, but rather participate with a well-defined objective for exhibiting.This was Innofis' second time exhibiting at CES in 2022. Our objectives for this CES were to enhance corporate visibility, product awareness, and brand strength, as well as increase media exposure.

Date: Since maximizing impact within a short timeframe was crucial, we shared that knowledge.

TECHMAGIC Inc. CEO Office Manager Mariko Sekiya (hereafter referred to without honorifics): Our company already has a certain level of adoption domestically, so our participation goal this time was to focus specifically on the US market and find a foothold for overseas expansion. The Tokyo Consortium Secretariat primarily provided us with opportunities for business meetings with other companies.While we had previously exhibited at a small-scale show in New York, unlike InnoFis, CES was our first opportunity to participate in a major international exhibition. The shared insights on exchanging contact information beforehand and conducting business meetings were extremely helpful.

Date: This time, we coordinated your business meeting partners in advance. Challenges included responses to year-end outreach arriving after the New Year and the difficulty of matching appropriate companies. However, by persistently pursuing these opportunities until the end, I believe we successfully created meetings with companies you wanted to meet. How did our hands-on approach appear to you?

Yu: Meeting with top executives from major corporations was extremely valuable. As startups alone couldn't have arranged such meetings, your support was truly appreciated.

Sekiya: For our company, considering it was a consumer-focused exhibition, we communicated our preferred target companies.As Mr. Date mentioned earlier, you were struggling during the pre-matching phase, and meetings remained undecided until the last minute. However, by shifting our focus, you recommended not only supermarkets (which align well with our business) but also marketing companies and Las Vegas casino operators. We are truly grateful for your persistent efforts right up to the wire to find as many relevant companies as possible, which ultimately led to securing numerous appointments.

Support During CES Travel Period (Business Meetings with Promising Companies, On-Site Business Meeting Support, etc.)

Date: During the trip, we ended up with so many business meetings scheduled that I was too busy to even take a lunch break—it was a happy problem. Tokyo Consortium Secretariat members actually attended and supported us during the on-site meetings. What kind of support do you think contributed to the results?

Yu: Before answering, I want to tell startups actually going on-site that "stamina" is crucial.During the CES trip, we held meetings with about six companies daily, managed our CES exhibition booth, and participated in two additional events. This intense schedule made me strongly realize the necessity of stamina.
Regarding the Tokyo Consortium Secretariat's support, they effectively created an atmosphere where our company could speak freely during meetings.While no immediate business deals materialized during the actual meetings, I am deeply grateful for their thorough follow-up support afterward. They also provided valuable knowledge on how to politely decline requests at trade shows like CES without causing offense. For example, while Innofis currently has no plans for fundraising, they advised how to politely decline investors present during meetings while maintaining connections.This advice was truly valuable and something we can leverage for future opportunities.

Date: As Mr. Yu mentioned, "stamina" is extremely important. Spending four days at CES overseas is incredibly demanding, so I felt we needed the toughness to push through it.

Sekiya: Speaking of "stamina," we participated with six members including the president, conducting cooking demos and business meetings, and I recall it being extremely tough.Regarding the business meetings, while we primarily handled them with members who could speak English, there were times when complex topics became too much to follow. In those cases, having the Tokyo Consortium Secretariat step in and provide language support was a huge help. Also, while things were hectic on-site, the Tokyo Consortium Secretariat helped manage the flow by supplementing information about our business partners and offering advice.

4. Closing (Information on Overseas Dispatch Programs at JETRO)

Tokyo Consortium Secretariat, Morimoto: Finally, since JETRO members are expanding their overseas operations, we will have them introduce several case studies.

JETRO: Thank you to Mr. Yu of Inofis Inc. and Mr. Sekiya of TECHMAGIC Inc. for sharing your CES experiences. We are delighted that through our support in this initiative, you achieved significant results: building connections with many companies and enhancing your visibility. We also extend our gratitude to the Tokyo Consortium Secretariat for their support.
JETRO supports startups' overseas expansion through various programs.Today, we will introduce three of these programs. First is support for participating in overseas events. This year, we supported 30 companies participating in CES, and next year we plan to support around 10 companies for VIVA TECHNOLOGY. Second is our acceleration programs. Through lectures by a diverse roster of accelerator instructors and matchmaking with overseas investors and partners, participants can gain a global perspective and international connections essential for worldwide expansion.Finally, the Global Acceleration Hub (GAH). GAH introduces the local business environment, provides advice on fundraising and pitching from mentors at partner accelerators, and connects startups with potential partner companies and venture capital firms. If you are interested, please visit our website or Facebook page.

Morimoto: Thank you all for joining us today.