GoKawiilTechCrunch is partnering with SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026, Asia’s largest global innovation conference, taking place April 27–29 at Tokyo Big Sight. And we’re not just showing up to cover it — our very own Startup Battlefield program manager, Isabelle Johannessen, will be on the ground as a judge for the SusHi Tech Challenge, the conference’s flagship global pitch competition.
For the winner, the stakes couldn’t be higher: The SusHi Tech Challenge Grand Prix recipient will be automatically entered into the TechCrunch Disrupt Startup Battlefield Top 200 — making them eligible to pitch on one of the most coveted stages in the startup world.
Image Credits:Kimberly White / Getty Images
What is SusHi Tech Tokyo?
Now in its fourth year, SusHi Tech Tokyo — short for Sustainable High City Tech Tokyo — has grown into the largest innovation conference in Asia, drawing startups, investors, corporate partners, and city leaders from around the world. This year’s edition is the biggest yet: 750 startup exhibitors from 60 countries, more than 10,000 facilitated business meetings, and an expected 60,000 attendees across three days.
The conference is organized by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government with a clear mission: bring together the world’s best innovators to build the sustainable cities of the future.
On the expo floor, 62 corporate partners — including Sony, Google, Microsoft, and Mizuho — are hosting reverse pitches and actively seeking startup collaborators, making it as much a live dealmaking marketplace as a conference. And the programming reflects that ambition.
Four domains at the frontier
SusHi Tech 2026 is zeroing in on four technology domains reshaping society: AI, Robotics, Resilience, and Entertainment. Expect live demos of humanoid robots, sessions on autonomous driving’s software revolution, deep dives into cyber defense and climate tech, and candid conversations about how AI is rewriting the global music and anime industries.
Speakers include Howard Wright (Nvidia), Rob Chu (AWS), Eva Chen (Trend Micro), Qasar Younis (Applied Intuition), Christine Tsai (500 Global), Kathy Matsui (MPower Partners), and Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike, among many others. Roughly 60% of speakers come from outside Japan, and approximately half are women.
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