TechCrunch is heading to Tokyo — and bringing Startup Battlefield with it

TechCrunch is partnering with SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026, Asia’s largest global innovation conference, which will be held from April 27-29 at Tokyo Big Sight. Not only are we coming to cover the event, but our own Startup Battlefield Program Director, Isabel Johansen, will be on the ground as a judge for the SusHi Tech Challenge, the conference’s leading global competition.

For the winner, the stakes couldn’t be higher: The grand prize winner of the SusHi Tech Challenge will be automatically entered into the TechCrunch Disrupt Startup Battlefield Top 200 – making them eligible to advance onto one of the most coveted stages in the startup world.

What is SusHi Tech Tokyo?

Now in its fourth year, SusHi Tech Tokyo – short for MiteIt can be achieved Hellogh City Tech Tokyo – has evolved into Asia’s largest innovation conference, attracting startups, investors, corporate partners and city leaders from around the world. This year’s edition is the largest yet: featuring 750 emerging exhibitors from 60 countries, more than 10,000 business meetings, and 60,000 people expected to attend over three days.

The conference is organized by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government with a clear mission: to 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 demos and actively seeking startup collaborators, making it as much a live deal-making marketplace as it is a conference. The programming reflects this ambition.

Four border areas

SusHi Tech 2026 focuses on four technology areas that are reshaping society: artificial intelligence, robotics, resilience, and entertainment. Expect live demonstrations of humanoid robots, sessions on the self-driving software revolution, deep dives into cyber defense and climate technology, and candid conversations about how AI is rewriting the global music and animation industries.

Speakers include Howard Wright (NVIDIA), Rob Chu (AWS), Eva Chen (Trend Micro), Qasr Yunus (Applied Intuition), Christine Tsai (500 Global), Cathy Matsui (MPower Partners), and Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike, among others. Nearly 60% of the speakers come from outside Japan, and nearly half of them are women.

Will you be in Tokyo? Don’t miss it. Get your tickets here.

SusHi Technology Challenge

The pitch competition attracted 820 applications from 60 countries and regions – 437 international and 383 Japanese. Twenty semi-finalists compete on April 27, seven finalists advance to the final on April 28, and one grand prize winner receives ¥10,000,000 and is automatically entered into the TechCrunch Disrupt Startup Battlefield Top 200.

Beyond the stage

The conference extends beyond the conference hall. City leaders from 49 cities across five continents – from Los Angeles to Nairobi to Singapore – are coming together for the G-NETS Leaders Summit to formulate concrete commitments on climate resilience and urban sustainability. On the exhibition floor, 62 corporate partners, including Sony, Google, Microsoft and Mizuho, ​​are hosting reverse demos and actively looking for startup collaborators.

And because this is Tokyo, the experience doesn’t stop at 6 p.m.: classical music performances from La Folle Journée, cruises along Tokyo Bay, and the Network Innovation NIGHTs series round off the program.

Before you go, download the app

The SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026 Official App is your command center on the ground. Before you arrive, AI-powered matching recommends the right startups, investors and partners for you to connect with – and lets you book meeting rooms in advance. On-site GPS floor mapping, QR business card exchange, and real-time push notifications keep you oriented across Tokyo Big Sight’s sprawling venue. Download for iOS or Android.

SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026 takes place from April 27-29 at Tokyo Big Sight. Business days are April 27-28; The public day (entry is free) is April 29.