NUS Enterprise, the entrepreneurial arm of the National University of Singapore (NUS), is expanding its presence in Japan with the launch of its second BLOCK71 office in Tokyo.
This follows the successful opening of its first location in Nagoya in November 2024. In collaboration with key partners, Central Japan Innovation Capital (CJIC), Kyoto University, and TIS Inc., NUS Enterprise aims to support startups, researchers, and students while connecting them with investors. These partnerships align with Japan's efforts to accelerate the growth of its startup ecosystem.
Located at TAKANAWA GATEWAY Link Scholars' Hub, BLOCK71 Tokyo will support the growth of Southeast Asian technology-driven startups in Japan, contributing to the urban development's focus on environmental sustainability, mobility and robotics, and smart health. It will also provide Japanese startups with the resources needed to expand into Southeast Asia and beyond.
Under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by Assoc Prof Tee and Professor Kazuya Takeda, CJIC CEO, CJIC will invest up to five percent of its assets under management in NUS-affiliated deep tech startups. The fund aims to raise approximately ¥5 billion by the end of its fundraising, expected in November 2025.
Beyond funding, NUS is enhancing entrepreneurial support for deep tech startups through its partnership with Kyoto University, formalised by an MoU signed by Prof Tan and Dr Nagahiro Minato, Kyoto University President. As a first step, Kyoto University will send startups to join the NUS Graduate Research Innovation Programme (NUS GRIP).
NUS is expanding its global entrepreneurship efforts through a partnership with TIS Inc., one of Japan's leading IT companies, to build a globally connected startup ecosystem. TIS Inc. will commit a total of ¥840 million to support Deep Tech Seed to A Growth Expansion Programme (Deep-SAGE) over the next three years. This will include three cohorts, each comprising up to 10 start-ups. As part of this commitment, TIS Inc. plans to invest a minimum of ¥55 million each in at least two startups per cohort.
