Tokyo's Black Belt Venture Studio Selects 12 Global Startups for its foundation cohort

14 Apr

Backed by Oxford University research, the Tokyo-based studio is pioneering a data-driven, founder-centric approach to global venture creation

Black Belt Global Venture Studio (BBV), selected under the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s startup support initiative “SUTEAM,” is pleased to announce the selection of 12 startups ranging from Pre-Seed to Series A, chosen from over 70 applications from Japan and abroad.

All selected startups will build ventures in Tokyo, either by launching new businesses from the ground up in Japan or by localizing and reconstructing proven technologies and business models for the Japanese market.

About Black Belt Global Venture Studio (BBV)

BBV is a venture creation platform that supports startups from inception through to scale. Drawing on the University of Oxford-born Science of Startups research, BBV leverages insights from over 21,000 startups to scientifically design founding teams and decision-making processes from the outset, aiming to create startups with a higher probability of success.

In addition, BBV combines investment and venture-building expertise from Japan Tech Ventures with access to a global startup network through Innovation Dojo, enabling hands-on support in building and scaling high-potential ventures.

While traditional approaches have focused on product and market, BBV introduces a founder-team-centric model, creating more reproducible opportunities for investment and strategic collaboration.

The program brings together a well-balanced cohort of startups at different stages of development. Among the overseas startups, Chipmetrics (Finland) has demonstrated tangible progress toward fundraising and the establishment of its Tokyo entity, reflecting strong execution capability and commitment to building its business in the Japanese market.

Meanwhile, while many of the domestic startups are at a pre-seed stage, teams such as Performance DNA Platform (Japan), which holds patents and is actively pursuing global expansion, demonstrate strong potential from the perspective of founding team characteristics and future growth.

Selected Startups (12)

The program has selected globally scalable startups across diverse sectors including AI, semiconductors, space, healthcare, cloud, music, and education.

AdjunctX (USA)
AdjunctX is a creator app for executives to build thought leadership, enhance their public presence, and share their knowledge and networks. It is developing an AI-powered learning and networking platform that enables executives to deliver expertise at scale, addressing the challenge of knowledge remaining siloed by allowing users to connect with and learn directly from industry leaders in a request-driven environment.
BistroTech (Japan)
Develops a platform that delivers climate and environmental intelligence using satellite data. Addresses the challenge of fragmented and complex Earth and space data by collecting and processing open data (e.g., from JAXA) into mobile-ready formats, providing actionable insights and tools for ESG evaluation and climate risk analysis.
Chipmetrics (Finland)
Provides measurement chips and wafers that enable visualization of previously unmeasurable parameters inside complex 3D semiconductor structures. Supports quality control, process optimization, and yield improvement in advanced semiconductor and thin-film manufacturing.
Clowak Innovations (India)
Develops a natural, water-mix oral care solution for dogs and cats. Addresses challenges in maintaining consistent dental care, leading to periodontal and systemic health risks—by using the antibacterial properties of lauric acid to target plaque at its source, enabling stress-free daily oral care.
Exos Aerospace Systems & Technologies (USA)
Develops and operates low-cost, reusable suborbital rockets for space applications. Addresses challenges faced by space companies and government agencies such as high costs, long development cycles, and limited testing opportunities by providing high-frequency flight testing and data collection, enabling faster development and improved reliability.
EyeVita (Japan)
Develops a medical solution combining a smartphone-based fundus camera with AI diagnostics, enabling general practitioners to perform eye examinations. Addresses delayed detection of vision-threatening diseases due to ophthalmologist shortages and uneven access by providing low-cost, easy-to-use screening and AI-based diagnosis.
Mezusphere (Japan)
Develops a next-generation platform that simplifies cloud service development and operations. Addresses the complexity of infrastructure setup and security management faced by startups and developers by providing an integrated foundation for authentication and communication, enabling fast, secure, and scalable deployment.
Mostro (France)
Provides a music fintech platform where artists can issue tokens and connect directly with fans. Addresses the challenges of limited artist monetization and weak fan engagement by enabling token-based funding and community building, expanding revenue opportunities and strengthening fan relationships.
MotionsCloud (Germany)
Leverages AI-powered image recognition to automate inspection and claims assessment processes across insurance, mobility, and aviation industries. By integrating IoT and external data with automated image capture and analysis, it eliminates subjective manual work and enables fast, standardised, data-driven inspections.
Nurselink (Japan)
Develops an app-based nurse call system. Addresses inefficiencies caused by the lack of context in traditional nurse calls by enabling request visualization and prioritization, improving nursing workflow efficiency and reducing missed responses.
Performance DNA Platform (Japan)
Develops an AI-powered music learning platform that captures and digitises performers’ physical movements, enabling users to visualise and learn the techniques of their favorite artists. It addresses the challenge in music education where tacit skills and physical techniques are difficult to visualise, leading to slow progress and high dropout rates, by transforming performers’ embodied knowledge into data that can be shared and learned. This approach creates a new learning experience, improving skill acquisition efficiency and enabling the monetization of expertise.
StructAI (Australia)
Develops a design support platform using Graph AI to automate automotive NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness) engineering. Accelerates structural design, root-cause analysis, and design iteration, reducing development time while improving quality and lowering costs.

Selected Startups

Demo Day Announcement

BBV will host a Demo Day to showcase the selected startups and create opportunities for investment and collaboration.

The event will feature a keynote by Paul X. McCarthy, Co-founder of the Science of Startups at the University of Oxford, alongside pitch presentations from all 12 selected startups. Through these pitches, attendees will gain insight into ventures developed using a scientific approach to team design and venture creation, and explore potential investment and partnership opportunities.

Event Overview