The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) released the 2026 Startup Ecosystem Survey, showing that Japanese startups contribute direct GDP of 13.66 trillion yen and total created GDP of 25.69 trillion yen (4% of Japan's nominal GDP), with 590,000 jobs created and 3.92 trillion yen in income generation. Total created GDP grew 15.0% year-over-year.

Since adopting the Startup 5-Year Plan in 2022, the government has mobilized all policies to improve the environment for startup growth. For further ecosystem development, understanding the current state and sharing recognition with stakeholders is crucial.

The survey, conducted with cooperation from the Japan Venture Capital Association (JVCA), comprehensively analyzed Japanese startup data from multiple perspectives, including estimated GDP creation and international comparisons with other startup ecosystems.