An April 9 article in the Keidanren Times reported that Japan's startup ecosystem's international standing has stalled. According to Startup Genome's Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER), Tokyo rose five positions to rank 10th in 2024 but slipped to 11th in 2025.

Although Keidanren's 2022 '10X10X' goal (doubling both the number of startups and their success levels by 2027) has expanded the domestic foundation with policy support, strengthening international competitiveness remains a challenge.

At the Keidanren Startup Committee meeting, Startup Genome Japan representative Naohiro Nishiguchi presented future priorities including strengthening linkages with global ecosystems, focusing on deeptech fields, and attracting overseas talent. Entrepreneur cultivation with global expansion in mind and building international networks are becoming increasingly critical.