Advanced Japan Market Entry, Technology Adoption & B2B Sales Strategies
How do you scale in Japan? While we covered the foundational market entry strategies on the previous day, today we will focus on advanced strategies for technology adoption and B2B sales execution. Designed for startups and scale-ups ready to deepen their Japan presence, this day features keynotes and panel discussions with operators who have successfully navigated Japan's unique business landscape.
Doors Open
13:00–13:30
Registration
Session 1: Market Entry — Challenges and Opportunities
A focused session examining how companies enter and scale in Japan. Keynotes outline structural challenges and openings in overseas expansion, followed by a panel extracting practical insight on market-entry consulting, startup growth paths, and the mechanics of international trade promotion.
13:30–15:00
Keynote Speakers
13:30–14:00 | Rebecca Takada — Outfoxr
Rebecca Takada is an award-winning marketing executive and author who writes on corporate communication and global marketing best practices for Forbes Communication Council. With extensive experience building go-to-market strategies between Tokyo and New York, Rebecca moved to Japan straight out of university with no local contacts, language ability, or money, navigating the unique challenges of market entry as an immigrant entrepreneur and marketing leader.
14:00–14:30 | Shinji Yamanaka — Global Angle
Shinji Yamanaka is Founder and Managing Director of Global Angle, a Singapore-based firm specializing in global market research and international expansion support. With an MBA in Global Management and prior experience as Division Manager of Beauty Business at Amazon Japan, Yamanaka leads market entry strategy building and execution for clients expanding across Asia, with particular expertise in navigating Japan's complex business landscape.
14:30–15:00 | Panel Discussion
Moderator: Ilya Kulyatin — Tokyo AI (TAI)
An interactive exploration of the practical realities of entering Japan: regulatory hurdles, partnership dynamics, cultural considerations, and common pitfalls that derail even well-funded market entry attempts.
Coffee Break
15:00–15:15
Session 2: Technology Adoption in Japan
A focused examination of technology adoption shaping Japan’s enterprise landscape. The session traces concrete use cases of AI-driven business innovation across sectors, with emphasis on operational impact, decision-making shifts, and cross-Asian diffusion patterns. The discussion isolates the mechanisms enabling or blocking adoption, the organizational conditions required for scale, and the emerging competitive asymmetries created by accelerated deployment.
15:15–16:45
Keynote Speakers
15:15–15:45 | Sho Ikeda — Ex-Global Brain
Sho Ikeda is a Director at the Venture Capital firm Global Brain, with extensive experience in corporate finance and consulting at Mizuho Bank and Deloitte Tohmatsu Consulting. He supports new business development and operational improvement from finance and strategy perspectives, with responsibility for investment execution and post-investment support for startups across Japan and Southeast Asia, bringing deep insights into how Japanese corporates evaluate and adopt new technologies.
15:45–16:15 | Matt McDevitt — McKinsey & Company / QuantumBlack
Matt McDevitt is Co-Leader of QuantumBlack Japan, McKinsey's AI and machine learning center of excellence. In total Matt has nearly 15 years ofexperience building and applying AI and Big Data solutions to solve client needs. Prior to McKinsey, Matt spent over eight years scaling a Silicon Valley big-data analytics startup across the United States, Europe, and Japan, overseeing its acquisition by Teradata in 2014. With nearly a decade in Japan, Matt has helped clients achieve scaled impact through advanced analytics across pharmaceutical, automotive, and consumer goods industries. Matt brings both startup and enterprise perspectives on technology adoption in the Japanese market.
16:15–16:45 | Panel Discussion
Moderator: Ilya Kulyatin — Tokyo AI (TAI)
Examining the unique characteristics of Japan's technology adoption curve: Why certain innovations gain traction while others stall, how to position deep-tech solutions for Japanese decision-makers, and strategies for navigating lengthy enterprise sales cycles.
Session 3: B2B Sales in Japan
A direct look at the mechanics of B2B growth in Japan. The session isolates the structures driving SaaS adoption, the friction points in enterprise purchasing, and the operational patterns that determine repeatable sales motion. It examines how cross-border expansion reshapes pipeline architecture and how ASEAN market linkages alter product, pricing, and partnership strategy.
16:45–18:15
Keynote Speakers
16:45–17:15 | Yuiichiro Sasaki — RevComm
Yuiichiro Sasaki serves as VP Global Business Development and Country Director Indonesia at RevComm, one of Japan's most successful B2B SaaS startups developing Voice × AI-enabled cloud services. RevComm secured the top spot in Deloitte's Japan Technology Fast 50 list, and Sasaki has led the company's international expansion, scaling operations across Southeast Asia with hands-on experience in SaaS sales methodology, operational improvement, and building high-performing B2B sales organizations.
17:15–17:45 | Marcel Rasinger — Venture Café Tokyo
Marcel Rasinger is Community & Program Manager at Venture Café Tokyo - YOKOHAMA CONNÉCT, supporting foreign startups entering the Japanese market. Born in Austria with eight years at Advantage Austria Tokyo serving tech companies, Marcel has extensive experience facilitating connections between European and Japanese innovation ecosystems, running accelerator programs including Startupbootcamp Scale Osaka, and building partnerships across the EU-Japan corridor with a strong network in Austria and Germany.
17:45–18:15 | Panel Discussion
Moderator: Ilya Kulyatin — Tokyo AI (TAI)
Practical B2B sales strategies for the Japanese market, from identifying the right entry points within organizations to managing consensus-driven decision-making, building trust-based relationships, and structuring partnerships that align with Japanese business practices.
Closing Remarks
18:15–18:30
Tokyo AI (TAI)
Reflections on two days of Italy-Japan innovation exchange and pathways for continued collaboration between Japan, Italy, and the broader EU innovation ecosystem.
Networking Reception
18:30–20:30
An opportunity to connect with speakers, Italian startup delegations, judges from Day 1's pitch competition, and members of Tokyo's international business community over a buffet dinner.