Investing in Japan’s Food & AgriTech Future：海外VCによるリバースピッチ
An Opportunity to Connect Directly with Overseas VCs and Understand Their Investment Perspectives
In this event, we are inviting overseas venture capital (VC) firms investing in the Food & AgriTech sector for a "reverse pitch." Each VC will speak directly about the technology and business areas they are focusing on, their investment themes, and what they expect from Japanese startups.
Unlike regular pitch events where startups pitch for funding, this is a unique opportunity where investors themselves take the stage to share exactly what kind of startups they are looking for and what businesses or technologies they want to invest in.
We highly welcome startups aiming for global expansion or overseas fundraising, as well as operating companies, CVCs, and investors in the Food & AgriTech sector who are interested in global investment opportunities.
【Event Overview】
Date & Time: Thursday, November 5, 2026 | 19:00 – 21:00 (JST)
Format: Hybrid (In-person & Online Streaming)
Venue: Nishimura & Asahi (Otemon Tower, 1-1-2 Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo) + Online Streaming
Participation Fee: Free
Organizer: CIC Toranomon
Co-organizers: Food, Agri & Marine Innovation Community / Nishimura & Asahi
【Agenda】
19:00 – 19:10: Opening Remarks
19:10 – 20:00: Reverse Pitch by Overseas VCs
20:00 – 20:30: Networking & 1-on-1 Meetings
【Speakers】
John Friedman
Asia Director, AgFunder
John is the Asia Director at AgFunder, overseeing investments and ecosystem development across the Asia-Pacific region. As a global VC with a portfolio spanning six continents, AgFunder invests in technologies that unlock limiting factors across food, agriculture, human and planetary health. Previously an investment banker, John is also an angel investor and serves on the advisory council of Cornell AgriTech. Originally from Hawaii, John studied in the UK, and is a graduate of Cornell University and INSEAD. He is based in Singapore.
Gerard Chia
Partner, Clay Capital
Gerard is a Partner at Singapore headquartered Clay Capital
Since 2014, Clay Capital has supported ambitious founders developing transformative solutions for a healthier, safer, and more regenerative agri-food system. Clay Capital is backed by significant institutional investors, including government-linked funds, supra-national entities, banks, insurance companies, and prominent families in the agrifood industry
Prior to Clay Capital, Gerard was Head of Special Projects of a global industrial family investing across multiple asset classes. Previously, he worked for Saratoga Capital, an Indonesia-focused private equity fund.
TBD
【Organizer】
CIC Toranomon G.K.
CIC Toranomon G.K. is part of the Japan operations of CIC (Cambridge Innovation Center), a global innovation-campus operator founded in 1999 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. CIC runs campuses across North America, Europe, and Asia that bring together startups, corporate innovators, venture capital, and research institutions, and it operates innovation-globalization programs with more than a dozen governments as well as Venture Café, a worldwide entrepreneur community. In Japan, CIC opened CIC Tokyo—one of the country's largest innovation hubs (approx. 6,000 sqm at Toranomon Hills)—in 2020 and supports roughly 450 startups and members across its Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka campuses. Leveraging this global network, CIC provides end-to-end support for startups' growth, global expansion, and co-creation with corporates and investors.
【Co-organizers】
Food, Agri & Marine Innovation Community
Against the backdrop of recent environmental changes surrounding the food, agriculture, and fisheries sectors, there is a growing awareness of social issues such as climate change, food security, and the labor shortage in primary industries, alongside rising expectations for achieving a sustainable food system through innovation. In response, the Food, Agri & Marine Innovation Community brings together stakeholders from the innovation ecosystem to conduct diverse activities throughout the year. Our goal is to accelerate startup growth and drive innovation through collaborations among startups, large corporations, research institutions, and government agencies.
Specifically, we will build an innovation cluster in the environment and energy sectors, composed of startups, large corporations, investors, research institutions, local governments, and central ministries. We will achieve this through events like symposiums and matchmaking sessions, as well as innovation programs where startups and large corporations collaborate to tackle specific social challenges.
Furthermore, by leveraging the extensive global network of CIC Tokyo and collaborating with overseas innovation clusters, we will gather international intelligence and create new businesses capable of capturing global markets.
【Secretariat】
Naphasorn Laploetyingyong / CIC Tokyo Community Operations Coordinator
After earning a BBA from Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU), they gained experience as a recruitment consultant and talent acquisition specialist in the tech and marketing sectors. Currently serving as a Community Operations Coordinator at CIC, they focus on organizing community events, strengthening client relationships, and generating new collaborations within the CIC community. They are also an active member of the DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging) team.
Batsuren Enkhtur / CIC Catalyst APAC Project Manager
Arriving in Japan in 2001, they graduated from the Faculty of Economics at the University of Tokyo before managing overseas business development for a French tech startup and leading cross-border e-commerce operations at Rakuten. At PwC Consulting and Deloitte Tohmatsu Consulting, they drove open innovation between major corporations and startups, alongside advanced technology projects involving AI. In their current role since January 2025, they support startups with social implementation and global expansion. Fluent in Japanese, English, Russian, and Mongolian.
Risa Taniguchi / CIC Catalyst APAC Project Manager
Graduated from Osaka University and is currently enrolled in the professional master's program in Technology and Innovation Management at the School of Environment and Society, Institute of Science Tokyo (formerly Tokyo Tech). After graduation, they joined the Tokyo Metropolitan Government as an administrative official, working in areas such as education, healthcare, and startup support. In 2023, they were seconded to an accelerator to support collaborative projects in the food and agriculture sectors. In their current position since June 2024, they are responsible for supporting the growth of startups in the Food and GX (Green Transformation) fields.
【Advisor】
Hideki Katagiri / Nishimura & Asahi (Gaikokuho Kyodo Jigyo) Attorney-at-law
Hideki Katagiri is the Co-Founder of the Agri Food Legal Practice Group at Nishimura & Asahi.He supports clients end-to-end, from deal sourcing to hands-on execution, focusing on the design and implementation of go-to-market strategies for novel foods including regulatory compliance, general counsel services for domestic and international agri-food businesses, and strategic investments such as M&A.
He also focuses on cross-border market entry into Europe, the United States and Asia, providing practical strategies grounded in each jurisdiction’s food regulations and entry schemes.
He combines the knowledge of EU and US food safety regulation and innovation policy gained through an MSc in Food Law & Regulatory Affairs at Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands with business-side experience as Regulatory Lead at the Dutch food tech startup NoPalm Ingredients.
Today he serves as a director of the Upcycle Food Association and an auditor of GFI Japan, and as an ambassador of FoodHack Tokyo, connecting the Japanese and global agri/food tech communities as a key player in the ecosystem.
【Now Accepting Community Members!】
To drive innovation in primary industries and the food sector from Japan, we are building an innovation community centered around startups, operating companies, investors, financial institutions, government agencies, local municipalities, and research institutions.
Through our year-round programs (regular events and networking opportunities), we aim to build networks and provide collaboration opportunities among members, facilitate partnerships with central and local governments, offer growth opportunities for startups, and enable access to international players.
Furthermore, we are dedicated to cultivating a community that supports the commercialization of technologies originating from universities and research institutions, as well as the creation of startups through corporate spin-outs.
★Apply to join the community here ：Open Google Form
【Event Partners】
Nishimura & Asahi (Gaikokuho Kyodo Jigyo)
Nishimura & Asahi is Japan’s largest law firm, covering all aspects of domestic and international business and corporate activity. Our firm has more than 1,000 professionals with a presence in over 22 locations around the world.
We understand our clients’ growing needs and our fully-integrated team of lawyers and professional staff are proud to share the same fundamental philosophy: An uncompromising commitment to excellence.
We work with the most prominent Japanese and global corporations to find novel solutions for their industries’ most complex challenges.
Through our firm’s domestic and global networks, we are ideally placed to provide our clients with a borderless one-stop service, from Japan to the world.
*This event is being held as part of the "Soft Landing Program for Overseas Investors," which has been selected for the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's "TOKYO SUTEAM" (Startup Support Initiative by Diverse Actors).