SkyDeck's IPP Pitch Showcase (Batch 21)
Join Us for the IPP Virtual Pitch Showcase
We are pleased to invite you to our IPP Pitch Showcase, an engaging virtual event featuring fast-growing founders handpicked from a highly competitive applicant pool, presenting their startups to our community of supporters, advisors, mentors, and investors.
The cohort spans biotech and drug discovery, AI and robotics, advanced semiconductors, sustainable materials, digital health, and next-generation enterprise platforms, including first-in-class neurodegenerative therapeutics, RNA-based drugs, AI-driven technologies, sustainable chemicals, and novel medical devices.
This pitch event will feature 12 of the top startups from Batch 21 of the Innovation Partners Program from the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) and Osaka University Venture Capital (OUVC). The selected teams will be announced on this Luma page in late January. Whether you are an investor, mentor, founder, or friend of SkyDeck, this is a chance to discover some of Japan's most innovative ideas and meet the people behind them.
During the event, you’ll:
Learn more about SkyDeck's work with Japan's top innovators.
Hear pitches from ten IPP startups tackling diverse challenges and industries.
Participate in selecting a Favorite Pitch - the Favorite Pitch winner will advance directly to the interview stage of the selection process for SkyDeck's highly competitive Accelerator Cohort.
Event Schedule
4:00 – 4:05 PM – Event and Program Overview
4:05 – 4:10 PM – Welcome and SkyDeck Introduction from Caroline Winnett
4:10 – 4:55 PM – 3-minute pitches
4:55 – 5:00 PM – Voting for Favorite Pitch and Farewell
About IPP (Innovation Partners Program)
IPP acts as a bridge for global startup team to access the U.S. innovation ecosystem and SkyDeck’s startup resources, helping companies prepare for growth and U.S. market entry. Learn more here: https://skydeck.berkeley.edu/ipp-overview/
SkyDeck mentors, advisors, alumni founders, investors, and friends are all invited to join us for this event.
Featured Startups
MiRNDa: developing a novel RNA-based cancer screening platform that enables highly accurate early detection—starting with pancreatic cancer—to make more cancers curable.
ayumo: building a walking-based health assessment platform that detects mobility-related conditions early.
BFAI Semiconductor: helps semiconductor fabs catch defects earlier and cut inspection costs by reducing false detections to near zero through real-time, self-learning AI.
Chiral: transforming drug discovery by bringing simulations, datasets, analytical tools, and AI into a single end-to-end research platform.
VentEase: developing a catheter-based phrenic nerve stimulation device to help ICU patients wean off ventilators earlier and recover faster.
GlobalDeal: AI for global expansion—turning complex market entry into a fast, guided, and scalable process.
CLOVERNA: building a CRISPR/dCas13-powered RNA discovery platform that unlocks non-coding RNA targets to enable first-in-class therapeutics for biopharma partners.
CrowdChem: turns chemical data into fast, secure AI-driven discovery for materials innovation at scale.
Zaimo: using AI agents to automate financial modeling and analysis, freeing founders to focus on growing their business.
1Rx: developing a first-in-class small-molecule therapy aiming to be the world’s first cure for Parkinson’s disease.
NanoResonance: creating ultra-vivid, non-fading colors from silicon—replacing chemical pigments with lightweight, sustainable structural color.
Xtelligence: accelerating enzyme production and use up to five times more efficiently with its proprietary PCM technology, helping biopharma, chemical, and reagent companies innovate faster.
📍 Please note: This event will take place virtually only.