With the support of a newly-launched market entry program formed through collaboration between the City of Yokohama and Kievit Scientific, 4 new Japanese companies based in Yokohama are gearing up for entering the US life sciences market with strategy development.
The United States is the world’s largest life science market. While recent startups worldwide have looked at the US as a desirable market to expand into, market entry strategies and partnering can often be challenges due to information gaps and lack of established connections. Therefore, to support the local startups in Yokohama, the Office of the City of Yokohama Rep. to the Americas works to coordinate with US-based specialized organizations to support Yokohama companies making successful inroads into the US market.
The newest such support collaboration and program is dubbed the “US Life Science Market Support Program 2022” and is made possible by a new collaboration with Kievit Scientific, a Philadelphia-based support company that helps startups with entering the US market strategy development and offers tailored advice and networking opportunities.
Applications for the program were held from September to October, and in the end 4 Yokohama companies were chosen for the program, based on their unique, promising technologies, even beyond the usual scope of life sciences. The US Life Science Market Support Program 2022 will seek to support these companies by providing business development strategies and tailored information, networking, and partnering opportunities for entering the US market, all through hands-on support. The program will run from November 2022 to February 2023, to provide ample time for setting up matching opportunities with partners and other US companies.
The list of participating companies is below. By participating in the program, these companies have signaled a commitment to US expansion. If you are interested in connecting with them to discuss their products or collaborative opportunities, please contact us and we can facilitate introductions.
Companies
ALAN
“Parkinson’s disease is a disease that causes movement disorders over 10 years due to the gradual degradation of nerve cells. Recent studies have shown that continued exercise can suppress the progression of the disease, but Parkinson’s disease causes lethargy, making it difficult to continue exercising. Therefore, we are developing a Parkinson’s disease-specific exercise promotion application that considers movement disorders and psychiatric symptoms, and are aiming to deploy it in the United States.”
CoreTissue Bioengineering
“Our company was founded in 2016 as a startup from Waseda University, and is developing medical devices that apply unique decellularization technology. The lead pipeline is an artificial ligament for knee anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. The standard treatment method for knee ligament reconstruction is to harvest the patient’s healthy tendon, prepare a graft for transplantation, and transplant it. Since there is a risk of complications such as ulcers, there is a demand in the medical field for a solution that can be implemented without removing the autologous tendon.
MabGenesis
“We have dramatically improved the comprehensiveness and functionality of the antibody library, which was the weak point of phage display antibody technology, and have the world’s highest level of monoclonal antibody (IgG and VHH) acquisition technology. We will create antibodies against difficult target molecules and highly functional antibodies that can distinguish slight differences in three-dimensional structures, and will bring a solution to the expansion of therapeutic target molecule space, which is a problem of antibody drugs.
WILLTEX
“Our corporate philosophy is to create the future with cloth. With our internationally patented fabric heating system, we provide fabric products that expand the human senses and create a happier future. Our “HOT TEX” and “COOL TEX” wear, jointly developed with Shuto Expressway Group, supports working people manage their condition and comfort. Many apparel brands have adopted our smart wear, which allows you to adjust your own temperature with your smartphone.”
