The Office of the City of Yokohama Representative to the Americas hosted its “Japan Gateway for Climate & Deep Tech” event on Monday, June 1, 2026, during New York Tech Week at Baker & McKenzie LLP in New York City. The event was organized by the Office of the City of Yokohama Representative to the Americas in collaboration with Greennex Global, ShibuLA Ventures, and Deep Tech Forum, with sponsorship from Baker & McKenzie LLP and ITO EN (North America).
Over 150 participants attended the event, including representatives from more than 30 investment firms and venture capital funds, as well as over 15 Japanese companies. The gathering brought together leading stakeholders driving innovation in the climate and deep tech sectors across both Japan and the United States. Startups, investors, major corporations, government agencies, and other ecosystem partners engaged in active discussions and networking to strengthen bilateral collaboration.
The program opened with welcoming remarks by Skip Rankin of Baker & McKenzie, followed by further opening remarks from Kazuma Yamamoto, Head of the Economic Section at the Consulate General of Japan in New York.
Following these opening remarks, the event began in earnest with a keynote address delivered by Nicole Spina, Vice President of Climate Innovation and Industry Development at the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), titled “How NYC is Building the Next Climate Tech Hubs.”
During her presentation, Ms. Spina introduced New York City’s Green Economy Action Plan, highlighted the city’s emerging climate innovation hub in Brooklyn, and outlined business support services available to international companies seeking to establish operations in New York.
Next was the first of two fireside chats, moderated by Kevin M. Ninomiya, CEO and Co-Foudner of ShibuLA Ventures, titled “Where to Scale Next: U.S.-Japan Investor Perspectives on Climate & Deep Tech.” Panelists included Mami Shibamoto of JERA Americas, Richard Bourgeois, Associate Director of Innovation Partnerships at the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), and Raluca Florea, Principal on the Investment Team at Decarbonization Partners.
The discussion explored how growing energy demand driven by artificial intelligence is shaping investment trends, what Japanese corporations prioritize when collaborating with startups, including clear use cases, long-term commitment, and implementation readiness, and the challenges startups face in scaling from pilot projects to commercial deployment.
The second fireside chat, titled “The Manufacturing Backbone of Climate Innovation: Scaling Deep Tech Through Industry,” was moderated by Sabrina Sasaki, Partner at Monozukuri Ventures. Panelists included Cvic Innocent, Founder and General Partner of Frankenbuild Ventures, and Stacey Weismiller, President and CEO of the American Manufacturing Futures Institute.
The discussion focused on the critical role of manufacturing as the foundation for bringing climate innovations to market. Topics included the importance of regional and city-level industrial strategies, workforce development challenges, and opportunities for deeper manufacturing collaboration between Japan and the United States.
The event continued with a startup pitch session moderated by Stella Yuhang Song, Founder of Greennex Global. Six U.S.-based startups presented their technologies and business strategies to Japanese companies and local investors.
| Company Name | Sector | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Realta Fusion | Fusion Energy | A university spinout developing modular magnetic mirror fusion systems for commercial-scale energy production. The company achieved a world-record 17-tesla magnetic field in confined plasma and has raised a US$36 million Series A round, in addition to support from the U.S. Department of Energy’s fusion program. |
| Evrnu | Circular Textile Materials | Commercializing regenerated lyocell fiber made from discarded cotton textiles that can be recycled multiple times without compromising quality. The company has secured purchase commitments exceeding US$330 million from leading global apparel brands. |
| mimic systems | Next-Generation Heat Pumps | Developing solid-state heat pump technology that eliminates refrigerants and moving parts, significantly reducing energy consumption and emissions in HVAC systems through advanced thermoelectric technology. |
| FAST Metals | Critical Mineral Recovery | Recovering rare earth elements and high-value minerals from industrial waste using a proprietary low-energy hydrometallurgical process, supported by major global mining companies. |
| florrent | Grid-Scale Energy Storage | Developing next-generation ultracapacitors for renewable energy integration, EV charging infrastructure, and grid stabilization. Its proprietary low-cost energy storage technology addresses power stability challenges that conventional batteries struggle to solve. |
| Turnover Labs | Industrial CO₂ Conversion | Developing on-site electrolysis systems that convert industrial CO₂ emissions into feedstocks for high-value chemicals, including plastics, solvents, and fuels. The company reports a system lifetime that is 500% longer and energy efficiency that is 40% higher than conventional technologies. |
In his closing remarks, Masahiro Nishikawa, Chief Representative of the Office of the City of Yokohama Representative to the Americas, highlighted Yokohama’s long-standing efforts towards a circular economy and sustainable urban development in collaboration with international organizations such as the United Nations and the World Bank.
Nishikawa also outlined Yokohama’s strategy for strengthening Japan–U.S. collaboration in the climate sector through two complementary approaches: first, providing hands-on support for U.S. startups seeking partnerships and pilot projects in Japan: second, building an ecosystem that fosters long-term relationships through continuous networking opportunities. He emphasized Yokohama’s commitment to deepening bilateral collaboration in climate and deep tech over the long term.
Following the formal program, participants joined a networking reception where speakers, investors, startups, and representatives from Japanese companies exchanged ideas and explored future collaboration opportunities. The session allowed for the creation of many new connections between participants that are expected to lead to concrete partnerships between Japanese companies and U.S. innovators.
Office of the City of Yokohama Representative to the Americas will continue promoting initiatives that support the expansion of Yokohama-based companies into North America while strengthening networks between Japan and the United States in the climate and deep tech sectors.
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