The Office of the City of Yokohama Representative to the Americas and LINK-J held the “Yokohama LINK-J Life Science Lounge NYC 2026” on Thursday, June 18, 2026, at the New York City office of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. The event was organized to coincide with the BIO International Convention in San Diego, bringing together Japanese life science stakeholders visiting the United States with investors, companies, and ecosystem partners based in New York.

The collaboration between the Office of the City of Yokohama Representative to the Americas and LINK-J was established with the aim of strengthening connections in the life science sector between the United States and Japan, hoping to serve both as an information platform providing insights into the U.S. life science and business landscape, and as a networking hub connecting companies, research institutions, and industry experts.

The event was held with the special sponsorship of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, and with the additional support of NINE JP and the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC). Around 60 participants attended, representing investors, companies, startups, universities, and research institutions active in the life science sector across the United States and Japan.

The program consisted of a keynote presentation, two panel discussions, and a networking session. The event opened with welcoming remarks from Seth Flaum, Partner at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, the venue sponsor. Director Nishikawa of the Office of the City of Yokohama Representative to the Americas delivered the opening address, introducing the City of Yokohama’s initiatives in the life science sector and the activities of the New York office. This was followed by remarks from Shunichi Takahashi, Managing Director of LINK-J, who provided an overview of LINK-J and its activities. Koji Murota, Head of the Growth Strategy Headquarters at Kyoto University, then introduced NINE JP and its international activities, including its presence in New York as one of its key global hubs.

Opening remarks by event sponsor WSGR

Opening remarks by Masahiro Nishikawa, Director  of the Office of the City of Yokohama Representative to the Americas; Introduction to Yokohama’s initiatives

Remarks and Introduction by Mr. Takahashi, Executive Director of LINK-J

Introduction to NINE JP’s Activities (Mr. Murota, Kyoto University Growth Strategy Headquarters)

In the keynote presentation, titled “U.S. Life Science Market and Investment Trends from a New York Perspective,” Zehra Ansari, Senior Project Manager of Life Sciences and Healthcare at NYCEDC, spoke about investment trends, startup growth dynamics, and infrastructure development in the U.S. life science market, with a focus on the rapidly growing New York ecosystem. She also highlighted opportunities for Japanese companies and startups entering the U.S. market and the potential for international collaboration.

Keynote Presentation by the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC)

The first panel discussion, “Japan to the U.S.: Fundraising, Regulatory Strategy, and Scaling in the World’s Largest Life Science Market,” was moderated by Seth Flaum of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, with panelists Keiji Asada of Amenichi Consulting, LLC, Kenichiro Kuninobu, Co-Founder and CEO of FELIQS, and Koji Yasuda, Principal at Fast Track Initiative, Inc. The session examined the practical challenges faced by Japanese life science startups entering the U.S. market, including fundraising, regulatory strategy, and partnership development, drawing on perspectives from investors, entrepreneurs, and industry experts.

First panel discussion: “Japan to the U.S.: Fundraising, Regulatory Strategy, and Scaling in the World’s Largest Life Science Market”

After that, a second panel discussion was held, titled “U.S. to Japan: Opportunities in the Japanese Life Science Market and Strategies for Growth,” was moderated by Ikuo Hayashi, President and COO of LINK-J, with panelists Norikazu Eiki, President of EIKI CONSULTING, LLC and Board Member of the Japanese Foundation for Rare Disease Research (JFRDR), Akio Uemura of Crecon Research & Consulting, Inc., and Scott Xiao, Co-Founder and CEO of Luminopia. The session provided practical insights into the strengths and opportunities of the Japanese life science market, and the strategies needed to build trust and achieve sustainable growth in Japan.

Second panel discussion: “U.S. to Japan: Opportunities in the Japanese Life Science Market and Strategies for Growth” 

Following both panel discussions, a networking session was held, during which participants engaged in lively exchange. The closing remarks were delivered by Kazuma Yamamoto, Consul at the Consulate General of Japan in New York, who noted that the life science sector represents one of the most promising areas of Japan-U.S. economic cooperation, and expressed his expectation that the new connections formed through the day’s discussions would lead to concrete partnerships in the future.

Closing Remarks by Mr. Yamamoto of the Consulate General of Japan in New York

The City of Yokohama Representative Office to the Americas will continue to promote the development of professional networks and information exchange in the life science sector between Japan and the United States, while supporting the expansion of Yokohama-based companies into North America. Going forward, the office will maintain its collaborative relationships with LINK-J and other partner organizations and will work to further strengthen connections between the U.S. and Japanese life science ecosystems, including through coordination with BioJapan, held annually in Yokohama.

The sessions from the event are available for a limited time as an archive. Please visit the LINK-J website for details: https://www.link-j.org/event/article-52523.html