Japan's Prime Minister and Cabinet have tasked StartX Stanford, Nexus Orca, and the collection of advisory partners we assemble to find and accelerate the founders who will build the next generation of massive global companies from Japan.
Japan produces world-class technology and founders. For decades, too few of them ever built at global scale. Japan's Prime Minister and Cabinet put $400 million behind changing that. Nexus Orca — our flagship accelerator program — is where that mandate meets execution.
Organizations including StartX Stanford, the Japan Cabinet Office, JST, the Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative, and SRI are collaborating to identify Japan's most ambitious early-stage founders, accelerate them through StartX-style programming, and connect them directly with US mentors and capital.
For US investors, this is a rare, curated pipeline: government-vetted, university-sourced founders building in deep tech, AI, biotech, and advanced manufacturing. For mentors, this is a chance to be in the room where Japan's next global companies are built.
Register Investor Interest
Japan's startup ecosystem is undergoing its most significant transformation in decades. Record government investment, a generational shift in founders, and deep technical depth have never been combined with a direct pipeline to US capital. Until now.
Whether you want early access to Japan's best founders as an investor, or want to work directly with them as a mentor, there is a place for you in the Nexus network.
Get curated deal flow from Cabinet Office-backed founders before they reach the broader market. Attend Demo Day, co-invest alongside peer US angels and VCs, and gain ongoing insight into Japan's most active sectors. Every founder in the cohort has cleared rigorous government vetting and StartX-style acceleration.
Register as Investor
Nexus is building a tight cohort of 40 mentors from the StartX, CZI, and SRI networks. Expect to sit alongside serial entrepreneurs, scientists, and operators who have built companies at global scale. Mentors are active for ~10 weeks, working directly with startups based in Japan.
Join as Mentor
