Sakura Deep Tech Shibuya is a startup support facility in the field of deep tech located in Shibuya, Tokyo, and since its opening in 2018, has played a role in accelerating the social implementation of advanced technologies. The approximately 3,000 m2 facility is equipped with state-of-the-art experimental facilities, co-working space, and international conference rooms, and supports approximately 50 startups annually.
Support Achievements by Technical Field
AI and Machine Learning: Medical image analysis startup MediVision has successfully improved the accuracy of its cancer diagnosis model using the facility's GPU cluster. It has increased diagnostic accuracy from 85% to 92% and has formed a business alliance with a major medical device manufacturer in 2023.
Robotics: CareBot, a developer of nursing care robots, uses a 3D printer at its facilities to cut the prototyping time for parts in half. The company has succeeded in reducing the weight of a robot that assists in transferring elderly people by 30% and has begun demonstration tests at nursing care facilities.
Biotechnology: CellMeat, a cell cultured meat development startup, has developed a technology to improve cell proliferation efficiency using the facility's sterile laboratory; in 2024, the company filed a patent jointly with the University of Tokyo and is preparing for mass production.
Specific initiatives for academic and industrial collaboration
The facility collaborates with more than 10 universities, including the University of Tokyo, Keio University, and Tokyo University of Science, to promote joint research between researchers and startups. 24 "Deep Tech Academic Seminars" were held in FY2023, attended by more than 3,000 people in total. For example, the "AI and the Future of Medicine" seminar provided a forum where a professor from the University of Tokyo School of Medicine and a representative of a medical AI startup discussed academic findings and the challenges of practical application.
Investor Matching Outcomes
In FY2023, 12 startups successfully raised a total of 3.5 billion yen in funding through Demo Day. FlexMat, a robotics materials developer, raised ¥500 million in Series A funding within one month of its pitch, accelerating its overseas expansion.