TechCrunch brings Startup Battlefield to SusHi Tech Tokyo

TechCrunch is partnering with SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026, an innovation conference taking place from April 27–29. As part of this partnership, Isabelle Johannessen, the program manager for Startup Battlefield—which is TechCrunch’s pitch competition program—will serve as a judge for the SusHi Tech Challenge. The challenge serves as the conference’s global pitch competition. For the participating startups, the opportunity extends beyond the immediate competition: a TechCrunch editor will select one standout startup from the semifinalists to advance directly to the TechCrunch Disrupt Startup Battlefield 200. This selection provides a direct pipeline for the chosen startup to reach the global stage at TechCrunch Disrupt.

Now in its fourth year, the event is the largest innovation conference in Asia. Organized by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the conference is designed to bring together global innovators. This year’s event is expected to draw global participation, featuring:

• An expected 60,000 attendees
• 750 startup exhibitors representing 60 countries
• More than 10,000 facilitated business meetings
• 62 corporate partners hosting reverse pitches, which are sessions where corporate partners seek startup collaborators
• A speaker lineup where roughly 60% of speakers come from outside Japan, and approximately half of the speakers are women

These statistics highlight the scale of the conference as a central marketplace for technology and business development in Asia.

The SusHi Tech Challenge itself attracted 820 applications. The competition will see semifinalists take the stage on April 27, with the final round taking place on April 28. The overall winner of the pitch competition will receive a ¥10,000,000 Grand Prix award. Alongside this award, TechCrunch will select one semifinalist to advance to the Startup Battlefield 200. Beyond the startup expo and pitch stages, the conference will host the G-NETS Leaders Summit, which is a summit for city leaders. This summit will bring together city leaders from global locations, including Los Angeles, Nairobi, and Singapore, to discuss and forge commitments on climate resilience and urban sustainability. The presence of these global representatives underscores the event’s focus on global urban challenges.

Why it matters

This partnership bridges the Japanese innovation ecosystem with the global TechCrunch Disrupt network, providing a direct pipeline for Asian startups to reach global investors and stages.