initiative
SHIC (Shonan Health Innovation Conference)
— 2nd edition — Thursday, November 20, 2025, Boston, U.S.A.
iPark Institute connects startups in Japan and across Asia with leading overseas investors, primarily from the United States, with the aim of driving further growth in health innovation originating from Asia.
The background and vision of SHIC
Creating opportunities for Asian ventures to meet overseas investors
Large-scale fundraising is essential to conducting R&D at speed. At present, however, the investors backing startups in Japan and the rest of Asia are largely confined to Asia. To accelerate health innovation by using fundraising events held overseas—where there is a culture of bold investment—as a springboard, iPark Institute creates opportunities for Asian startups to meet leading overseas investors.
Improving the transparency of Japan's ecosystem, which has been
something of a black box Even when overseas investors wish to invest in Japanese startups, it is currently unclear where promising bio ventures can be found or how to go about investing in them. To reliably secure investment opportunities from overseas, we are working toward a future in which "accessing Shonan iPark gives you all the information you need on opportunities to invest in Japanese bio ventures."
SHIC in Boston
With an eye to the success of SHIC as a new initiative, the first edition is being held in Boston, the heartland of the startup ecosystem.
Distinctive features
- Participation by leading U.S. venture capital firms
For Asian startups, even making contact with leading U.S. venture capital firms (VCs—organizations that invest in and support promising venture businesses) is currently a high hurdle. At SHIC, established U.S. VCs invited in advance by iPark Institute come together in one place. - Raising appetite for investment in Asia by introducing promising bio ventures
The Asian startups taking part have been screened against criteria set by iPark Institute. By raising the quality of the companies introduced to U.S. VCs, we aim to build momentum for investment in Asia. - Content conveying the appeal of Japan's startup ecosystem and how it is changing
Japanese government ministries and companies will speak about the changing biotech investment environment in Japan. We will also welcome leading entrepreneurs who are commercializing Japanese research overseas to share their models and to discuss the significance of establishing R&D bases in Japan and the benefits of nurturing seeds originating in Japan. For U.S. VC investors with an interest in Japan and Asia, this offers an opportunity to reconsider investment in the region.