ABU DHABI: Hub71, Abu Dhabi’s global tech ecosystem, welcomed its first group of startups from Japan under the Startup Immersion Programme, delivered in partnership with the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) and Elixir Capital through the J-StarX initiative.

The collaboration aims to strengthen Abu Dhabi’s ties with Japan’s innovation ecosystem and position the UAE capital as a launchpad for Asian founders expanding into the Middle East.

Seven Web3 startups from Japan have joined the third phase of the programme in the UAE, aimed at accelerating their growth by connecting them with investors, partners and customers in the region.

The founders previously completed earlier stages in Tokyo and virtual sessions with Hub71 before beginning a two-week immersion split between Hub71’s offices and GITEX Expand North Star.

During the program, the startups engaged with investors, explored pilot opportunities and showcased their technologies at the Japan Pavilion at GITEX, where Hub71 served on the judging panel.

Divya Nair, Startup Journey Lead at Hub71, said the partnership with JETRO underscores Hub71’s goal of linking Abu Dhabi with leading innovation markets. “By immersing founders in the UAE, Japanese entrepreneurs can experience Abu Dhabi’s open, business-friendly environment to pilot and scale next-generation technologies,” she said.

The participating startups include:

• Curvegrid – a blockchain development firm working on Japan’s sovereign blockchain infrastructure.

• Kyuzan – a Web3 product studio developing wallet, payment and gaming tools.

• Creatant – an AI-powered visual workspace for creative industries.

• MIKI – a cross-chain interoperability and DeFi infrastructure provider.

• Laplace – a luxury real estate tokenization platform.

• XENEA – a storage layer for AI and DePIN infrastructure with four million wallet users.

• Aniark – an AI-driven content creation platform collaborating with leading anime studios such as MAPPA and KADOKAWA.

Yuma Tanimoto, Founder and CSO of XENEA, described the experience as “transformative,” while Goki Kato, Founder and CEO of MIKI, said it provided valuable insight into Abu Dhabi’s regulatory environment.

Hub71 said the next phase of the partnership will focus on expanding opportunities for Japanese startups in Web3, AI, and digital assets, reinforcing Abu Dhabi’s position as a global hub for technology and investment.