Amin Abbas

DUBAI: A Japanese pavilion, organized by Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), participated in GITEX’s Expand North Star 2023, the world’s largest startup show that took place from Oct. 15 to 18.

The pavilion, titled “J-Starup”, had a total of 18 Japanese tech companies that specialize in AI, machine learning, education, telecommunications, gaming, virtual reality, Web 3, and more.

Japan has been participating in GITEX since 2016, making this year’s participation their seventh in a row, which shows Japan’s interest in the Middle East market.

“Compared to last year, Web 3.0-related companies exhibited for the first time. In addition, JETRO and Dubai World Trade Center (DWTC) co-hosted a roadshow in Tokyo and held a pitch event in May. DWTC covered the travel expenses for the winning company to participate in GITEX,” a representative of JETRO Dubai said about their participation.

“Also, companies with mobility-related technologies and services were given the opportunity to hold workshops with RTA before GITEX, and each company was given the chance to make a presentation. The challenge was the business matching, which is arranged for exhibitors in advance of the event. In any case, I believe that these preliminary efforts were the key to success in meeting the most efficient and effective outcome on GITEX,” he added.

The representative shared that they received good feedback from the visitors. “We have heard that several projects have led to concrete future business negotiations,” he said. “This was the first time for anyone to exhibit at Expand North Star, but the gathering of startups seemed to provide many opportunities to encourage conversation with each other as a common language in the startup industry.”

Hosted by the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, Expand North Star 2023 hosted more than 1,800 startups from 100 countries who are looking to connect, fundraise, and share experiences with global peers.

Additionally, 1,000 investors with a combined total of over a trillion dollars under management are ramping up the startup investor momentum in one of the world’s most dynamic and diverse scale-up ecosystems.

Expand North Star 2023 featured AI Monday, showcasing fast-scaling AI startups; India Central, the biggest gathering of over 200 Indian startups ever assembled outside of the country; as well as Asia Fast 100 and Africa Fast 100, the event’s largest showcases that bring together 100 leading startups from each continent for nearly a week-long program of conferences, networking, and dedicated pitch competitions.

The gathering of next-gen companies also features three themed sub-events targeting specific sectors: Fintech Surge, the Future Blockchain Summit, and Marketing Mania.