Go Global Catalyst: Rewiring the Startup Journey from Tokyo to the World

Go Global Catalyst Tokyo is a startup accelerator and co-founder matching platform designed for early-stage entrepreneurs with global ambitions. Held in Tokyo, the program combines intensive workshops, mentorship, and a Demo Day where participants pitch to investors. It supports aspiring founders in business modeling, customer discovery, and market entry strategies, while also helping them find compatible co-founders. Since its launch, it has matched over 200 co-founders, accelerated more than 150 startups, and built a strong network of global investors. With that, let’s dive deeper into GGC's mission with its CEO, Ikuo Hiraishi.

What inspired the creation of Go Global Catalyst, and how did the Tokyo edition come to life?

It’s a long story, but the core idea was to help globalize Tokyo’s startup ecosystem. Since the Internet Bubble, the ecosystem here has grown significantly—but it remains largely domestic. There are a few reasons for this: Japan’s use of the Japanese language, its relatively homogeneous society, and the fact that it's the world’s fourth-largest economy, which allows startups to scale domestically without needing to go global. These factors create strong disincentives for international expansion. That’s why we created Go Global Catalyst—to build a co-founder matching platform that connects Japanese and international aspiring founders. By bridging these worlds, we hope to shift the mindset and open up more global opportunities for startups in Japan.

Why do you believe Japan is a strategic location for co-founder matching and global startup acceleration?

We're not just positioning Tokyo as a strategic location—we're actively working to make Tokyo a more global startup hub. Japan offers a unique blend of advanced infrastructure, a growing interest in entrepreneurship, and a highly educated talent pool. By connecting local and international founders through co-founder matching and acceleration programs, we aim to transform Tokyo into a launchpad for startups that can compete and thrive on the global stage.

What sets GGC apart from other startup accelerator or co-founder matching programs globally?

What sets GGC apart is our long-term vision to evolve into a Global Venture Studio. While we currently support entrepreneurs through acceleration and co-founder matching, our goal goes beyond that—we aim to build startups ourselves alongside founders. We're not just an accelerator; we're actively involved in developing ventures from the ground up, providing deeper, more sustained support to help startups launch and succeed.

What are the biggest challenges you've faced in running a global founder-matching program?

One of the biggest challenges is the lack of Japanese entrepreneurs with a global mindset and the necessary skills to build internationally competitive startups. Japan is a largely monoethnic nation with a strong domestic market and a predominance of native Japanese speakers, which has traditionally limited exposure to global business environments. To overcome this, we need to actively nurture and support entrepreneurs who are open to global perspectives and capable of thriving in international ecosystems.

Can you share some success stories or standout startups that have come out of GGC?

We’re just getting started, so we don’t have success stories to share—yet. But we're laying the groundwork, and we’re confident that the startups emerging from Go Global Catalyst will soon make their mark. Our focus now is on building the right environment and support system to help founders create those success stories.

What’s next for GGC — any expansion plans or new formats we should watch out for?

At GGC, we recognize that founders typically fall into two categories—those who excel at starting ideas from scratch, and those who thrive at operating and scaling them. While some people can do both, most lean strongly toward one. Our next step is to build a global system that effectively connects these different types of individuals to foster stronger, more balanced founding teams. Additionally, we’re exploring a solution for what I call the “living dead” startup problem—companies that aren't failing but also aren't scaling, leaving founders demotivated and investors stuck. We're working on a system that aligns the interests of three key stakeholders: founders seeking a graceful exit, investors looking to liquidate, and small to medium-sized enterprises interested in acquiring stable, revenue-generating businesses. This could open a new pathway for sustainable business transitions. And beyond that, we have several more ideas in the pipeline.

Ikuo Hiraishi is the CEO of Go Global Catalyst (GGC) and a veteran entrepreneur with decades of experience in Japan’s innovation landscape. He has co-founded and led multiple ventures, including Interscope Inc., and held leadership roles at companies like IMIO Corporation and Indoor Urban Farming Japan. A graduate of Tokai University, Ikuo is passionate about connecting diverse entrepreneurial talents through systems that drive sustainable startup growth. At GGC, he’s focused on transforming Tokyo into a global startup hub through co-founder matching and acceleration.

Visit www.techshake.asia if you would like to know and connect more with Go Global Catalyst.