TOKYO -- Futuristic red laser beam lighting and hundreds of Japanese lanterns illuminated the pulsating energy at Slush Asia 2016, a two-day event in mid-May that attracted more than 4,000 entrepreneurs, investors and business startups. The pitch event, held at the cavernous Makuhari Messe exhibition center just outside Tokyo, reflected a growing focus on enterprising risk-takers, particularly women.
The leading organization for Japanese startups, the Japan Association of New Economy, headed by Hiroshi Mikitani, founder of e-commerce giant Rakuten, attracted about 3,000 hopeful entrepreneurs to its pitch event in 2015. Gatherings such as this and Slush Asia are helping to power growth in female-led startups, along with the G1 Summit, a private sector leadership forum, and government-backed organizations such as the Women's Entrepreneur Center at the Development Bank of Japan.
