Meetup In 6 days
November
Thursday
19:00–21:00 2026 · Tokyo time
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An Opportunity to Connect Directly with Overseas VCs and Understand Their Investment Perspectives In this event, we are inviting overseas venture capital (VC) firms investing in the Food & AgriTech sector for a "reverse pitch." Each VC will speak directly about the technology and business areas they are focusing on, their investment themes, and what they expect from Japanese startups. Unlike regular pitch events where startups pitch for funding, this is a unique opportunity where investors themselves take the stage to share exactly what kind of startups they are looking for and what businesses or technologies they want to invest in. We highly welcome startups aiming for global expansion or overseas fundraising, as well as operating companies, CVCs, and investors in the Food & AgriTech sector who are interested in global investment opportunities.
【Event Overview】 Date & Time: Thursday, November 5, 2026 | 19:00 – 21:00 (JST) Format: Hybrid (In-person & Online Streaming) Venue: Nishimura & Asahi (Otemon Tower, 1-1-2 Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo) + Online Streaming Participation Fee: Free Organizer: CIC Toranomon Co-organizers: Food, Agri & Marine Innovation Community / Nishimura & Asahi
【Agenda】 19:00 – 19:10: Opening Remarks 19:10 – 20:00: Reverse Pitch by Overseas VCs 20:00 – 20:30: Networking & 1-on-1 Meetings 【Speakers】
John Friedman Asia Director, AgFunder John is the Asia Director at AgFunder, overseeing investments and ecosystem development across the Asia-Pacific region. As a global VC with a portfolio spanning six continents, AgFunder invests in technologies that unlock limiting factors across food, agriculture, human and planetary health. Previously an investment banker, John is also an angel investor and serves on the advisory council of Cornell AgriTech. Originally from Hawaii, John studied in the UK, and is a graduate of Cornell University and INSEAD. He is based in Singapore.
Gerard Chia Partner, Clay Capital Gerard is a Partner at Singapore headquartered Clay Capital Since 2014, Clay Capital has supported ambitious founders developing transformative solutions for a healthier, safer, and more regenerative agri-food system. Clay Capital is backed by significant institutional investors, including government-linked funds, supra-national entities, banks, insurance companies, and prominent families in the agrifood industry Prior to Clay Capital, Gerard was Head of Special Projects of a global industrial family investing across multiple asset classes. Previously, he worked for Saratoga Capital, an Indonesia-focused private equity fund. TBD 【Organizer】
CIC Toranomon G.K. CIC Toranomon G.K. is part of the Japan operations of CIC (Cambridge Innovation Center), a global innovation-campus operator founded in 1999 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. CIC runs campuses across North America, Europe, and Asia that bring together startups, corporate innovators, venture capital, and research institutions, and it operates innovation-globalization programs with more than a dozen governments as well as Venture Café, a worldwide entrepreneur community. In Japan, CIC opened CIC Tokyo—one of the country's largest innovation hubs (approx. 6,000 sqm at Toranomon Hills)—in 2020 and supports roughly 450 startups and members across its Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka campuses. Leveraging this global network, CIC provides end-to-end support for startups' growth, global expansion, and co-creation with corporates and investors. 【Co-organizers】
Food, Agri & Marine Innovation Community Against the backdrop of recent environmental changes surrounding the food, agriculture, and fisheries sectors, there is a growing awareness of social issues such as climate change, food security, and the labor shortage in primary industries, alongside rising expectations for achieving a sustainable food system through innovation. In response, the Food, Agri & Marine Innovation Community brings together stakeholders from the innovation ecosystem to conduct diverse activities throughout the year. Our goal is to accelerate startup growth and drive innovation through collaborations among startups, large corporations, research institutions, and government agencies. Specifically, we will build an innovation cluster in the environment and energy sectors, composed of startups, large corporations, investors, research institutions, local governments, and central ministries. We will achieve this through events like symposiums and matchmaking sessions, as well as innovation programs where startups and large corporations collaborate to tackle specific social challenges. Furthermore, by leveraging the extensive global network of CIC Tokyo and collaborating with overseas innovation clusters, we will gather international intelligence and create new businesses capable of capturing global markets. 【Organizer】
Naphasorn Laploetyingyong / CIC Tokyo Community Operations Coordinator After earning a BBA from Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU), they gained experience as a
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Chiyoda City
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Investors in the room
Investors in the room
every week · 2 dates
every week · 2 dates
