Lne Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; President & CEO, CCO: Kiyoshi Inoue) has been awarded the contract for "Sendai Global Startup Hub Operations (FY2026)" by Sendai City.
▶︎ Adoption Results (Official City of Sendai):https://www.city.sendai.jp/startup-kyoten/sendaiglobalstartuphub08.html
This project will establish a collaborative framework with venture capital firms, support organizations, accelerators, and the like, both domestically and internationally. We will provide consultation services, opportunities to acquire knowledge and know-how necessary for overseas expansion, and hands-on support to help startups in the Sendai and Tohoku regions aiming for international markets to secure business meetings locally, with a focus on Southeast Asia. Our goal is to foster startups that grow globally while being rooted in Sendai and Tohoku, and to build an ecosystem seamlessly connected to the world.
Additionally, Sendai City has begun accepting applications for the "Sendai/Tohoku Expansion Program (STEP)" aimed at startups in Sendai and Tohoku looking to expand overseas. In fiscal year 2026, the program will be offered in two courses: "STEP for ENTRY" for startups in the business launch phase, and "STEP for GROWTH" for startups in the growth phase. Leave-a-nest will be in charge of operating "STEP for GROWTH," which targets startups in the growth phase.
Building on the achievements of Reiwa 7, from "Contact Formation" to "Implementation Support"
In fiscal year 2025, Leave a Nest will again be entrusted with this mission and will continue to support the global expansion of startups in the Sendai and Tohoku regions. Last fiscal year, we handled 41 consultations, had 113 seminar registrants, and facilitated over 85 business meetings for 7 key companies, resulting in over 100 business meetings and interviews in total for the project. Additionally, MOUs, LOIs, joint research discussions, and PoC candidates
This led to the creation of points of contact with a high likelihood of commercialization, such as forming partnerships.
On the other hand, through last year's support, additional support needs related to the implementation phase have also become apparent, such as beyond MOU signing and on-site interviews, including PoC design, regulatory consolidation, joint research plans, and the concretization of sales and implementation targets.
Therefore, in Reiwa 8, we will focus not only on creating opportunities for overseas travel and business negotiations, but also on "creating a state where businesses actually operate overseas." We will provide comprehensive support, from forming overseas expansion hypotheses, target market analysis, prospecting, preparing for English business negotiations, conducting on-site interviews, designing PoCs, forming joint research, to organizing post-MOU actions, aiming to build a foundation for R&D-oriented startups to grow in overseas markets in the medium to long term.
Features of "STEP for GROWTH" 2026
STEP for GROWTH is a program for startups headquartered or with offices in the Sendai/Tohoku region that have established their own products and services and aim for overseas expansion. This program will provide support in areas such as analyzing challenges and target markets for overseas expansion, pitch training in English, advice on developing market entry strategies, personalized support for securing business negotiations and developing sales channels, assistance with exhibiting at overseas trade shows and business meetings, and creating opportunities for one-on-one meetings and networking with local startups, government agencies, corporations, universities, and investors.
For fiscal year 2026, based on the support achievements of the previous fiscal year, we will broadly categorize overseas expansion approaches into the following three types and provide tailored support designs according to each company's situation.
- Sales Channel Development and Marketing
- Joint Research / Proof of Concept
- Concept Network Construction
In the initial interview, we will organize each company's business phase, challenges to be verified overseas, assumed implementation entities, regulatory and contractual issues, and determine whether to proceed with a MOU, PoC, joint research, or sales collaboration. We will then design the necessary interview targets, pre-travel preparations, success metrics, and post-follow-up actions.
Sharpening hypotheses based on local primary information, with a focus on Southeast Asia.
This program focuses on Southeast Asia, but the target countries and regions can be flexibly chosen based on the objectives and needs of the selected companies. We will collaborate with our overseas subsidiaries and local networks in Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, and other countries, and support the formation of connections with local companies, government agencies, universities, research institutions, accelerators, and investors.
Furthermore, in overseas expansion, hypotheses established in advance may not necessarily hold true in the local market. This program emphasizes firsthand information obtained through on-site interviews and event participation, and will re-evaluate target markets and business hypotheses as needed. In other words, it is support that helps determine the course while reading the local winds and currents, rather than setting out to sea with a map drawn from a desk.
Recruitment Overview
Program name:
Sendai/Tohoku Expansion Program (STEP) Program for Growth-Stage Startups "STEP for GROWTH"
Subject:
Startups headquartered or with operations in the Sendai/Tohoku region that have established their own products or services and aim for overseas expansion.
Number of adoptions:
About 5 people
Participation Fee:
free
Main support items:
・Challenges and target market analysis for overseas expansion
Provide opportunities for pitch training in English
Advice for developing a market entry strategy
・Individual support for acquiring business negotiations and developing sales channels
Support for exhibiting at international trade shows and business matching events
・Providing opportunities for one-on-one meetings and networking with local startups, government agencies, corporations, universities, investors, venture capitalists, etc.
Application period:
Wednesday, July 1, 2026 to Friday, July 17, 2026 at noon
How to apply:
Sendai City "Sendai Tohoku Expansion Program (Abbreviation: STEP)"Please apply through the entry form on the page. (Entry Form:https://logoform.jp/form/3PrJ/1583799)
Upcoming events
July 2026: Recruitment and Application Period
August 2026: Document screening, online interviews, and selection of successful companies
September 2026 - February 2027: Seminars, individual consultations, strategy development, on-site interview support
Around October-November 2026: Support for overseas travel, exhibition participation, etc.
February 2027: Scheduled to hold the results presentation meeting
Lanes' international expansion support track record
Since 2013, Real-World Company has been supporting overseas expansion, primarily in Southeast Asia, by connecting startups, universities, research institutions, government agencies, and businesses both domestically and internationally. In fiscal year 2024, as part of a commissioned project by the ASEAN-Japan Economic and Industrial Cooperation Committee (AMEICC), we promoted a project to facilitate overseas expansion for Japanese startups through collaboration with Southeast Asian companies. Out of 51 applicants, 17 companies were selected. We created over 10 business meeting opportunities for each company and achieved concrete results such as MOUs for 12 companies.
Furthermore, in the Tohoku region, we have been operating "Tohoku Tech Planter" since 2023, working with regional universities, research institutions, and small and medium-sized enterprises to identify and nurture startups that leverage research outcomes. By utilizing this knowledge and network, we will provide practical, hands-on support for R&D-focused startups from Sendai and Tohoku to operate globally in our Sendai Global Startup Hub operations from fiscal year 2026.
Inquiries regarding this matter
LIVERNESS Corporation
In Charge: Akinaga, Ishizawa, Inoue
Phone: 03-5227-4198
E-mail: [email protected]
