Activate BRIDGE Japan Program: Connecting Science Across Global Borders

At Activate, our work of building the community that drives science into impact goes beyond borders. We empower scientists and engineers to bring game-changing innovations out of the lab for real-world impact across the United States, in Singapore—and now in Japan.

In partnership with Innovation Platform for the University of Tokyo (UTokyo IPC); Japan’s Bureau of Science, Technology and Innovation; and global integrated marketing and innovation agency Hakuhodo, we are proud to announce the Activate BRIDGE Japan Program, a nine-month entrepreneurial training curriculum designed to reach deep-tech founders early—when they are still based in a research lab and pre-incorporation—and help them explore the commercial viability of their technologies.

“We support technical founders as they transform from being incredible researchers to being incredible business leaders of their companies,” Activate Executive Vice President Sarah Morrill said. “We are excited to design a program specifically for the Japanese market, building on what we have learned from ten years of supporting founders scaling deep tech in the world.”

Leveraging Activate’s proven model, the program will feature our core curriculum on entrepreneurial mindsets, one-on-one monthly mentoring by an Activate entrepreneur-in-residence, monthly group coaching sessions and biweekly peer pods, two in-person workshops in Tokyo, and a U.S. immersion trip to connect with Activate Fellows and U.S. deep-tech networks. Participants will leave with a clear path forward for their science-driven venture—equipped to validate, launch, or confidently decide not to pursue commercialization.

The Activate BRIDGE Japan Program was announced as part of a larger initiative called Global Campus Startup (GSC), funded by Japan’s Bureau of Science, Technology and Innovation. As Japan makes big investments to develop its nascent hard-tech ecosystem, this initiative aims to strengthen the entrepreneurial landscape by fostering international collaboration and creating pathways for research-driven innovation to scale globally and reach the industries and communities that need it most. Activate was featured at the GSC launch event in Tokyo in March alongside other international leaders in innovation and entrepreneurship, including Nexus, Imperial College of London, University of Singapore, and ​​SRI.

Activate Executive Vice President, Sarah Morrill, speaking at the GSC launch event in Tokyo.

For Activate, this new BRIDGE program underscores our efforts to close the gaps in support for science entrepreneurs by going beyond our flagship U.S.-based fellowship—reaching founders even earlier in their journeys, in new geographical areas, and supporting them along the entire path from lab to launch. (BRIDGE stands for “Bolstering Resources for Innovators from Developing and Growing Ecosystems.”)

Additionally, building relationships in Japan will open doors for our ever-growing network of Activate Fellows who are increasingly ready to expand to global markets.

Introducing Leadership for Asia Programs

Taylor Smith, the newly announced Senior Program Manager - Asia, will drive success for the Activate BRIDGE Japan Program and the Activate Global - Singapore Fellowship, launched in 2025—expanding Activate’s ability to support science-driven founders globally.

Smith comes to Activate with a wealth of experience in international fellowships and a passion for designing high-impact experiences. Before joining Activate, she served as Associate Director of the Atlantic Council’s Millennium Leadership Program and previously, the Operations Manager for Meridian’s International Visitor Leadership Program. Smith holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations and affairs from American University, and she completed a post-graduate fellowship in Germany focused on cross-cultural exchange.

“I've spent a lot of time developing international communities, especially those that are not centered on a single leader but are driven by people who are invested in the community around them and empowering each other to be ambitious,” Smith said.

“This is a crucial time in the science and tech sector to think about how we are working laterally abroad,” she continued. “We’ve seen the excitement on the ground in Japan and heard repeatedly that this kind of program is so needed. There’s so much opportunity to be unlocked.”

Smith said she looks forward to building out the networks and resources that will provide robust support for budding deep-tech founders in Japan, and, looking ahead, ensure full-circle support for them beyond the span of the program.

The program represents a critical step in ensuring that more breakthrough technologies move from lab to real-word impact globally.

The Activate BRIDGE Japan Program will support five founder teams in each nine-month cohort for the first three cohorts. Applications are now open for the first cohort and programming will begin in Summer 2026.

Scientists and engineers need support at every entrepreneurial stage—but most programs leave critical gaps. Through Activate’s Innovation Labs, we partner with organizations to deliver best-in-class programming from early exploration to venture scaling. Explore how to partner with us.