74 exhibiting startups from 15 countries and counting!
Global audience of 1,600+!
More than 20 partner institutions worldwide
GIF is an international trade show and matching event hosted by the Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Osaka Business and Investment Center. Since 2019, GIF has showcased about 100 startups from 19 countries and been attended by more than 2,600 people from around the world. More than 300 business meetings have been held so far.
The event brings together painstakingly selected startups and Japanese companies interested in pursuing collaborations. Past events have successfully resulted in business talks between startups and local businesses, small, medium, and large. Local attendees draw from a broad spectrum of industries, including manufacturers and trading companies looking for technical partnership and distributorship opportunities, as well as venture capital and corporate capital firms looking for new investments.
With a population of 8 million, Osaka is Japan’s second city, the primary city of western Japan, and the nation’s gateway to Asia. Its comprehensive railway network and two international airports make traveling between Osaka, the broader Kansai region, and the rest of Japan a breeze. Osaka is a huge market home to more than 400 listed companies, and is a major hub for a number of industries including life sciences. Moreover, there are many universities and research institutions dotted throughout Osaka and the greater Kansai region, which foster a plethora of innovative business “seeds” and a skilled workforce.
The OCCI, together with the Osaka city and prefectural governments, has put its weight behind 36 local business field testing projects so far. What’s more, Osaka is the focus of local and global attention these days, as illustrated by its Super City status under the government’s National Strategic Special Zone program in 2022 and its selection to host the World Expo in 2025. Recently, the Osaka-Kyoto-Kobe Consortium was selected in 2020 as a Global Startup City as part of the cabinet office’s Startup Ecosystem to Compete With the World’s Top Ecosystems program. Moreover, the Osaka Startup Ecosystem Consortium,, administered by the Osaka Business Development Agency and also comprising the OCCI and others) works closely with a broad range of business organizations (led by the OCCI), government bodies, universities, research institutions, developers, banks, and more to support and nurture local and international startups.
30,000-strong membership, from corporate giants to SMEs
Solid, long-standing networks and partnerships with local support organizations and foreign public institutions
Close cooperation with chambers of commerce, public institutions, and private enterprises everywhere
Since 1878, the Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry has been a leading driver behind local economic activity in the Kansai region. The chamber has 30,000 members, comprising large, medium, and small businesses across all industries, and is one of the few Japanese chambers to have a dedicated International Division. Together with chambers around the world, as well as public institutions and private enterprises, the OCCI works to globalize business (including overseas expansion of startups in Japan: GIF Challenge) and generate new, mutually beneficial business opportunities. Recently, the OCCI has been working with SMEs to promote SME and mid-scale business growth, and boost momentum up to and beyond the 2025 World Expo in Osaka.
© Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau
So much to see, eat, and experience in Osaka
O-BIC offers steadfast support for overseas businesses investing in Japan
Osaka: Where Japan does business
O-BIC was established in April 2001 by the Osaka prefectural and city governments, and the Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The Osaka Business and Investment Center is a reliable, one-stop source of information, advice, and support for overseas businesses looking to invest in Osaka, either as their first Japanese venture or in addition to other in-country operations, as well as overseas diplomatic missions. Also, O-BIC fully supports expansion into Osaka of GIF exhibitors.
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