Tokyo (SCCIJ)—The Swisstech Pavilion won the award for the most innovative pavilion at SusHi Tech Tokyo, Asia’s largest startup conference. This distinction spotlighted the ten Swiss startups at the pavilion showcasing their innovations at the forefront of technology and sustainability. The SCCIJ was one of the organizing partners of the Swiss pavilion.
Excellence in open innovation
The jury awarded the Swisstech Pavilion for embodying the most excellent open innovation initiatives and ecosystem development practices among the exhibitors at SusHi Tech 2025, which grew to three halls at Tokyo Big Sight at its most recent edition. The abbreviation “SusHi Tech” stands for “Sustainable High Technology.”
“The Swisstech Pavilion stood out as a testament to Switzerland’s bold commitment to open innovation and its active role in shaping global startup ecosystems,” Dr. Felix Moesner, CEO of Swissnex in Japan, the main organizer of the pavilion, commented. “The award reaffirms our commitment to shaping a future driven by bold ideas and global collaboration.”
From AI diagnostics and sustainable energy to robotics and software innovation, each Swiss startup brought forward solutions that resonated with a global audience: AckTao (interactive AI Cyber Educational Programs), AVAtronics (AI noise cancellation for hearables, OTC aids & transport), CynLr (manufacturer and provider of AI-based robotic vision solutions for industrial robotics), Evolium (second-life modular, repairable and affordable batteries for residential photovoltaic storage), and Flybotix (AI-enabled inspection & digitalization of confined space in energy & water industries).
The other five young Swiss companies were Inveel (next-gen robotic skins for touch and proximity sending, advancing precision and safety), NovoViz (cutting-edge single-photon imaging sensors for vision systems), Perovskia Solar (customizable, digitally printed perovskite solar cells optimized for indoor use), Talnets (AI-powered video analysis unlocking real opportunity in youth football), and UUEN (software for decarbonizing cities through cloud-based energy modeling).
First collective pitching
The Swisstech Pavillion provided the Swiss startups with opportunities to meet venture capitalists, corporate and other investors, and the local community, including an encounter between the startups and Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike. It was the perfect place for exchanging information and ideas with potential business partners. The startup founders widened their networks and explored the latest trends in innovation and technology.
AVAtronics was among the Top 8 finalists out of 700 startups in the annual pitch contest SusHi Tech Challenge 2025. The jury also selected Inveel and AVAtronics for the prestigious KGAP+ accelerator program. The Keihanna Science City of Japan launched the “Keihanna Global Acceleration Program Plus” in 2019 to support foreign startups in securing business partners in Japan.
Also, the ten startups pitched at two separate events at Swissnex in Japan and the Swiss Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka. It marked the first time such a large Swisstech startup delegation pitched collectively at the Swiss Pavilion, drawing a curated audience of investors, venture capitalists, and industry leaders from the Kansai region in a full-house setting. “This was a wonderful occasion to exchange ideas and celebrate the spirit of Swiss-Japanese collaboration and the boundless potential of startups,” Dr. Moesner said.
Text: Swissnex in Japan (Editing by SCCIJ)
