What role are Japanese corporates playing in scaling European innovations?

Japanese firms are bringing their extensive manufacturing and automotive expertise to help European startups scale their operations, addressing a key challenge facing the continent's tech scene.

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Japan's Quiet Tech Takeover: European Startups Attract Billions in Funding

10 Nov, 2025

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Summary

Japanese investors poured over €33 billion into European tech startups since 2019
Europe has over 2x more VC-backed startups and 4.3x more unicorns than Japan
Japanese firms seek deep tech and manufacturing expertise to scale European innovations

Japan's Quiet Tech Takeover: European Startups Attract Billions in Funding

As the world's attention turns to the Middle East and Gulf's AI aspirations, a quiet tech takeover is unfolding in Europe, led by Japanese corporate giants. In the past four years, Japanese investors have poured over €33 billion into European tech startups, a significant increase from the €5.3 billion invested in the five years prior to the EU-Japan trade deal.

This surge in Japanese capital is fueling Europe's booming deep tech and manufacturing sectors. Compared to Japan, Europe has over two times more VC-backed startups and 4.3 times more unicorns per capita. Japanese firms, flush with cash and seeking to expand their global footprint, are tapping into this vibrant ecosystem, backing cutting-edge innovations in areas like autonomous vehicles, quantum computing, and battery recycling.