Startups

Eyewear that applies voltage to a liquid lens and refocuses automatically for myopia, hyperopia, and presbyopia. A look at where autofocus vision correction stands, centered on HOYA spinoff ViXion's 01S and the ViXion2 released in 2026.

No batteries. Just 280 grams of rubber. A Japanese bone-setter turned entrepreneur created "futto," a walking support device using rubber tubes as artificial muscles. Built with hardware store materials by a three-person family company, it now has peer-reviewed backing, a distribution deal with France Bed, and sales abroad. Here's how this $220 device answers a problem every aging society shares.

Japanese space startup SpaceOne launched its third KAIROS small rocket on March 5, 2026 after repeated delays, but flight was aborted about 68.8 seconds after liftoff, a third straight failure following Flights 1 and 2. Learn what the company changed, what went wrong this time, and where its "space delivery service" dream stands now.

Japan's Space Data Inc. and CYPHIC, the country's only electronic warfare startup, have launched a strategic partnership combining digital twin technology with anti-GPS spoofing capabilities. A deep look at how Japanese defense tech startups are tackling modern electronic warfare threats.

Japanese fusion startup Helical Fusion and veteran manufacturer Sugino Machine have jointly developed the world's only dedicated machine for producing high-temperature superconducting coils. Standing 6 meters tall and weighing 12 tons, this device is essential for building the "Helix HARUKA" demonstration reactor, bringing Japan closer to achieving the world's first commercial fusion power in the 2030s.

Japanese startup Milk. is developing technology that combines satellite-derived "hyperspectral cameras" with color AI to detect cancer—including which organ is affected—from a simple urine test. With 98% accuracy even for pancreatic cancer, this innovation could revolutionize how we screen for humanity's deadliest enemy.

Japanese startup AirX has signed a binding order with Brazil's Eve Air Mobility for two eVTOL "flying car" aircraft, with options to expand to 50 units in a deal potentially worth $150 million. Targeting 2029 for sightseeing and last-mile transport services in Tokyo and Osaka, this agreement marks a major milestone in Japan's push toward urban air mobility — following successful demo flights at Expo 2025 Osaka.

Japanese startup AstroX has raised $15 million in Series A funding to develop its revolutionary Rockoon launch system — using high-altitude balloons to carry rockets to the stratosphere before firing them into space. Based in Fukushima's Minamisoma, the company aims to reach space by 2026 and achieve orbital insertion by 2029, challenging the global space launch industry with a low-cost, flexible alternative.

Japanese space startup ALE announces "Starlight Challenge," its third attempt to create the world's first artificial shooting stars after two previous setbacks. Targeting a 2028 space demonstration and commercialization by 2029, this ambitious project blends space entertainment with atmospheric science research.