Accelerator deepens Japan ties amid growing government investment in entrepreneurship and fresh signal of global VC confidence in the region
BERKELEY, CA / ACCESS Newswire / June 30, 2026 / UC Berkeley SkyDeck, UC Berkeley's flagship startup accelerator, today announced the expansion of its Japan-focused initiatives and the appointment of Cole Harry as Japan Program Manager, reflecting the accelerator's growing role within Japan's rapidly evolving innovation ecosystem.
Over the past six years, UC Berkeley SkyDeck has steadily expanded its presence in Japan through partnerships with Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), investing in Japanese startups through its accelerator program, supporting companies through its Innovation Partner Program (IPP), and training founders through startup bootcamps hosted throughout the country. In the coming year, SkyDeck plans to further expand the number of bootcamps it hosts in Japan, including programming at STATION Ai in Nagoya this summer, while deepening relationships with leading universities including Institute of Science Tokyo, Kyoto University, Kyushu University, Osaka University, and Tohoku University.
"Japan is entering an incredibly important moment in the evolution of its startup ecosystem," said Caroline Winnett, Executive Director of UC Berkeley SkyDeck. "There is extraordinary technical talent coming out of Japan's universities and research institutions, particularly in fields like AI, semiconductors, robotics and life sciences. What we're seeing now is a growing national commitment to helping those founders commercialize globally. Cole's role is to ensure that as we scale our programming, we're delivering world-class experiences that give those founders real pathways to build globally competitive companies."
As Program Manager, Mr. Harry will serve as the senior operational lead for SkyDeck's expanding programs in Japan, overseeing startup bootcamps hosted across the country, the accelerator's programming at the Global Startup Expo (GSE) in Osaka, and its entrepreneurial immersion programs for Japanese university students at SkyDeck in Berkeley. He brings experience spanning entrepreneurship, startup ecosystems and international program management, most recently serving as Programme Director for Imperial College, London San Francisco office.
"SkyDeck has built a unique position at the intersection of world-class research and global entrepreneurship," said Mr. Harry. "Japan has an incredible depth of technical talent and scientific innovation, and there is growing momentum around helping founders build companies that can compete globally. I'm excited to help expand programs that connect Japanese entrepreneurs and students directly with the Berkeley and Silicon Valley ecosystems."
Japan has significantly increased national investment in entrepreneurship and startup development, with the METI and JETRO deepening collaborations with global accelerators and venture ecosystems to help cultivate internationally competitive founders and emerging technologies.
Caroline Winnett will be taking part in Japan's Global Startup Expo, speaking alongside Silicon Valley venture capitalists and deep-tech founders on the future of artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and emerging technologies shaping the next generation of global innovation.
The expanding efforts in Japan reflect UC Berkeley SkyDeck's broader international growth strategy as it continues building direct relationships with high-potential innovation ecosystems around the world. The accelerator has increasingly focused on markets with strong deep-tech research capabilities, particularly in Asia, where breakthroughs in AI, semiconductors, robotics, and life sciences are creating new opportunities for globally scalable startups.
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About UC Berkeley SkyDeck
UC Berkeley SkyDeck is a leading accelerator and the global hub for entrepreneurship. As UC Berkeley's largest and most prominent accelerator, SkyDeck combines hands-on mentorship with the vast resources of its research university. SkyDeck is the only accelerator of its kind that offers the value of a dedicated investment fund alongside the resources and network of a top university. To date, SkyDeck startups have raised more than $3 billion in aggregate. Participating startups have access to SkyDeck's 980 advisors, 70 industry partners, and a network of more than 613,000 UC Berkeley alumni. For more information, see skydeck.berkeley.edu.
Media contact
Songue PR for UC Berkeley SkyDeck
skydeck@songuepr.com
SOURCE: Berkeley SkyDeck
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