Start-up trade mission to the Innovation Leaders Summit (Tokyo, Japan)

The Innovation Leaders Summit (ILS) is Asia's leading open innovation conference, bringing together major Japanese companies, venture capitalists (VCs), investors, and technology startups every year to promote collaboration and innovation. It includes trade-business negotiations (Power-Matching), product demonstrations, presentations, and intensive meetings that connect ideas and resources.

ILS, which will take place from December 1 to 4, 2025, in Tokyo, plans to bring together hundreds of startups and large corporations to create meaningful innovations for the future (more about the event: https://ils.tokyo/).

The trade mission will take place this year from November 30 to December 5 in Tokyo, during which LIAA will organize an ILS stand, networking events with representatives of the Japanese startup ecosystem, and provide translation support at the stand.

Knowledge of English is required to participate in the mission and related events.

The trade mission is organized by LIAA as part of the Innovative Business Development Program for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund and the Latvian state budget. Companies can participate in the mission either for a fee or with support. To receive support, companies must qualify for the support criteria. To receive support, a company must qualify for the support criteria. You can check whether your company qualifies for support using the self-assessment calculator. By receiving support, you have the opportunity to recover up to 60% of the total eligible costs (for example, 60% of airfare costs for up to 3 people from the company).

After applying for the trade mission, LIAA will contact the participants to discuss the trade mission program.

Provisional program of events:

• November 30 | Arrival in Japan
• December 1-2 | Participation in the conference, meetings with investors and cooperation partners
• December 3-4 | Participation in networking events in Tokyo
• December 5 | Departure to Latvia

Participants should expect the following costs:

• LIAA participation fee for 20 man-hours (597.60 euros):
  • if the company meets the criteria for receiving de minimis aid, the participation fee for the exhibition is covered by de minimis aid;
  • if the company does not meet the criteria for receiving de minimis aid, LIAA will issue an invoice to the company. The price per man-hour is EUR 29.88 + VAT;
• individual transport expenses;
• accommodation costs (hotel expenses).

After the event, entrepreneurs who qualify for support based on quality criteria will be able to submit a payment request using the Business.gov.lv e-service.

To ensure that the Beneficiary complies with the requirements for a start-up company, LIAA checks whether the Beneficiary can be found in the Latvian start-up company database or in the list compiled by the LIAA department responsible for start-up companies. If the Beneficiary is not found in either of these lists, additional information will be requested in the form of a document confirming that the Beneficiary receives support for European-level projects. If the Beneficiary does not submit the requested additional information, compliance with the quality criteria will be applied.

Before completing the application, please familiarize yourself with the terms and conditions of the activity in the section “Trade missions abroad”.

Applications for participation in the trade mission can be submitted on the Business.gov.lv platform until 23:59 on September 7.

Companies that have applied to participate can obtain more information about Japanese companies and individual meetings by contacting Artu Voicehovsku, Head of the LIAA Representative Office in Japan, e-mail: arta.voicehovska@liaa.gov.lv.