Legal, Cultural & Financial Considerations for Foreign Investors in Japanese Startups

Overview

With the world’s third-largest economy, Japan remains a heavyweight across many industries, particularly for electronics and information technology. Perhaps surprisingly then, the startup scene in Japan has been slow to develop and has generated fewer ‘unicorn’ startups than many considerably smaller economies. A renewed government focus by the Japanese government on startups and the launch of a slew of initiatives to encourage new startups and foreign investment, look set to change this status quo.

This seminar looks at the issues that have held back startups in Japan and the changes being made in the Japanese legal landscape to promote startups and encourage inbound investment. The speakers, comprising Tokyo-based attorneys and a valuation on and damages expert with experience valuing startups across Asia, will also canvass:

• Japanese legal and cultural issues that foreign business partners and their legal advisors may want to consider when entering into joint ventures with Japanese parties and the impact these can have on contractual terms
• How disputes between partners in startup businesses in Japan are typically resolved in practice
• How terms in contracts and the financial structure agreed upon by the parties may impact on the values extracted in the event that a party wants to exit early