SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026: Four Tech Domains Worth the Trip

Key Takeaways

• SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026 runs four tightly defined tracks: AI, robotics, resilience, and entertainment
• One SusHi Tech Challenge winner advances to TechCrunch Disrupt Startup Battlefield 200
• Remote attendees can participate via staff-carried devices displaying their faces for real-time interaction

A Conference That Picks Lanes

Most tech conferences promise to cover everything. The result is usually a blur of buzzwords that apply to nothing specific. SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026 takes the opposite approach. The event runs four defined technology domains, each with dedicated exhibit floors, live demonstrations, and sessions led by people who build and fund these technologies.

TechCrunch is the official media partner. Their Startup Battlefield team will select one standout semifinalist from the SusHi Tech Challenge to advance to the TechCrunch Disrupt Startup Battlefield 200. For early-stage companies, that path represents one of the most visible launchpads in tech.

The event runs April 27, 2026 in Tokyo. Here is what each of the four tracks offers.

AI: Past the Hype, Into Infrastructure

The AI track features sessions with Howard Wright from Nvidia, Rob Chu from AWS, and Eric Benhamou from Benhamou Global Ventures. The focus is on where AI is actually deployed at scale and where the real risks sit. This is not a theoretical discussion about what AI might do in five years.

On the exhibit floor, AI-themed university startups pitch alongside established global players. The AI Film Festival Japan runs as a partner event at Tokyo Innovation Base in Yurakucho, examining how AI is reshaping culture production in real time.

Robotics: Physical AI You Can Touch

The robots at SusHi Tech are not behind glass. They are on the floor and interactive. This is a hands-on demonstration environment, not a display case.

Onstage sessions feature representatives from Nissan, Isuzu, and Applied Intuition's Qasar Younis. The discussion centers on how software-defined vehicles are reshaping transportation. The conference position is clear: physical AI is not a future trend. It is present and demonstrable on April 27.

Resilience: Cities That Survive What Comes Next

The resilience track splits into two areas. Eva Chen from Trend Micro and NEC's Noboru Nakatani tackle cyber defense. Separately, climate tech VCs from Breakthrough Energy and Cleantech Group examine where global investment is flowing.

The experiential components make this track distinctive. A VR disaster simulator lets attendees experience crisis scenarios. Site-visit tours take participants to Tokyo's underground flood-control infrastructure. The city's engineering response to flooding is not abstract here. You walk through it.

Entertainment: Japan's Cultural Engine Meets AI

Sessions feature the CEOs of Production I.G, MAPPA, and CoMix Wave Films. These are three of the most significant animation studios operating today. The discussion addresses what Tokyo needs to become the global center of animation production.

On the floor, startups demonstrate AI applications for the entertainment industry. Some translate manga globally. Others generate music from text prompts. Several bring Japanese IP to life as anime for worldwide distribution. This is where Japan's cultural export machine meets automation.

The Remote Attendance Option

SusHi Tech Tokyo offers remote participation beyond standard livestreaming. On-site staff walk the floor carrying devices that display remote attendees' faces. You can interact with exhibitors and other attendees in real time, face-to-face through the device.

The approach sits somewhere between video conferencing and telepresence robotics. For those who cannot make the trip to Tokyo, it is a functional middle ground.

The Startup Battlefield Path

For startups, the TechCrunch partnership creates a specific opportunity. One SusHi Tech Challenge participant will advance to the TechCrunch Disrupt Startup Battlefield 200. That competition has launched companies including Dropbox, Mint, and Cloudflare. The path from Tokyo to Disrupt is direct and defined.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026?

SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026 runs on April 27, 2026 in Tokyo, Japan.

What are the four technology tracks at SusHi Tech Tokyo?

The four tracks are AI infrastructure, robotics and physical AI, urban resilience (cyber and climate), and entertainment IP including animation and manga.

How does the TechCrunch Startup Battlefield connection work?

TechCrunch's Startup Battlefield team selects one standout semifinalist from the SusHi Tech Challenge to advance to the TechCrunch Disrupt Startup Battlefield 200.

Can I attend SusHi Tech Tokyo remotely?

Yes. Remote participants connect via devices carried by on-site staff, allowing face-to-face interactions with attendees and exhibitors in real time.

Who are the featured speakers at SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026?

Featured speakers include Howard Wright (Nvidia), Rob Chu (AWS), Eric Benhamou (Benhamou Global Ventures), Eva Chen (Trend Micro), Qasar Younis (Applied Intuition), and CEOs from Production I.G, MAPPA, and CoMix Wave Films.

Source: Startups | TechCrunch / Cindy Zackney