Venture Café opens international gateway for Northern innovators

Venture Café Manchester and Venture Café Tokyo join forces to turn a sister-city relationship into new opportunities for businesses across the North of England.

Manchester is set to host the UK regional round of Tech Osaka Award 2027, creating an exciting new opportunity for ambitious businesses from across the North of England to access international markets, investment and partnerships in Japan.

Building on the sister-city agreement signed between Greater Manchester and Osaka in September 2025, the initiative will see ambitious startups compete for the opportunity to pitch in Japan, connecting them directly with one of Asia’s major innovation ecosystems.

The competition is being delivered through a collaboration between Venture Café Manchester and Venture Café Tokyo, with Manchester the only Venture Café location outside Japan participating in the competition. It represents a tangible example of how international city
relationships, combined with Venture Café’s global network, can create practical opportunities for businesses.

The Manchester regional round takes place from 5pm on Thursday 12 November at Sister (Renold Building), during Venture Café Manchester’s weekly Thursday Gathering.

Three successful businesses will progress to the Tech Osaka Award Final on 27 January 2027, held as part of Tech Osaka Summit, where they will compete for a ¥2 million Grand Prize and gain exposure to Japanese corporations, investors and innovation leaders.

Andrew Ruffler, Director of Venture Café Manchester, said: “The sister-city relationship between Greater Manchester and Osaka provides an important foundation for international collaboration. What’s exciting about our Pitch2Osaka event is that we’re turning that relationship into something tangible for businesses here in the North.

“We regularly talk about Venture Café Manchester being part of an international network, rather than simply a weekly gathering of innovators. This is a great demonstration of what that means in practice – connecting regional talent and enterprise with opportunities, investment and networks on the other side of the world.

“Through our collaboration with Venture Café Japan, we’re helping to open doors that individual businesses might otherwise struggle to access. It’s exactly the role we want Venture Café Manchester to play as we continue to develop our community and strengthen Manchester’s
international innovation connections.”

The competition is seeking seed and early-stage businesses operating in Bio/Life Sciences & Healthcare, Green Tech and Digital, with distinctive technologies or business models, international growth ambitions and an interest in the Japanese market.

Venture Café Manchester is working with universities, investors, accelerators and innovation organisations across the North to identify high-quality applicants and maximise the opportunity.

Applications close Thursday 22 October 2026 at 23:59 BST.

Full details and applications: https://venturecafetokyo.org/about/from-manchester-to-osaka/

ENDS