Inside the Europe Mission: A Day-by-Day Report

Traveling to the Nordics from Japan is a big step, whether for business or pleasure. The Fukuoka City mission landed at Copenhagen Airport on the 16th of November, after 20 hours of traveling. For those interested in exploring the Nordics, there are few better places to land than Copenhagen Airport. The airport is the largest in the Nordics and serves as a logistics and transportation nexus for Northern Europe—especially for a delegation whose first stop is southern Sweden. This is because any traveler can easily take a train from the Danish airport to the Swedish mainland and arrive in Malmö, the first stop of the Europe Mission.

Malmö is a city with a rich industrial history, but when the heavy industry economy in Sweden declined in the 1980s, the city decided to reinvent itself. The focus shifted from heavy industry to IT, ICT, and new technologies. Due to the proximity to several large corporations and a world-class university, this transformation took shape. Today, Malmö is a leading city not only in Sweden but in Europe when it comes to innovation, startups, collaboration, and internationalization.
In Malmö, the mission members were treated to a tour of MINC, the city’s own startup incubator with offices in the aforementioned old heavy industry sector. This location served as the mission’s base for the duration of the day’s program. The agenda was packed with presentations and matchmaking both at MINC and throughout the city.

(Photo: GBS)

Day 1 – Matchmaking and the power of networks

During the day, all companies participating in the delegation had matchmaking opportunities at MINC, organized with the help of several networks located in the region around Malmö. Hitokoko met with local restaurants through the local tourist board and networks; KAICO was introduced to the national agricultural university and a specialist in animal feed. Coatolie was introduced to the organizers of one of the largest design conferences in the Nordics regarding potential exhibitions and market insights for their products.

All meetings were curated beforehand to give the participants a solid start in the Nordics. In the evening, the meetings did not stop but simply took a new form. A popular way of mixing business with pleasure in Sweden is the concept of “After Work” or AW, which is a semi-professional setting to encourage new connections over drinks and light food.

This AW was hosted by MINC, the City of Malmö, and Japan Bridge Scandinavia—the latter being an organization that works specifically to increase business opportunities and exchange between Japan and the Nordics. At the event, all the Fukuoka-based startups pitched their businesses and solutions to a packed room of almost 90 participants, consisting of businesspeople, ecosystem representatives, and other interested parties.

(Photo: GBS)

Day 2 – Site visit at Sony Europe HQ and travel to HEL

The next day, on the 18th of November, the delegation set out on a side trip to the city of Lund, just a stone’s throw (or short bus ride) from Malmö. Lund is famous for its university, which is ranked as one of the top 100 in the world. This is exactly why Ericsson and later Sony chose to establish their European HQs in the region: to gain access to the talent pool and innovation potential. The delegation visited the Sony Europe HQ with the goal of learning how a giant corporation like Sony approaches innovation.

Sony representatives introduced their thoughts on how the company fosters innovation internally and externally through the Sony Acceleration Program (SAP), showcasing one of their own solutions as a practical example. The solution, called “NIMWAY,” is a combination of a Swedish dialect word for “something easy to do” (nimt) and “way.” Nimway started as a meeting room booking system but was further developed and adapted for all Sony Europe facilities. Eventually, it was spun out and sold as a service to other companies with huge success—a prime example of how large corporations can be innovative and develop new products similarly to startups.

The last item on the agenda was a guided tour of the Sony campus, including a showcase of interactive exhibitions Sony is working on for clients in Japan. Although many would have likely wanted to stay at Sony to learn more about their secrets to success, the main focus of the trip was coming up: a trip to HEL…

(Photo: GBS)

A trip to HEL and SLUSH Day 3 – Making an impression

On the morning of the 19th of November 2025, the main event for our trip to the Nordics started. Every year, one of the largest and most well-known startup events in the world takes place in Helsinki, Finland, and this event is called SLUSH. The event brings over 10,000 founders, investors, thought leaders, and ecosystem actors from all over the world to celebrate the startup industry—primarily within tech, though everyone is welcome.

It’s a two-day event with a packed program and matchmaking in the main venue, supplemented by more than 600 side events in and around the city. Needless to say, if you are looking for something in the startup industry, there is a good chance you will find it here.

For the first day of SLUSH, Fukuoka City and the mission had a packed schedule with presentations at the Sushi Tech Tokyo Partner Pod, a joint Japan pitching event hosted by Kyoto, and finally Japan Pitch Night hosted by Blackbox. The venues were packed for every presentation, and the interest didn’t stop there—the pitching companies were constantly surrounded by curious attendees throughout the networking sessions. It was a day of many meetings, impressions, and a significant focus on the Japanese delegation—a great warm-up for day two.

(Photo: GBS)

Day 4 – Meetings, meetings, and more meetings

After the previous day’s presentations and networking events, day two allowed participants to freely take meetings, explore the venue, and talk to exhibitors. All participants had access to the SLUSH matchmaking app, which allowed guests to look up investors, companies, or ecosystems to find potential partners.

For those who preferred a more spontaneous approach, walking around the hundreds of booths and exhibitions was also an option. With all these opportunities to meet participants not just from the Nordics, but from across Europe and beyond, it is easy to see why SLUSH is so famous.

On the afternoon of the 20th of November, the mission from Fukuoka City left HEL with suitcases filled with business cards, promises of follow-ups, and many new opportunities to explore back in Japan.

(photo: GBS)

When is a mission “successful”?

It is always difficult to judge when a business event is “successful,” but there are a few clear examples to highlight from this mission. First, Hitokoko had a very successful meeting with a high-level restaurant in Malmö, resulting in a request for 2–3 chefs during the actual meeting.

Cotaolier, during a last-minute meeting with a small design and recycling shop in Malmö, made great headway toward a potential joint workshop and exhibit at a local event next year.

It is hard to foresee which connection will be the most important, and first-time visitors can easily be overwhelmed by the noise and the crowds. However, each business card and handshake is a potential step forward and out of “Startup Hell.” Until you get there, GBS will be happy to help you every step of the way! Looking forward to seeing you in HEL during next year’s SLUSH!

There is no I in Fukuoka but there is a U!

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