SusHi Tech 2024 Global Startup Program was held at Tokyo Big Sight on May 15-16. Diverse stakeholders, including the world's leading startups, investors, large corporations, countries/cities, and student entrepreneurs, gathered for exhibitions, sessions, and pitch contests in one of Asia's most significant startup events.
GEN Japan hosted a session, on entrepreneurship and sustainability that was moderated by Hiro Nishiguchi, GEN Japan Managing Director, and featured Jonathan Ortmans, President, GEN Global, Steve Cheah, Managing Director, GEN Thailand, Marc Ortmans, Chair, GEN UK and Eriko Suzuki, Founder and CEO, Kind Capital.
Jonathan Ortmans described how GEN supports entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship in 200 countries around the world through programs such as the Entrepreneurship World Cup (EWC) and Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW). Steve Cheah explained that in Thailand, the government encourages its ambassadors to be entrepreneurial, which has resulted in the emergence of diplomats with an entrepreneurial spirit. The goal, he said, is to expand this initiative to the United Nations level.
Marc Ortmans added that there should be equal entrepreneurial opportunities for people worldwide, no matter their education or income level. “Solving problems is not all about national economic issues. Sometimes, a sense of purpose can come from personal problems," he said. "I believe that waking up in the morning and thinking about what problem you are going to solve is what makes you an 'entrepreneur.” He then discussed his experience at the Conference of the Parties (COP), where he participated in sessions on “Entrepreneurship and Climate Change.” COP26 would seek to propel efforts aimed at solving climate change through collaboration between the government and private sector. GEN will contribute toward creating an entrepreneurial ecosystem centered on sustainability.
Eriko Suzuki, an angel investor with more than ten years of experience investing in climate tech and sustainability, emphasized the importance of entrepreneurship and a spirit of challenge, citing her experience investing in a B2C marketplace in India. The company started as an e-commerce business for fresh produce but pivoted to retail in response to changing times. It achieved success by adopting a hub-and-spoke approach to technology. As an investor, she said the most rewarding moment for her is working with a company that continues to take on challenges and does not give up, even in difficult circumstances.
"Entrepreneurship is about taking action in creative ways to solve problems and address challenges with a long-term perspective," she said. Japan's startup ecosystem has been revitalized, she explained, by the government's initiative, and a model of scaling up and exiting with funding has been established. Nevertheless, much work needs to be done in order for entrepreneurship to permeate society as a whole.