This startup pulls rare-earth metals from old electronics using… orange peels? It’s one of 11 startups that pitched Jason and Yuki Shirato of Techstars Tokyo in Osaka, and they give their TRULY honest feedback. They also discuss why everyone in Japan works like a founder, how young talent is choosing startups over lifetime jobs, and why Japan already understands product-market fit. PLUS, AssetHub makes 3D characters that pass the IP owner’s strict rules, and Jason tells them to dream BIGGER than a tool. @jason @Techstars 0:00 Jason's first trip to Japan and the food crawl 3:49 Why everyone in Japan acts like a founder 4:24 Founder University comes to Japan 9:26 Techstars Tokyo and Japan's push for global founders 11:10 Why Japanese startups stay on the island 13:26 Parents, lifetime jobs, and the fear of failure 15:55 How Japan mastered product market fit 19:25 Lightfield: Name one person who's ever enjoyed updating a CRM. Exactly. Lightfield's AI agent does it for you - it even prospects and books your meetings. Used by thousands of startups. Free at 20:52 The white lab coat and the man who named his daughter Cinnamon 25:47 Seekr: centimeter-precise indoor navigation 28:20 Why investors want the business case, not the press 29:03 Rippling: Thanks to our partners at Rippling! Head to and get the only AI built to give you full visibility across your startup and take complex actions across your entire business. 35:36 Arabat: recovering rare earths with orange peels 39:08 Getting from free pilots to paid pilots 39:20 Upwork: Upwork helps businesses find highly skilled freelance professionals for specialized work. Post your job for free at 44:39 AssetHub: AI 3D models for anime and game IP 53:22 Come for the tool, stay for the marketplace 55:17 CRAZIA: turning customer conversations into growth 57:24 JuJuJuu: giving alternative protein the structure of steak 59:44 JAPANMEDIA: AI manga and anime at a fifth of the cost 1:02:06 Tsuin AI: AI twins that think and act like you 1:03:57 Picking the layup and the wild card 1:10:11 Rumi Light: faster data paths inside AI servers 1:12:22 GENCHI: a local avatar that shops Japan for you 1:14:33 TattvaSilicon: analog circuit design in a day 1:16:18 Mimi AI: learning to actually speak Japanese 1:18:33 Why a live shopping avatar is Jason's wild card 🎥 Watch the full episode here 👇