In Kyoto, a city known around the world for its craftsmanship tradition, I met Ousuke Kambayashi, the third-generation leader of SHOBIEN KYOTO (https://www.norenya.jp), a studio renowned for its mastery of Roketsu dyeing. In other words, an entrepreneur who is reimagining his family’s 60-year-old craft business for the 21st century.

Born and raised in Japan, I first met Yosuke during a Japan-based acceleration program that I supported as an advisor back in 2024. To me, it was obvious from the get-go that Yosuke had picked an incredibly interesting mission to tackle, one that requires a unique combination of experience and expertise in three very different disciplines:

Waves crash in front of me, dark, churning waves, their whitecaps dissolving into mist as they meet the wind. The sea looks as cold as the air feels, its restless surface reflecting the deep gray of the heavy autumn sky. A sharp gust cuts through my jacket, carrying the salt-tinged scent of the ocean and the distant cry of a gull. Looking up, I see mountains rising abruptly from the water’s edge, their rugged slopes covered in a patchwork of wind-swept evergreens.

We suspect that global developments over the last 7 days have left many of us feeling rather tired, and it wasn’t until this morning that I finally felt re-energized. The cure? Being reminded of the fact that there is still an ocean of people and nations out there with a genuine and infectious passion for global collaboration.

Tobias Mathiasen will be speaking at the Kyoto Smart City Expo 2024, being held on October 3-4. Focus of the conversation will be the Kansai startup ecosystem, and opportunities and challenges for global investor interested in the region. Ecosystem stakeholders interested in connecting with Tobias are invited to reach out at tm@katalysen.com ahead of the event.

The challenges our world is facing - from imminent climate change to aging and shrinking population, to name but a few - are new and asymmetrical, therefore we also need novel solutions that governments or larger corporations sometimes struggle to produce at a pace they are needed. Enter: the startups. Startups can address some of the most pressing challenges of our era through challenging the status quo with innovative solutions in an agile manner.

We are excited to announce that Tobias Mathiasen will join SUITz Tokyo, a Climate Tech incubator, as an advisor. Tobias brings a wealth of experience and global perspective to this initiative, which accelerates both Japanese and international startups in the Climate Tech sector.