News

OIST Innovation and Lifetime Ventures have announced the third edition of OIST-Lifetime Startup Elevate, an international conference for deep tech entrepreneurs, to be held November 4–6, 2026 at OIST Campus in Onna-son, Okinawa. Applications for startups to pitch at the event opened today, May 13, 2026.

OIST Innovation is proud to announce that two OIST Accelerator startups — Strout and Tlaloc Blue — have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Kikuno Tsuyu (菊之露), one of Miyakojima's most storied awamori distilleries.

OIST Innovation is looking for a Manager of the Technology Licensing Section — a pivotal role bridging world-class research and real-world impact.

OIST, Nomura Securities Co., Ltd., and Lifetime Ventures signed a collaboration agreement on February 5, 2026, to promote industry–academia collaboration and support startup growth.

OIST Innovation is appointed as an Ambassador for SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026, Asia’s largest global innovation conference, taking place on April 27–29 this year.

OIST and BizReach, Inc. signed a collaboration agreement on November 26, 2025, aimed at accelerating the creation of university-based startups.

At the Okinawa Startup Ecosystem Annual Meeting held on November 14, 2025, at Suntory Arena, two OIST startups—HerLifeLab Inc. and Strout Inc.—were selected among the five companies chosen for the second cohort of "J-Startup OKINAWA."

OIST-Lifetime Startup Elevate 2025 Event Report

Further advancing technological innovation and startup support

We are opening our doors to both the innovation community and the entire OIST community for a special Open House Week in a celebration of the launch of OIST Innovation's new incubator facilities.

The call for applications for Round 14 of the OIST Innovation Proof of Concept (POC) Program has opened and it will conclude on 1 October 2025. New projects accepted in the POC Program will receive support, funding, mentoring and the community needed to develop ideas into technologies, products and services to make an impact in Okinawa and globally.