Osaka is the heart of the historic Kansai region, the 2nd biggest economy in Japan, and plays a key role as the gateway to Asia. Winning the 2025 World Expo, Osaka will become a showcase of innovation for future society, to a global audience. Our mission is to interconnect local, domestic, and global members, to help Osaka & Kansai become a truly global startup ecosystem. Centrally located with excellent access to the rest of Japan, the Kansai region with its 20+ million population is one of the world’s largest metropolitan areas, with a GDP comparable to the Netherlands. Osaka, with its rich history, high (and relatively low-cost) quality of life, strong GDP, the largest tourism boom in history, and the upcoming 2025 World Expo, is an ideal stage for startups to test & demonstrate their technologies in a region of the Japanese market with relatively low-competition, make key partnerships to assist their expansion, and gain domestic & international attention. We invite various entrepreneurs, country managers, investors & startup ecosystem supporters to share their wisdom, successes and failures, to help startups navigate a successful market entry in key markets globally. Startup Grind originated in Silicon Valley, and is characterized by its "Fireside Chat" format, which involves a casual and open atmosphere. Startup Grind Osaka is held in Osaka each month (held online until further notice).Welcome to Startup Grind Osaka!