Hardware Startups x Machi-Koba: Breaking Through the Productization Wall with Manufacturing Partnerships

A free event for hardware startups looking to bridge the gap with Japan's small machine shops (machi-koba) and break through the productization wall. It is aimed at founders searching for prototyping and mass-production partners, plus engineers and executives who want a working network with shop-floor specialists. The event runs on Friday, May 22, 2026, 17:00 to 19:00, at Tokyo Innovation Base 1F SQUARE-1. The program features two panel discussions and a networking session. The first panel centers on the (provisional) Monozukuri Consortium and the redevelopment of the former Haneda Asahi Elementary School site, with practical strategies for sourcing molds, parts, and factories without going it alone. The second panel pairs Hiroshi Tanaka, CEO of Aqu Co. (the operator behind rebranding Ota Ward into Japan's most venture-friendly hardware community), with Kiyoshi Abe, technical advisor at DMM.make TOKYO, on common seed-stage mistakes and how to scope vendor relationships properly. Additional speakers include Kosuke Sasa from Prime Life Technologies and Takeshi Kosaka, CEO of Innovation Plus. The closing networking session brings together buyers, hardware startups, and machi-koba operators for off-the-record conversation and concrete partnership leads. Capacity is 100, co-organized by Prime Life Technologies and TIB FAB (operated by DMM.make TOKYO).