Venture Café Manchester to host the UK regional round of global innovation competition, strengthening Greater Manchester's links with Japan and demonstrating the power of its international network.
Manchester, October 2026: Venture Café Manchester is joining forces with Venture Café Tokyo to host the Manchester Regional Round of Tech Osaka Award 2027, creating a new opportunity for ambitious businesses from across the North of England to access Japanese markets, investors and international partnerships.
Manchester is the only Venture Café location outside Japan participating in the competition, underlining the significance of its growing relationship with Japan and the opportunities created through Venture Café's international network.
The regional round will take place on Thursday 12 November at Venture Café Manchester's weekly Thursday Gathering, hosted at the Renold Building, part of the SISTER innovation district.
Three successful businesses will progress to the Tech Osaka Award Final on 27 January 2027, held as part of Tech Osaka Summit, where they will compete for a ¥2 million Grand Prize and gain exposure to Japanese corporations, investors and innovation leaders.
The initiative builds on the sister-city agreement between Greater Manchester and Osaka, established in September 2025, translating international cooperation into practical opportunities for innovative businesses. It also demonstrates how Venture Café's global network can connect regional talent and enterprise with international markets.
Andrew Ruffler, Director of Venture Café Manchester, said:
"We regularly talk about Venture Café Manchester being part of an international network, rather than simply a weekly gathering of innovators. Pitch2Osaka is a tangible demonstration of what that means in practice.
"Through our relationship with Venture Café Japan, and the wider partnership between Greater Manchester and Osaka, we're able to create opportunities that businesses here might otherwise struggle to access.
"This is about connecting the North's innovation ecosystem to the world - bringing together the people, ideas, investment and international relationships that help ambitious businesses grow. It's also an opportunity to demonstrate the role Manchester can play as a gateway into international innovation networks."
The competition is seeking seed and early-stage businesses operating in Bio/Life Sciences & Healthcare, Green Tech and Digital, with distinctive technologies or business models, international growth ambitions and an interest in entering or expanding within the Japanese market.
Venture Café Manchester is working with universities, investors, accelerators, Growth Hubs and innovation organisations across the North to identify high-quality applicants and maximise the opportunity.
Applications close Thursday 22 October 2026 at 23:59 BST.
Full details and applications:
https://venturecafetokyo.org/about/from-manchester-to-osaka/
