Can IP-NFTs Be a Game Changer for Japan?

Japan’s science engine is falling short of its potential. Of any reason, this explains why fast-growing start-ups aren’t coming out of Japan lately. A new fundraising tool could restart the engine, though.

To ensure more Japanese start-ups scale up to become global companies, they need to create a new paradigm of start-up funding to bring about multiple unicorn start-ups valued more than $1 billion.

Why are scientists frustrated they can’t get funding for their potential medical therapies? Why are there not more successful start-ups? Why did Japanese pharma companies fail to capture the innovation by Nobel Laureate Dr. Honjo at Kyoto University for his Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor therapy?

Japan’s scientific engine could use more fuel and talent.

That fuel is capital. Promising researchers just don’t have enough capital to power their ideas from basic research to commercial products. A brilliant scientist in Kyushu has discovered a potential breakthrough cancer therapy yet he lacks capital to build a start-up to take this new therapy to clinical trials and then, hopefully, to patients.

A second article here will look at one way to boost Japanese biotech talent. Yet for now, we’ll look at capital.