Japanese Government Sends Blockchain Startups Abroad for Innovation Program

Japan’s government is sending three blockchain startups to the US as part of a technology innovation program.

The Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) said earlier this month that employees from 55 startups would take part in the initiative. The “Project for a Bridge of Innovation between Silicon Valley and Japan” was first announced in mid-2015 as part of a bid to boost cooperation between Japanese and US tech firms.

Reps from Keychain GK will spend time in Silicon Valley while those from Quoine and Soramitsu will visit New York as part of the program. The program lasts between January and March, according to METI.

Keychain focuses on integrating the tech with existing IT infrastructure, according to its website. Quoine is a digital currency exchange in the midst of a Series A funding round while Soramitsu is a startup that last year submitted its ‘Iroha’ blockchain project to the open-source Hyperledger initiative.

A fourth technology firm, HAW International Inc., which has developed a business line focused on blockchain, is also taking part in the program.

Within the Japanese government, METI has taken a proactive position on blockchain, undertaking research on the tech and going as far as suggesting that other government organizations pursue similar lines of inquiry.

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