JETRO and METI Hold First-ever “Global Healthcare Challenge,” Featuring International Symposium in Healthcare Sector and Pitch Competition among World’s Startups

– AI Medical Service Inc. from Japan Wins Gold Prize –

TOKYO, July 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — During the “Health and Well-being” theme week at the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) and Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) jointly hosted an international symposium on healthcare and a pitch competition for healthcare startups from around the world, titled the “Global Healthcare Challenge” (GHeC), at the Grand Prince Hotel Osaka Bay on June 25 (Wednesday) and 26 (Thursday), 2025. The event was designed to help Japanese startups expand their business operations overseas.

Photo: https://cdn.kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M108748/202507021569/_prw_PI1fl_F16QhTGJ.jpg 

Approximately 40 influential global figures, including Joelle Barral, Senior Director of Research & Engineering at Google DeepMind, and Carla Goulart Peron, Chief Medical Officer at Philips, participated in the symposium and engaged in panel discussions on topics such as the development of the medical ecosystem and innovations in health technology.

In the pitch competition, 20 startups from Japan and abroad (representing nine countries, including four Japanese companies), selected from over 350 global candidates, vied for top awards. Following the evaluation of the participating startups by six global leaders in the healthcare sector, Japan’s AI Medical Service Inc. won the gold prize, with trophies awarded to the top three startups.

Tomohiro Tada, CEO of AI Medical Service Inc., commented: “I am sure it is valuable for Japan to have the opportunity to make presentations in English and compete internationally. From the beginning, we have set our sights on the world, so it is a great honor to see our company being recognized among the outstanding finalists from around the world. We were able to gain confidence and a network from this event to pursue challenges ahead on the global stage.”

Details: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/attach/202507021569-O1-9jtKFS3m.pdf 

Official website: https://ghec2025.jp/ 

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SOURCE Japan External Trade Organization, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry