Helix Program Partnering Event in Okinawa, Japan
- naho yoshimura
- Dec 22, 2025
- 2 min read
On December 19, 2025, Helical Fusion hosted a talk session event in Okinawa in collaboration with OKANO VALVE MFG. CO. LTD. and the Okinawa Startup Ecosystem.
The event brought together leaders from startups, venture capital, and ecosystem-building organizations to discuss what is truly required to build a new fusion energy industry through effective partnerships between startups, established companies, and local stakeholders.
Takaya Taguchi, Co-Founder and CEO of Helical Fusion, took the stage alongside Masaru Nagura, CEO of FoundersNation / Director of the CIC Institute, Ayumi Fujimoto, President of the Startup Ecosystem Association Japan, and Kenichiro Toyosato, CEO of FOURSEAS Inc., a venture capital firm deeply rooted in Okinawa. Through keynote talks and a panel discussion, the speakers explored how startups and corporations can work together to create new industries, drawing on fusion energy as a concrete and long-term case study.
Around 50 participants gathered from Okinawa and across Japan, all with a strong interest in advanced examples of startup ecosystems and industrial partnering. Over the course of an energetic 90-minute session, the venue was filled with lively discussion and active engagement.
Anchored by themes such as “how companies and ecosystems can grow together” and “how next-generation industries can be created in Okinawa,” the session brought together diverse perspectives and on-the-ground experiences. Discussions ranged from the role of Okinawa as an island-based startup and industrial ecosystem, to the kind of long-term vision and investment approaches required to genuinely nurture new industries, including fusion energy. The conversation also extended to how companies and local governments can meaningfully engage in this process over the mid to long term.
By holding this partnering event in Okinawa—an island region that could serve as a model for addressing Japan and every island nation's energy challenges—Helical Fusion aims to further activate “fusion” not only as an energy technology, but also as a catalyst for collaboration in the next-generation energy industry.
