Startup Cafe

What Startup Cafe does

Startup Cafe (Startup Cafe) is a municipal startup consultation service operated by the City of Fukuoka, Japan, located at Fukuoka Growth Next 1F. Established in 2014 as part of Japan's National Strategic Special Zone program, it is a government-backed initiative — not a private venture — that provides free entrepreneurship consultation and incubation services to aspiring entrepreneurs, operating startup founders, and foreign entrepreneurs seeking to launch or relocate businesses in Japan. The entity administers the Startup Visa program, which provides foreign founders a residency pathway tied to its consultation and support relationship.

The service portfolio spans one-stop business incorporation support, HR matching, VC mentoring through the FGN Mentor Hours (with four venture capital partners), a Global Business Support / Global Startup Center line, a Global Finance Center, and a Special Startup Support Program bundling these capabilities. Multilingual staff deliver services in English, Korean, Chinese, German, and Burmese, with institutional backing from Nishi-Nihon City Bank, Japan Finance Corporation, and FECC (Fukuoka Economic and Cultural Center). The offering is built on human-driven consultation and physical co-location rather than proprietary technology, and there are no AI/ML components or software products disclosed.

The business model is publicly funded rather than commercially revenue-generating: all services are provided at no cost to users, and operating expenses are covered by the City of Fukuoka's municipal budget. There are no pricing tiers, no subscription revenue, no venture capital, and no private investment. Strategic value to the city is measured in startup formation, foreign-founder attraction, and ecosystem activity rather than commercial returns.

Name

Startup Cafe

Legal name

Startup Cafe (スタートアップカフェ)

Website

https://startupcafe.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Municipal startup consultation hub in Fukuoka, Japan, offering free business incorporation, VC mentoring, and the Startup Visa program for foreign entrepreneurs. Operated by the City of Fukuoka under Japan's National Strategic Special Zone framework.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Entrepreneurship Support Services

NAICS

Other Management Consulting Services (541618)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Venture Studios / Company Builders (FSANAAAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Corporate Venture Studios & Incubators (Build/launch ventures) (FSANAHAC), Coworking Cafes / Work Cafes (THAFADAJ), Banking Setup & Local Administrative Support (Registrations, Permits) (EDAIANAH)

Keywords

• Startup consultation services
• Entrepreneurship support
• Business incorporation assistance
• Venture mentoring programs
• Foreign entrepreneur advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Fukuoka-shi

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government-funded public service: Startup Cafe is operated as a publicly funded initiative by the City of Fukuoka to build the local startup ecosystem. It is free for all users at the point of service. Revenue is derived from municipal government budget allocation rather than from customers directly.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Startup Cafe is a free, municipally funded consultation hub for aspiring and operating entrepreneurs, located on the first floor of Fukuoka Growth Next in Fukuoka, Japan. It provides walk-in and reserved advisory sessions, one-stop business incorporation support, access to specialist professional advisors (lawyers, tax accountants, IP attorneys, judicial scriveners), HR matching, VC mentoring, financing consultations, and dedicated programs for foreign entrepreneurs including the Startup Visa and Global Finance Center. All services are provided free of charge to users, funded by the City of Fukuoka.

Product overview

Startup Cafe is a single, unified startup consultation and support space located at Fukuoka Growth Next 1F. It does not operate as a platform-plus-modules architecture but rather as an integrated suite of complementary services delivered through physical consultation spaces. The core offering is the Startup Cafe consultation space, supported by sub-products including the Opening One-Stop Center for corporation establishment, the Special Startup Support Program for training, Expert Consultation Services for professional advice, FECC for employment/labor issues, the HR Matching Center for talent acquisition, Global Business Support for international expansion, FGN Mentor Hours for VC mentorship, the Nishi-Nihon City Bank loan counter for financing, and Cafe Member Benefits for ongoing privileges. The Startup Visa and Global Finance Center specifically serve foreign entrepreneurs and international businesses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Startup Cafe Entrepreneurship Consultation (スタートアップカフェ 起業相談) Walk-in and reserved free consultation service with on-site concierge advisors and specialist professional advisors covering business planning, idea organization, test marketing, product/service feedback, and post-incorporation growth support for aspiring and operating entrepreneurs.
• Opening One-Stop Center (開業ワンストップセンター) Consolidated business incorporation service that handles all procedures for establishing a corporation in one place, with on-site support from a judicial scrivener and waiver of the 40,000 yen stamp tax.
• Special Startup Support Program (特定創業支援等事業) Government-certified support program that provides training in the four areas required for startups (management, finance, sales channel development, and human resource training) and confers benefits such as reduced registration tax for company establishment.
• Expert Consultation Services (士業・金融機関の個別相談) Free individual consultation sessions held every Thursday with licensed professionals covering legal contracts, tax filing, business incorporation, IP rights, government permits, and financing, available to entrepreneurs using Startup Cafe.
• Fukuoka Employment Labor Consultation Center (FECC) Free consultation service providing advice on employment rules and typical risk countermeasures from lawyers and social insurance labor consultants, available in person and online (including via LINE chat) for both employers and employees.
• Fukuoka Startup Human Resources Matching Center (福岡市スタートアップ人材マッチングセンター) HR matching service that connects startup companies with job seekers through consultations to understand the needs of both sides, helping early-stage startups find their initial team members.
• Global Business Support (グローバルビジネスサポート) Support service for Japanese startups expanding overseas and foreign entrepreneurs considering entry into Fukuoka City, providing information on corporation establishment, visa procedures, and international business matching, with staff speaking English, Korean, Chinese, German, and Burmese.
• FGN Mentor Hours Regular free mentoring program with venture capitalists from four Fukuoka-based VC firms, providing direct investor perspective to startups through 30-minute sessions held on the 2nd and 4th Friday of each month.
• Nishi-Nihon City Bank Loan Consultation Counter (西日本シティ銀行融資相談窓口) Dedicated financing consultation counter operated on-site by Nishi-Nihon City Bank where entrepreneurs can discuss startup financing and capital raising for business expansion.
• Cafe Member Benefits (カフェ会員特典) Membership benefits program providing individuals who have completed a consultation at Startup Cafe with access to various exclusive services and privileges.
• Startup Visa (スタートアップビザ) Special National Strategic Special Zone visa program for foreign entrepreneurs in Fukuoka City that relaxes the 'Management and Administration' residence status requirements, with application intake handled by the Global Startup Center located inside Startup Cafe.
• Global Finance Center (グローバルファイナンスセンター) One-stop support window for foreign financial institutions considering entry into Fukuoka City, providing free consultation and base-establishment support in English, Chinese, and other languages, staffed by finance-experienced multilingual personnel.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Fukuoka Employment Labor Consultation Center (FECC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFECC is a government-funded employment and labor consultation center embedded within Startup Cafe. It provides free consultations with lawyers and social insurance labor consultants on employment rules and risk mitigation, available by reservation.
• Global Business Support / Global Startup CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperating within Startup Cafe, this unit supports foreign entrepreneurs and Japanese startups expanding overseas. It handles Startup Visa applications, international matchmaking, and connections to MoU cities' startup ecosystems. Staff speak English, Korean, Chinese, German, and Burmese.
• Fukuoka Growth Next (FGN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStartup Cafe is a program of Fukuoka Growth Next, a City of Fukuoka-operated startup support facility. FGN provides the physical venue, operational infrastructure, and broader accelerator programs (Fukuoka Growth Network, High Growth Program, STARTUP ELITE Bootcamp, FUKUOKA SOCIAL STARTUP ACADEMY) that supplement Startup Cafe services.
• Specialist professional advisors (lawyers, tax accountants, judicial scriveners, patent attorneys, administrative scriveners)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerA roster of licensed professionals provides weekly free consultation sessions covering legal contracts, tax filing, business incorporation, IP rights, and government permit applications. These experts are available every Thursday at Startup Cafe.
• STARTUP TEAM FUKUOKAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA Fukuoka-city affiliated initiative supporting overseas expansion of local startups, connecting them with international networks and facilitating cross-border business matching through Startup Cafe's global business support desk.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Station F (Paris): World's largest startup campus, government-backed through the Paris metropolitan authority, offering workspace, accelerator programming, and corporate partner access. Comparable as a large-scale government-supported startup facility offering one-stop founder services.
• Y Combinator: Premier global startup accelerator providing seed funding, mentorship, and investor networking. Comparable as a broad incumbent that has set the gold standard for accelerator programming and ecosystem access for early-stage founders.
• Techstars: Global accelerator network running mentor-driven cohorts worldwide. Comparable as a broader incumbent offering structured startup support, mentorship, and investor access, though operating on a for-profit, equity-bearing model.

Regional players

• Block71 (NUS Enterprise): Singapore government- and National University of Singapore-supported startup hub network across Asia offering coworking, mentorship, and corporate connections. Comparable as a public-sector-affiliated hub ecosystem targeting inbound founders and regional expansion.
• Startup Island TAIWAN: Taiwan government-led startup ecosystem initiative providing founders with resources, programs, and international connections. Comparable as a government-coordinated startup support platform serving a national founder base in a similar Asia-Pacific context.

Direct peers

• Tokyo Innovation Base (TIB): Municipal startup support facility operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government that brings together entrepreneurs, investors, universities, and corporate partners under one roof. Directly comparable to Startup Cafe as another Japanese public-sector startup hub offering coworking, advisory, and ecosystem programming.
• CIC Tokyo (Cambridge Innovation Center): Innovation campus operator providing coworking, lab, and accelerator programming for startups and corporates in Tokyo. Comparable as a physical innovation hub offering integrated workspace, advisory, and ecosystem services to early-stage founders.
• Plug and Play Japan: Global VC-backed accelerator and innovation platform operating a Tokyo office, running corporate-partnered startup acceleration programs. Comparable as a hub that connects early-stage founders with corporate, investor, and ecosystem resources.
• Impact Hub Tokyo: Member-driven innovation hub with coworking, incubation, and accelerator programs targeting social and impact-oriented entrepreneurs. Comparable as a curated coworking and ecosystem-building hub offering founder support services.
• 500 Global Japan (500 Startups Japan): Global venture capital firm and accelerator running Japan-focused startup programs for early-stage founders. Comparable as an accelerator/ecosystem-builder targeting aspiring and operating entrepreneurs with mentorship and capital access.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/startup_fukuoka
• Facebookfacebook.com/startupcafefukuoka
• Instagraminstagram.com/fukuoka_city_startupcafe

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Startup Cafe