City of Yokohama, Asia Smart City Alliance (ASCA)

Name

City of Yokohama, Asia Smart City Alliance (ASCA)

Legal name

City of Yokohama (横浜市)

Website

https://yport.city.yokohama.lg.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Technical Cooperation

SIC

Sanitary Services (4950), Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Maritime & Port Authorities (Public Ports, Harbors, Ferries Terminals) (BPAIALAF)

Keywords

• International technical cooperation
• Smart city solutions
• Urban infrastructure consulting
• Circular economy programs
• Public-private partnerships

Headquarters

HQ city

Yokohama

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. International Technical Cooperation (Public Funding): Y-PORT is a government-funded international cooperation initiative by the City of Yokohama. Revenue is derived from public budgets (municipal, national, and potentially international development funding) to support developing country urban problem-solving and Japanese corporate overseas expansion — not commercial revenue generation.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Y-PORT is a public-private international technical cooperation initiative operated by the City of Yokohama that combines municipal urban management expertise with Japanese corporate technologies to address urban challenges in developing countries and facilitate Japanese companies' overseas expansion. The offering spans water and sanitation infrastructure, waste management and recycling, renewable energy demonstration, disaster prevention education, and modular healthcare — packaged into deployable urban solutions supported by demonstration projects, business matching, and government-to-government facilitation.

Product overview

Y-PORT (Yokohama Partnership of Resources and Technologies) is a unified initiative by the City of Yokohama combining public-private partnership programs to address urban challenges in developing countries while supporting Japanese companies' international expansion. The portfolio includes the Y-PORT Center as the central platform, GALERIO as the information and networking hub, the Asia Smart City Conference for knowledge exchange, Environmental Business Workshops for capacity building, and the Y-SDGs certification system for evaluating corporate sustainability efforts. Together, these programs leverage Yokohama's urban development expertise in areas such as water and sewage systems, waste management, disaster prevention, housing, and energy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GALERIO: Information dissemination, exchange, and creation hub for international cooperation activities
• Yokohama Go Green
• YRC Platform

Products and services

• Y-PORT (Yokohama Partnership of Resources and Technologies) A public-private partnership initiative by the City of Yokohama supporting urban challenge resolution in emerging countries and Japanese companies' overseas expansion, utilizing Yokohama's urban development experience and technologies.
• Y-PORT Center A coordinating hub established by the City of Yokohama functioning as the operational interface for international technical cooperation, business matching, and partnership facilitation across the Y-PORT program portfolio.
• GALERIO Information Exchange and Co-creation Hub A base for information dissemination, exchange, and co-creation activities serving as a hub connecting Japanese companies with international partners for smart city solutions, hosting visiting delegations and organizing events.
• Asia Smart City Conference (ASCC) An annual international conference hosted by Yokohama City discussing urban challenges and smart city solutions across Asia, facilitating knowledge exchange, partnership building, and business matching among city governments, corporations, and international organizations.
• Environmental Business Workshop Program A workshop program supporting Japanese companies in developing and expanding environmental business solutions internationally, including themes focused on Yokohama's environmental business overseas expansion support and global exchange sessions at international forums.
• Y-SDGs Certification System A certification system evaluating and authenticating companies' and organizations' SDG initiatives across four ESG fields (Environment, Society, Governance, Local community) with 30 check items and three certification levels. By October 2024, 769 entities had been certified across 13 certification rounds.
• YRC Platform (Yokohama Resource Circulation) A public-private partnership platform launched in 2024 connecting manufacturing companies with waste management operators to develop circular economy businesses through cross-industry matching. Within its first six months, the platform received 13 business proposals and facilitated 2 active matchings between restaurant/hospitality and recycling operators.

Quantifiable outcome

• ~43% reduction in waste volume through G30 Plan, achieved 5 years ahead of target
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Minato Mirai 21 Area Management Organizations, Local Businesses and FacilitiesmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 January 2025Partnership with Minato Mirai 21 area management organizations, local businesses, beverage manufacturers, and facility operators to implement bottle-to-bottle horizontal recycling — collecting used PET bottles, processing into raw materials, and manufacturing new bottles within the same district. The initiative targets 150+ tons of PET bottle recycling annually over the 2025-2027 project period.
• YRC Platform Partner Companies (7 initial companies)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Seven Yokohama-based companies signed an agreement with the City of Yokohama in 2024 to launch the YRC Platform (Yokohama Resource Circulation), a public-private initiative connecting manufacturing companies with waste management operators to develop circular economy businesses. Companies span manufacturing, retail, and waste management sectors.
• Daiichi Sankyo Healthcare Co., Ltd. (第一三共ヘルスケア)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2022Pharmaceutical company launched Japan's first voluntary collection and recycling program for used medicine sheets (PTP sheets). Yokohama supports with legal analysis, collection site selection, and public outreach. The program expanded from 30 pilot sites (October 2022) to 60 sites and then to 102 permanent sites (October 2023), collecting over 5,000 kg by August 2024.
• TerraCycle Japan合同会社coreTechnology or Integration · 1 October 2022TerraCycle Japan handles the actual collection logistics and recycling processing for the medicine sheet recycling program, operating the collection infrastructure and ensuring proper material processing and circular re-use of the collected plastic and aluminum materials.
• Yokohama City Pharmaceutical Association, Local Dispensing Pharmacies, Regional Care PlazasminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2022Network of pharmacies and regional welfare centers serving as collection points for the medicine sheet recycling program, enabling residents to deposit used medicine sheets at convenient neighborhood locations rather than standard waste collection points.
• Yokohama SDGs Station Kannaixi Partner OrganizationsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partnership including Yokohama City, Yokohama SDGs Design Center, and Yokohama Transportation Development Co. to operate the SDG Station at Kannai Station — an in-station awareness hub promoting sustainable development goals to commuters and visitors in one of Yokohama's busiest transit areas.
• Alpha Locker System Co., Ltd., Endo Pan (縁道パン), Kasser CafeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Companies operating the SDG Lockers — locker-type vending machines at Kannai Station selling surplus bread at discount prices (approximately 30% off regular pricing). The initiative reduces food loss while providing affordable products to commuters.
• Yokohama 23 UniversitiesmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 202223 universities in Yokohama participate in the Yokohama Go Green initiative and STYLE100 sustainability campaign, contributing academic expertise and student engagement to circular economy programs including the 'Clothing to Clothing' initiative and broader sustainability education.
• Y-SDGs Financial Task Force (13 participating financial institutions)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2021A consortium of 13 financial institutions (major banks and regional banks) established in July 2021 to support Y-SDGs certified companies with sustainable finance products. The task force integrates the Y-SDGs certification system into ESG investment decision-making and provides preferential financing for certified businesses.
• Y-PORT Center Partner Companies (Urban Infrastructure)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Y-PORT Center has established partnerships with Japanese companies specializing in urban infrastructure solutions including water treatment, waste management, renewable energy, and modular healthcare. These companies participate in Y-PORT demonstration projects and international deployment programs, leveraging the city's government networks and international cooperation agreements.
• Independent Administrative Agency Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015JICA collaborates with Yokohama City on international technical cooperation projects, providing development finance and technical assistance frameworks. JICA co-produces knowledge materials with Yokohama (e.g., 'Sustainable Urban Management Global Model' publications in multiple languages) and supports the international dissemination of Yokohama's urban management expertise.
• World Bank Tokyo Development Learning Centre (TDLC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013The World Bank Tokyo Development Learning Centre has produced multiple publications on Yokohama's urban development methodology, including the 'Yokohama Urban Design Sketchbook' (2022) documenting citizen-participatory urban planning approaches, and the 'Yokohama Source Book' (2018) analyzing the city's urban management history and knowledge systems for international audience.
• Sagami Railway Holdings (相鉄ホールディングス)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Partnership with Sagami Railway Holdings (Sotetsu) from 2013 to advance area management and community activation around Sagami-Izumino Line stations, integrating agricultural resource utilization with health and sports-themed local revitalization.
• Tokyu CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Yokohama City signed a comprehensive partnership agreement with Tokyu Corporation in 2012 to implement the 'next-generation suburban city' concept. Tokyu participates in community development projects along the Tokyu Den-en-toshi Line corridor, implementing the Community Living Model and mixed-use development integrating residential, commercial, and community functions.
• Urban Renaissance Agency (独立行政法人都市再生機構)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Partnership from 2012 with Japan's Urban Renaissance Agency to implement multi-generational cohabitation housing and community exchange initiatives in Yokohama's Isogo Ward (洋光台 area), supporting community formation and area revitalization.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency): Japan's primary international development agency and a Y-PORT partner. Functions as an ecosystem enabler and alternative/parallel channel for the same Japanese corporate overseas-expansion demand that Y-PORT serves.
• UN-Habitat: UN agency focused on sustainable urban development. Adjacent to Y-PORT's mission of supporting developing-country cities and overlapping in target audience, though operating at a supranational scale.

Broad incumbents

• Amsterdam Smart City: Public-private smart city platform connecting municipal government, corporates, and citizens around urban solutions. Similar platform model to GALERIO and Y-PORT's matching function, but in a Western European context.
• Smart Dubai: Government-led smart city program packaging urban solutions and exporting expertise to other cities. Comparable in mission and structure but at national scale in the UAE.
• Singapore Smart Nation: National-level smart city initiative that packages urban solutions for export, including through bilateral projects like Tianjin Eco-City. Comparable as a larger, well-funded smart city platform that competes for the same Asian-city partnership opportunities as Y-PORT.

Direct peers

• City of Kitakyushu: Japanese municipal government operating long-running international environmental cooperation programs with Asian developing-country cities (especially water and waste management). Most directly comparable to Y-PORT's model of exporting urban infrastructure solutions via city-led public-private platforms.
• Kawasaki City Eco-Town: Major Japanese municipal environmental and circular-economy program with international cooperation components, focused on waste recycling and industrial symbiosis. Comparable to Yokohama's YRC Platform and circular-economy initiatives.
• Tianjin Eco-City (Sino-Singapore): Bilateral smart-city cooperation project between a national government (Singapore) and a partner city (Tianjin), explicitly packaging urban solutions into a deployable model. Closest structural analog to Y-PORT's city-to-city cooperation approach.
• City of Kobe: Japanese designated city with international cooperation programs targeting urban resilience and disaster prevention — directly overlapping with Yokohama's disaster prevention education and urban infrastructure export focus.

Emerging players

• Forum Virium Helsinki: City of Helsinki's innovation company developing and piloting smart city solutions with corporate partners. Comparable as a city-affiliated entity packaging urban innovations for external deployment, though operating at smaller scale than Y-PORT.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=etDJp_9Ctq0
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/asiasmartcityalliance

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about City of Yokohama, Asia Smart City Alliance (ASCA)