City Lab Tokyo
City Lab Tokyo is a Tokyo-based non-profit open innovation platform, co-founded by Tokyo Tatemono and the Urbanist association, that connects companies, startups, and 22 Japanese municipalities for sustainable urban development through a co-creation space, tiered memberships, and recurring event programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What City Lab Tokyo does
City Lab Tokyo (CLT) is a Tokyo-based open innovation platform established in December 2018, focused on connecting companies, startups, and local governments to co-create solutions for sustainable urban development. The organization is co-founded by Tokyo Tatemono Co., Ltd., a major Japanese real estate developer, and the General Incorporated Association Urbanist (アーバニスト), a professional urbanist association led by Professor Koizumi Hideki of the University of Tokyo. CLT operates from a ~300m² co-creation space on the 6th floor of Tokyo Square Garden in Kyobashi, Chuo-ku, and runs its signature Public Partners program, which as of June 2026 links 22 Japanese municipalities (up from 14 at end-2024) with member companies and startups for proof-of-concept demonstrations, business matching, and field-based sustainability projects.
CLT's core product is not a technology platform but a structured convening and orchestration methodology. Its recurring program stack includes the Sustainable City Summit (5th edition in 2025), Public Partners Pitch (3rd edition in 2026), Green Business Practice training, Urban Design Talk, Machi Agri Next (food systems/rail logistics), Transition Design Practice Course, and 3-Day Designing Camps in municipalities such as Osaki Town. The platform publishes field reports, event summaries, and articles as thought leadership content. Its "technology" is essentially the institutional relationship fabric linking corporations, startups, municipal governments, and citizens across Japan for sustainable urban experimentation.
Revenue is generated primarily through three monthly recurring membership tiers — CLT Corporate Member at ¥22,000/month (tax-inclusive), CLT Individual Member at ¥7,500/month, and CLT Network Member at ¥2,200/month — supplemented by space rental income and event ticket sales processed via Peatix. Events are ticketed between free and ¥3,000 per seat, with training programs like Green Business Practice carrying higher fees. GTM is community-led and event-driven: prospective members and municipalities engage through event participation, published reports, and direct introductions facilitated by the CLT team. The organization is structured as a non-profit general incorporated association, with no external equity investors or parent company.
City Lab Tokyo firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- City Lab Tokyo
- Legal name
- City Lab Tokyo / シティラボ東京
- Website
- https://citylabtokyo.jp
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- City Lab Tokyo is a Tokyo-based non-profit open innovation platform, co-founded by Tokyo Tatemono and the Urbanist association, that connects companies, startups, and 22 Japanese municipalities for sustainable urban development through a co-creation space, tiered memberships, and recurring event programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
City Lab Tokyo industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sustainable Urban Innovation Services
- NAICS
- Landscape Architectural Services (54132)
- SIC
- Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sustainable Cities, Urban Development & Green Infrastructure (BPADALAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- State/Provincial Housing, Urban/Regional Planning & Community Development (BPAIABAM)
Keywords
Where City Lab Tokyo is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tokyo
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
City Lab Tokyo business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- CLT Membership fees: Three-tier monthly membership program: CLT会員(法人) at ¥22,000/month (tax-inclusive), CLT会員(個人) at ¥7,500/month, and CLTネットワーク会員 at ¥2,200/month. Members receive access to the co-creation space, extended usage hours, and optional registration services.
- Space rental: Approximately 300m² space rental for individual work, workshops, standing meetings, seminars, and networking parties. Rental of the facility to members and external parties with environmentally-conscious interior using natural materials.
- Event ticket sales: Revenue generated from paid event tickets sold via Peatix platform. Ticket types include general admission, student rates, and CLT member discounts. Events range from free to ¥1,500–3,000 per ticket. Training programs like Green Business Practice carry higher fees.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | CLT Corporate Member (法人) — ¥22,000/month (tax-inclusive) |
| Subscription | Monthly | CLT Individual Member (個人) — ¥7,500/month (tax-inclusive) |
| Subscription | Monthly | CLT Network Member (ネットワーク会員) — ¥2,200/month (tax-inclusive) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
City Lab Tokyo product offering
Product offeringCore offering
City Lab Tokyo operates an Open Innovation Platform for sustainable urban development, combining a physical co-creation space (approximately 300m²) at Tokyo Square Garden in Kyobashi with tiered membership programs and a Public Partners program linking member companies with 22 Japanese municipalities. The platform delivers recurring event series including the Sustainable City Summit, Public Partners Pitch, Green Business Practice training, Urban Design Talk, Machi Agri Next, and 3-Day Designing Camps to facilitate co-creation, business matching, and knowledge sharing between corporations, startups, municipal governments, and citizens focused on sustainability challenges.
Product overview
City Lab Tokyo operates as an Open Innovation Platform for sustainable urban and social development, combining space rental services (~300m² co-creation facility), tiered membership programs (Corporate at ¥22,000/month, Individual at ¥7,500/month, Network at ¥2,200/month), and a Public Partners Program linking member companies with 22 municipalities for collaborative urban sustainability initiatives. The platform facilitates events, business matching, and knowledge sharing focused on sustainable cities, circular economy, and walkable urban design.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Co-creation Space Rental Approximately 300m² flexible co-creation space designed for individual work, workshops, standing meetings, seminars, and networking events, featuring environmentally-conscious interior with natural materials. Located on the 6th floor of Tokyo Square Garden in Kyobashi, Tokyo, with weekday operating hours of 9:30-18:00 (up to 21:00 for private bookings).
- CLT Membership Program Three-tier monthly membership program providing access to the Open Innovation Platform for sustainable urban and social development. Includes CLT Corporate Member (¥22,000/month tax-inclusive) for corporations, CLT Individual Member (¥7,500/month tax-inclusive) for professionals, and CLT Network Member (¥2,200/month tax-inclusive) for entry-level community access. Members receive co-creation space access, extended usage hours options, optional corporate registration services, event participation rights, and business matching services with local governments.
- Public Partners Program Partnership program connecting CLT member companies with local governments (22 municipalities as of June 2026) for collaboration on urban sustainability projects, demonstrations, and experiments. The program provides structured access to municipal partners including Kyoto City, Utsunomiya City, Hamamatsu City, Sakai City, Manazuru Town, Kamikawa Town, and others for proof-of-concept work on decarbonization, depopulation, circular economy, and food system challenges.
- Sustainable City Summit CLT's signature annual summit event series focused on sustainable urban development, with the 5th edition held in 2025. The summit serves as a convening platform for companies, startups, municipalities, and researchers to discuss sustainability and urban innovation topics.
- Public Partners Pitch (PPP) Recurring structured pitch event series featuring local government Public Partners presenting to corporate members and startups for collaboration on urban challenges. The 3rd edition in July 2026 focuses on '関係人口創出' (related population creation) initiatives by municipalities. Ticketed via Peatix with general, student, and CLT member rates.
- Green Business Practice Training Program Annual training program focused on green business transformation, featuring corporate examples of sustainability initiatives including Ajinomoto's climate change response, plastic waste reduction, food loss reduction, and sustainable sourcing. Carries higher fees than standard CLT events.
- Urban Design Talk Series
Quantifiable outcome
- 22 municipalities (Public Partners) participating as of June 2026, growing from 14 in December 2024
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use City Lab Tokyo
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
City Lab Tokyo technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
City Lab Tokyo partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.
- 株式会社MISO SOUP (MISO SOUP Inc.)coreA CLT member company that served as the facilitator for the Public Partners Pitch 2 (December 2025) event. Specializes in local business development, municipal intermediate support, and regional problem-solving enterprise management. Founded by Kitagawa-san to bridge local authenticity with scalable business approaches.
- 東日本旅客鉄道株式会社 (JR East)coreJR East partnered through CLT's 'Machi Agri Next' event series to present the 'はこビュン' (Hako View) cooperative delivery service using Shinkansen. JR East shared insights on the service's role in connecting rural producers with urban consumers and its environmental benefits.
- 合作株式会社 (Gassaku Co., Ltd.)coreGassaku is a CLT corporate member and served as the organizing secretariat for the 3-Day Designing Camp in Osaki Town (October 2025). Led by Suzuki Takayoshi (取締役), the company specializes in '玫瑰 PICNIC' (barashi-picnic) events connecting arterial and venous industries through dialogue and experience, and is a key partner in Osaki Town SDGs promotion activities.
- 中央区 (Chuo-ku, Tokyo)coreChuo-ku (Central Ward of Tokyo), where CLT is physically located, is a Public Partner. As the local government jurisdiction, the partnership facilitates local government-company collaboration in the Kyobashi area.
- Additional Public Partners (14 municipalities)minorAdditional CLT Public Partners as of late 2024/early 2025 include: 相模原市, 浜松市, 旭川市, 小海町, 豊田市, 仙台市, 山形市, 豊橋市, 岡山市, 八王子市, 広島県, 須賀川市, 長崎県, 小布施町, 栃木市, 紀の川市. These municipalities participate in CLT programs and pitch sessions to connect with companies and startups for local problem-solving.
- 味の素株式会社 (Ajinomoto Co., Inc.)corePresented at CLT's Green Business Practice 2022 event alongside the Osaki Town SDGs Council. Ajinomoto shared its sustainability initiatives including climate change response, plastic waste reduction, food loss reduction, and sustainable sourcing. Featured as a model of a large corporation engaging in green business transformation.
- 一般法人大崎町SDGs推進議会 (Osaki Town SDGs Promotion Council)coreAn organization promoting circular village design in Osaki Town, Kagoshima Prefecture — the location of CLT's 3-Day Designing Camp program. The Council coordinates Osaki's 'OSAKINI PROJECT' for circular economy and sustainability. CLT organizes educational field programs at the site.
- 真鶴町 (Manazuru Town)coreManazuru Town was the first Public Partner (PP) of CLT (2021). CLT's member company Groove Designs introduced a digital platform 'my groove' in Manazuru. The town promotes its '美の基準' (Beauty Standards) urban development philosophy and seeks partners for smart town initiatives and vacant property solutions.
- 堺市 (Sakai City)coreSakai City became a CLT Public Partner in 2021. Designated as Osaka Prefecture's first 'decarbonization priority area' (2022). Collaborated with CLT on the '端材ガチャ' (material waste gacha) project where CLT staff designed packaging for locally-sourced waste materials converted into merchandise.
- 京都市 (Kyoto City)coreKyoto City joined as a Public Partner in 2021. Part of the Osaka-Kyoto-Hyogo Kobe Startup Ecosystem Global Hub City consortium (2020). Operates 'KYOTO CITY OPEN LABO' public-private collaboration platform. Uses CLT to connect with companies for urban challenges including depopulation solutions and regional revitalization.
- 宇都宮市 (Utsunomiya City)coreUtsunomiya City joined as a CLT Public Partner in 2021. Promotes 'Super Smart City' vision (2021), LRT 'Lightline' (2023, Japan's first 100% renewable energy transit), and decarbonization priority area designation (2022). Hosts CLT-organized business tours and startup matching events.
- 上川市 (Kamikawa Town, Hokkaido)coreKamikawa Town joined the Public Partner program in 2021. Features '感動人口Coordinator' (Emotional Population Coordinator) role and '大雪いきもの図鑑' biodiversity project using the BIOME app. Uses CLT for connecting with companies and startups on circular economy, forestry, and regenerative tourism initiatives.
- 東京建物株式会社 (Tokyo Tatemono Co., Ltd.)flagshipTokyo Tatemono is the co-founding operator of City Lab Tokyo. As a major Japanese real estate developer, Tokyo Tatemono provides the physical space (Tokyo Square Garden 6F), brand positioning as a sustainability innovation hub, and ongoing operational support. CLT serves as Tokyo Tatemono's primary platform for open innovation in sustainable urban development.
- 一般社団法人アーバニスト (General Incorporated Association Urbanist)flagshipアーバニスト is the co-founding operator of City Lab Tokyo, providing intellectual leadership, research direction, and professional urbanist community networks. The association, led by Professor Koizumi Hideki (University of Tokyo), contributes academic rigor, event programming expertise, and connections to the urban planning community. It was established specifically to operate CLT.
- 特定非営利活動法人めぐるまち国分寺 (NPO Meguru Machi Kunitachi)minorPresented at CLT's 'Machi Agri Next' event as the operator of 'こくベジ' (Koku Vege) brand vegetable delivery system in Kunitachi. A local social enterprise connecting farmers and restaurants through a logistics network, featured as a model of sustainable food system innovation.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
City Lab Tokyo competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- CIC Tokyo: Coworking and innovation campus in Toranomon serving startups, corporates, and government stakeholders with shared workspace, events, and venture programs. Comparable to CLT in providing a Tokyo-based physical innovation hub with corporate and government engagement.
- Plug and Play Japan: Open-innovation platform and accelerator running corporate-startup matching programs, pitch events, and verticals including sustainability and smart cities in Japan. Direct functional peer to CLT's Public Partners Pitch and corporate-matching offering.
- Impact Hub Tokyo: Tokyo-based social-impact coworking and innovation community operating memberships, events, and accelerator programs. Closest direct peer to CLT: similar member-based sustainability/social-innovation community in Tokyo with corporate members and events around SDGs and urban challenges.
Emerging players
- Code for Japan: Japanese civic-tech community running programs connecting technologists with local governments to solve municipal challenges. Overlaps with CLT's Public Partner model around local-government + private-sector co-creation, though with a more civic-tech focus.
- ETIC (Entrepreneurial Training for Innovative Communities): Japanese non-profit supporting social entrepreneurs and regional revitalization through programs, events, and community-building. Overlaps with CLT's mission around social innovation, regional co-creation, and cross-sector community building, though broader in scope.
- Innovation Dojo Japan: Japanese open-innovation platform matching corporates with startups through themed programs and demo events. Comparable to CLT's corporate × startup × municipality matching model, but focused on corporate innovation rather than local-government co-creation.
Others
- greenz.jp: Japanese sustainability and social-innovation media platform publishing articles, events, and community programs on sustainable lifestyles and civic issues. Comparable to CLT's content/event programming layer for sustainability audiences, with overlapping but not competing membership offerings.
- Social Innovation Japan (SIJ): Japan-based initiative curating social-innovation cases, events, and cross-sector networks across sustainability, regional revitalization, and impact topics. Comparable as a Japanese sustainability/social-innovation community platform, with similar audience and corporate engagement angle.
Broad incumbents
- Mori Building: Major Japanese real-estate developer operating innovation hubs, urban development projects, and sustainability programming in Tokyo (e.g., Toranomon Hills, Hiroo). Comparable as a real-estate-led urban innovation platform with sustainability positioning, though much larger and commercially broader than CLT.
- KDDI ∞ Labo: Corporate open-innovation program operated by a major Japanese telco, running startup acceleration, demo days, and corporate partnerships. Comparable as a Japanese corporate-led open-innovation platform, but vertically integrated within KDDI rather than a neutral convener.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
City Lab Tokyo social profiles
Digital presenceCity Lab Tokyo financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
City Lab Tokyo leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
City Lab Tokyo funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
City Lab Tokyo M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about City Lab Tokyo
What does City Lab Tokyo do?
City Lab Tokyo operates an Open Innovation Platform for sustainable urban development, combining a physical co-creation space (approximately 300m²) at Tokyo Square Garden in Kyobashi with tiered membership programs and a Public Partners program linking member companies with 22 Japanese municipalities. The platform delivers recurring event series including the Sustainable City Summit, Public Partners Pitch, Green Business Practice training, Urban Design Talk, Machi Agri Next, and 3-Day Designing Camps to facilitate co-creation, business matching, and knowledge sharing between corporations, startups, municipal governments, and citizens focused on sustainability challenges.
Is City Lab Tokyo a public or private company?
City Lab Tokyo is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was City Lab Tokyo founded?
City Lab Tokyo was founded in 2018.
Where is City Lab Tokyo based?
City Lab Tokyo is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does City Lab Tokyo make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. CLT Membership fees are the primary driver. The others are space rental and event ticket sales.
Who are City Lab Tokyo's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are CIC Tokyo, Plug and Play Japan and Impact Hub Tokyo. Emerging players are Code for Japan, ETIC (Entrepreneurial Training for Innovative Communities) and Innovation Dojo Japan. Others are greenz.jp and Social Innovation Japan (SIJ). Broad incumbents are Mori Building and KDDI ∞ Labo.
Does City Lab Tokyo have an API?
No public API is recorded for City Lab Tokyo.
What industry is City Lab Tokyo in?
City Lab Tokyo's product category is Sustainable Urban Innovation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADALAL, Sustainable Cities, Urban Development & Green Infrastructure, with a secondary code of BPAIABAM, State/Provincial Housing, Urban/Regional Planning & Community Development. Its NAICS code is 54132 and its SIC code is 8744.