Want to go to Japan together? | Linkloud Pioneer Accelerator Camp 9th Cohort Now Open

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Researching the much-hyped Japanese AI and SaaS market.

Today we're recommending Linkloud's Japan AI study tour.

Linkloud is one of the most influential communities for Chinese AI companies going global. Every quarter, they lead dozens of AI founders and executives on study trips to Silicon Valley and Japan. They've been closely tracking Chinese AI's international expansion and serve as an important bridge for AI exchange between China and the global tech and business communities.

Linkloud co-founder Ning Gao recently appeared on the "Crossing" podcast for an episode titled "The AI Products You Don't Know About Are Quietly Making a Fortune", which received widespread acclaim.

Linkloud's study tours offer strong value and attract high-caliber participants. If you're planning a trip to Japan to stay on top of AI developments and want to meet quality peers along the way, we believe this is your best option.

The following introduction is adapted from Linkloud, with minor edits

More than a year into the global AI wave, SaaStr — the world's largest SaaS industry conference — just wrapped up in Silicon Valley. This year's newly added AI summit centered on "Where SaaS Meets AI, What's Real, What Isn't. And What Will Be," where CXOs from leading SaaS companies shared their experiments and insights on AI across product, growth, customer success, and more.

Core value was mentioned with striking frequency. Everyone is actively searching for the genuine value that AI brings to customers when combined with SaaS. Another buzzword this year was Vertical — showing that more and more tech giants, entrepreneurs at various stages, and investors are turning their attention to AI applications in vertical industries.

Compared to the US market, Japan has been experiencing the same trends over the past two years. Vertical industry SaaS products are gaining increasing attention, and many are using AI to genuinely solve industry-specific problems (such as construction digitization and job site management), achieving excellent customer retention and profit margins.

For example, one Japanese-headquartered financial management SaaS company — whose executive previously spoke at a Linkloud Japan Pioneer Accelerator camp — boasts a logo retention rate of 99.2%. Another cloud-based construction management SaaS platform, designed to enhance project progress tracking and operational efficiency at building sites, also achieves a logo retention rate of 99.4%!

(SaaStr Annual 2024)

Characteristics of the Japan SaaS Market

Over the past year and a half, Linkloud has accompanied more than 50 Chinese SaaS company leaders on four in-depth trips to Japan to explore the enterprise services market. As described in "The 'Long-Termism' of Chinese SaaS Expanding to Japan", Japanese business culture is built on trust and long-term relationships — "going deep locally" and "building great products" are particularly crucial. In our understanding, the Japan SaaS market has shown these characteristics in recent years:

  • Continuous growth: The Japan SaaS market is expanding rapidly, reaching approximately 1.24 trillion yen in 2023 with 13.8% year-over-year growth.
  • Multi-product trend: In the past two years, the number of SaaS companies with ARR exceeding 10 billion yen has grown to 10. Many enterprises have adopted multi-product strategies early to diversify their offerings.
  • Agency and partnership strategies matter: Strategic partnerships with agents, integrators, and channel partners are important. There are also many node-type companies with industry-specific attributes that present innovative collaboration opportunities with SaaS products.
  • Strong prospects for vertical industry SaaS: A trend toward "small giants" is emerging, with noticeable growth in vertical SaaS for traditional industries.
  • Enthusiastic AI discussion, cautious implementation: Large companies are actively exploring AI, but deployment remains careful. Since 2024, startups in areas like AI customer service have seen significant funding rounds.

(2024 Linkloud Japan Pioneer Accelerator Camp)

Praise from Past Participants

In 2023, I participated in both the US and Japan Pioneer Accelerator camps organized by Linkloud. The experience was incredibly rewarding — the schedule was packed, the对接 resources were abundant, and there were all kinds of interactive exchanges with local companies and industry leaders. I strongly recommend this to founders with global expansion plans!

— Yu Gao, Founder & Chairman of Mingyuanyun

Participating in Linkloud's Japan study tour was a complete refresh of my understanding of Japan's B2B market — or rather, it was the first time I built a foundational grasp of it. Hearing others share is completely different from experiencing it yourself. The high-frequency exchanges with fellow participants were also incredibly valuable. Plus, the food throughout the trip was excellent, with something different every meal.

— Wenfeng Sang, Founder of Sensors Data

Linkloud Pioneer Accelerator Camp — Ninth Cohort Now Recruiting

💡 Winning Customer Loyalty with SaaS and AI

Dates: November 11–15, closed-door sessions

Location: Tokyo, Japan

Who it's for: Founders, overseas business leads, entrepreneurs, and investment professionals interested in Japan's enterprise services and AI market; also suitable for big tech global expansion leads who already have international clients and need efficient scaling.

The program mainly includes:

1. Learning expansion experience

  • In-depth closed-door exchanges with senior leaders from Japanese-native SaaS companies and Chinese-background SaaS companies that have expanded to Japan, to fully understand the market and develop business intuition.
  • Deep dive into several market entry approaches and their respective pros and cons.
  • Discussion of how to achieve extreme product localization, how to cold-start, and other questions.
  • Exchange on cross-cultural, cross-regional team building and management experience.

2. Building local networks

  • Broadly connect and exchange with local startup communities and outstanding Chinese entrepreneurs in Japan, seeking potential collaboration opportunities and talent referrals; engage with several Chinese entrepreneurs who have been in Japan for decades, including insights on tech industry trends and deep understanding of partnering with major Japanese clients.

3. Establishing partnerships

  • Channel partnerships are an important way to enter the Japan market, with exchanges with different types of partners.
  • Software agents: Established Japanese software agencies representing database, data management, analytics, and digital transformation products.
  • System integrators (SI): A 20+ year-old system integrator primarily providing system integration & maintenance and ERP solutions.
  • IT consulting firms: M&A advisory for tech companies with extensive experience serving leading enterprises and substantial large corporate client resources in Japan.

4. Understanding venture capital

  • Japan's corporate venture capital forces are substantial, VC forces are rapidly rising, and the government has introduced multiple policies supporting the venture ecosystem.
  • An early-stage SaaS-focused VC: Partners bring rich perspective from Japanese investment institutions, with deep understanding of various Japanese vertical SaaS developments, opportunities, and challenges.
  • A major bank's strategic investment arm: One of the most active major banks in partnering with startups, with a deep resource network and thorough understanding of digital transformation needs among Japan's medium and large enterprises.

5. Understanding the rules

  • Under the combined pressures of an aging and shrinking population, conservative business culture, and geopolitical factors, Japanese companies have high requirements for data compliance, privacy, and corporate qualifications. We will connect you with local service providers and assist with follow-through.
  • Local company establishment: Administrative scrivener offices providing detailed explanations of company setup, office leasing procedures and costs, annual maintenance fees, and related matters.
  • Architecture design and data compliance: A comprehensive consulting group centered on Japan, China, and Southeast Asia, providing one-stop services globally for intellectual property application, protection, and utilization, as well as data privacy compliance.
  • Talent recruitment: A well-known Japanese recruiting platform leveraging its advantages on both the talent and employer sides to serve companies expanding overseas.

In 2023, I participated in two cohorts of Linkloud's Japan Accelerator. The program covered highly practical content for landing in the Japan market, and I've already taken my first steps there. I recommend it to anyone interested in the Japan market.

— Guang Chen, Founder of QuickCEP

Four days, visits to over 20 companies — not only deepened my understanding of this unique market, but also built valuable connections. Highly rewarding.

— Weidong Luo, Founder of Aurora Mobile

Looking forward to seeing you in Tokyo!

Registration is now officially open. If you're interested in itinerary details, pricing, or other information, please scan the QR code to inquire: