GSAP 2026: Five Courses Launch with Global Accelerators

The Global Startup Acceleration Program (GSAP) is an initiative supporting Japanese startups expanding overseas. JETRO launched it in cooperation with the Cabinet Office on April 30, 2026.

In fiscal 2026, a total of 62 companies were selected from across Japan, including the startup ecosystem hub cities, which have expanded to 13 locations nationwide. The program provides the insights and networks needed for business growth in overseas markets, as well as connections with local customers and partners.

The focus areas are Enterprise B2B, AI, Sustainability, and Manufacturing Tech, with a total of five courses from fiscal 2026 after adding the AI-CTO course. Through practical support, including technology development and product enhancement, the program promotes the creation and growth of businesses with competitive strength in overseas markets.

Since its launch in 2021, GSAP has supported more than 500 Japanese startups in total. Past participants include companies that have raised funding in North America and Asia, developed sales channels, established local entities, and formed business partnerships with major companies.

GSAP is being used to build a foundation for companies seeking global expansion.

Global Startup Acceleration Program 2026 will offer courses in Enterprise B2B, AI, AI-CTO, Sustainability, and ManufacturingTech&HardTech. Enterprise B2B is operated in cooperation with Alchemist and consists of three phases: US market understanding, proof of concept and business validation, and business and customers. This time, participants for the US market understanding phase were selected. AI will partner with StartX, AI-CTO with ERA, Sustainability with Third Derivative, and ManufacturingTech&HardTech with Centrepolis Accelerator.

The AI-CTO course aims to provide confidence that a given design can compete in the US market. It supports the development of AI systems capable of serving the US enterprise market through model selection (Proprietary × Open Source), trade-offs in RAG, fine-tuning, and agent design, and optimization of inference cost, latency, and reliability.

The Sustainability course, operated by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), provides mentoring and networking for climate tech companies worldwide. In the ManufacturingTech&HardTech course, Centrepolis Accelerator, based in the US Midwest and Michigan, uses its network of major manufacturers and investors to support startups in manufacturing and hard tech with proof of concept, demonstration, and commercialization.

The program is delivered in a hybrid format, both online and offline, and includes travel to the United States. It lasts 3 to 6 months and is intended for startups located in Japan. Activities include lecture sessions, workshops, one-on-one mentoring, networking, and demo days for investors and overseas companies.