GLOBIS Startup & Venture Community Seminar: The Opportunities and Risks of Launching an AI Startup in 2025
with Tim Romero, Reiji Yamanaka, Kelvin Song
As AI continues to reshape industries, 2025 presents a rare window of opportunity for innovators and entrepreneurs. This seminar explores how startups can harness AI to build impactful, future-ready ventures while avoiding common pitfalls.
Seminar speaker Tim Romero, Partner at JERA Ventures, Founder and Host of popular startup podcast: Disrupting Japan, shares his views on leveraging the application of AI in new startups based on years of experience in the field and knowledge of the startup ecosystem, especially here in Japan.
Reiji Yamanaka, Managing Director of KIBOW Impact Investment Fund – GLOBIS Venture lecturer and Kelvin Song, GLOBIS business director – GLOBIS AI/Technovate lecturer will be joining after Tim’s presentation for a panel discussion and dialogue prior to fielding Q&A from the audience.
Join us to gain actionable insights into:
- Identifying high-impact AI startup ideas
- Building sustainable business models
- Risk Management
- Understanding the investor landscape and what VCs are looking for in AI ventures
- Avoiding “hype traps” and focusing on value-driven development
Whether you’re considering launching your own AI startup or supporting one, this seminar will provide practical tools, expert perspectives, and a roadmap to success in this transformative field.
Who Should Attend:
Aspiring founders, early-stage startup teams, technologists, investors, and anyone curious about building sustainable AI businesses in 2025 and beyond.
You’ll also have the chance to join a vibrant startup community, connect with like-minded individuals, and build relationships that inspire and support your entrepreneurial journey.
Please join us in-person at our Tokyo GLOBIS campus if you are in the area to take advantage of the networking session after the event. Our speakers will be available for discussions and you’ll have a chance to network with other passionate members of this community.
Notes about this interactive hybrid event
This event will be held live online and on campus. Upon registration, all registrants will receive a Zoom link and directions to the event. Registrants can choose to join either online or on-campus freely.
– If you are joining online: Please try to have earphones, a microphone and/or a webcam ready
– If you are joining on-campus: Directions to the event will be included in the email.
Please arrive at the event location at least 10 minutes before the seminar begins.
Overview
| Date: | Friday, July 18, 2025 |
|---|---|
| Time: | 12:30 - 14:00 Central European Summer Time (CEST) (19:30 - 21:00 JST) |
| Where: | Hybrid |
| Registration Fee: | Free of charge |
| Language: | English |
Agenda
| 12:00 CEST | Reception Time |
|---|---|
| 12:30 CEST | Event Start |
| 12:35 CEST | Seminar (40 min) |
| 13:10 CEST | Panel discussion |
| 13:30 CEST | Q&A |
| 13:55 CEST | Joining the GLOBIS Start-up & Venture Community |
| 14:00 CEST | Closing and Networking (for on-site) |
Tim Romero
Time Romero is a Partner at JERA Venture and host of the Disrupting Japan podcast. Tim is deeply involved in Japan’s startup community as an investor, founder, author and educator, and he has founded several startups in Japan over the past 30 years. Tim has also taught entrepreneurship and corporate innovation at New York University’s Tokyo campus, led Google for Startups Japan, and worked with TEPCO and other Japanese enterprises on startup investment and innovation strategy.
Disrupting Japan Podcast: https://www.disruptingjapan.com/
Detailed bio: htteps://www.disruptingjapan,com/tim/
Reiji Yamanaka
Reiji Yamanaka is managing director of KIBOW Impact Investment Fund for social impact startups. He also manages the G-STARTUP Fund, G-GROWTH Fund, and G-CHALLENGE Fund to expand the GLOBIS entrepreneurial ecosystem. As a GLOBIS University faculty member, he teaches entrepreneurship and venture-related courses at GLOBIS.
Prior to GLOBIS, Reiji started his career at Canon, gained experience in business development at two healthcare startups, and worked for GLOBIS Capital Partners as a venture capitalist.
Reiji holds an MBA degree from Harvard Business School along with a BA in Economics from Hitotsubashi University.
