New Market Entrant Nominees: BBA 2025
Each year, both emerging and established UK companies embark on the journey into the Japanese market, and 2025 arrives with a distinctive energy and a horizon rich with opportunity. From the 48 eligible applications spanning seven award categories, we are proud to present the six outstanding nominees for this year’s New Market Entry Award.
Nominees for the New Market Entrant of the Year Award must be individuals or organisations that have launched meaningful operations in the Japanese market for the first time since 1st January 2024. This award celebrates bold and strategic market entry that demonstrates long-term vision, value creation, and potential for growth and innovation in Japan.
In alphabetical order:
BLR Japan KK
10 Pavilions, One Vision: BLR WORLD acts as a facilitator, enabler and activator of cultural assets and events around the world. Under the entrepreneurial leadership of Founder & CEO Micah Styles, BLR recently entered the Japan market securing multi-million dollar contracts in its first year of trading as a key operator of international pavilions at Expo 2025.
Herofinder Ltd
Herofinder, an Oxford-incubated startup, entered Japan through Expo 2025 under Osaka Prefecture’s International Financial City initiative. Its bilingual pro bono simulator app enables users to visualise social contribution via digital Hero Badges—introducing blockchain-backed human capital data for sustainability reporting with capital market transparency.
Howden Group Japan K.K.
As the world's largest employee-owned insurance intermediary business, Howden's entry into Japan brings a globally proven, independent brokerage model to Japan at a time of FSA-led reforms are promoting the need for transparency and competition in Japan's insurer led, agency dominant distribution market. Howden's client-first approach and innovative solutions offer a fresh alternative in Japan in retail and wholesale insurance markets.
Lifebit Biotech Limited
Lifebit's entry into Japan with Mitsui Knowledge Industry (MKI) is a defining step in advancing biomedical research securely. By enabling Japanese researchers to use federated TREs that preserve data privacy, this expansion makes Japan a hub in Lifebit's global network, linking cohorts in the UK and beyond without moving data.
Tokamak Energy Ltd
Tokamak Energy K.K. was incorporated in Tokyo in February 2025 to expand global operations and deepen UK-Japan collaboration in fusion energy and superconducting technologies. Our entry supports Japan’s energy security and decarbonisation goals, building on partnerships with government, industry and Academia.
YuLife Japan Godo Kaisha
YuLife Japan has successfully pioneered Japan's first gamified wellbeing benefits platform in partnership with Dai-ichi Life & Aon Japan; transforming employee benefits by combining innovative technology with behavioural science, addressing Japan's workplace wellbeing challenges while establishing a revolutionary insurance and employee benefits model.
We extend our deepest thanks to this year’s sponsors, whose support makes this celebration possible.
