Living Best and ATR open Japan Gateway for longevity ventures

Living Best and ATR have launched a Japan Gateway to help international longevity and health-technology startups validate products, find partners and scale in Japan. The first public activation is set for the Kyoto Smart City Expo in October 2026, with selected ventures eligible for ATR's KGAP+ accelerator.

Why it matters: - Japan is a difficult market for international longevity and health-technology ventures to enter, validate and scale. - The new Gateway is designed to move companies beyond one-off pilots and into commercial adoption. - Investors could get clearer evidence on Japan-specific demand, institutional fit and adoption potential before backing a venture.

What happened: - Living Best and Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR) announced the Living Best Japan Gateway on September 8, 2026. - The Gateway is a new pathway for international longevity and health-technology ventures seeking to validate, enter and scale in Japan. - The first public activation will take place at the Kyoto Smart City Expo at Keihanna Plaza on October 8-9, 2026. - Selected ventures will showcase products, meet Japanese corporate partners through ATR's business-matching network and be considered for ATR's KGAP+ business-development accelerator. - The next KGAP+ cohort begins in December 2026.

The details: - The Gateway connects selected companies with Living City Keihanna, a longevity innovation hub powered by ATR and Living Best. - The program combines global innovation, research capabilities, real-world users, Japanese implementation partners and capital. - Living Best will help selected ventures assess demand, identify partners and funding routes, implement in Japan and build evidence for wider commercial scale. - ATR's open-innovation platforms include KGAP+. - ATR was established in 1986 and opened as the first research institute in Keihanna Science City in 1989. - ATR conducts research in computational neuroscience, deep interaction science, wireless and communications. - Living Best is a human-centric, evidence-led platform for longevity innovation in Japan. - Living Best was co-founded by Dominic Carter and Debbie Howard and is backed by The Carter Group. - The Carter Group has a 25-year history of helping businesses enter and expand in the Japanese market. - Since 2021, Living Best has reviewed more than 2,000 ventures from over 40 countries. - Living Best has generated more than 17,000 appraisals of shortlisted concepts with Japanese consumers, plus input from care operators, clinicians, investors and policy specialists. - The Living Best Japan Gateway is operated by Living Best with ATR at Keihanna Science City. - The Gateway combines Living Best's assessment of Japanese consumer and institutional demand with ATR's research environment, corporate access and acceleration network. - International longevity, agetech and health-technology ventures with products already in market or at an advanced development stage may apply. - Participation is selective and subject to assessment by Living Best and ATR. - Investors and other organizations interested in the Japan Gateway are invited to connect with Living Best. - Applications for the October venture intake close on Friday, September 25, 2026. - Living Best's website is Living Best. - ATR's website is ATR.

Between the lines: - The partnership is trying to solve a common gap for foreign ventures: proving local relevance before spending heavily on Japan market entry. - Keihanna Science City is being positioned as a place where research, residents, corporate partners and capital can all feed the same commercialization pipeline. - The emphasis on human-centered validation suggests the Gateway is meant to filter for products with practical demand, not just technical novelty.

What's next: - Selected ventures will be introduced at the Kyoto Smart City Expo in October. - ATR will consider participating ventures for KGAP+ ahead of the accelerator's December 2026 cohort. - Living Best is taking applications for the October intake through September 25, 2026. - Investors and partner organizations can contact Living Best to engage with the Gateway.

The bottom line: - Living Best and ATR are building a structured on-ramp for global longevity startups that want proof, partners and a path to scale in Japan.