Institute for Humane Robotics
The Japan–US Intelligence Corridor
Japan is 8–10 years ahead of the West in social robot integration. We translate that lead into actionable intelligence for companies, investors, and researchers who can't afford to wait.
Origin
Tokyo · Kyoto · Osaka
Destination
San Francisco · New York
Who this is for
Robotics startups & labs
Companies building humanoids, embodied AI, or enabling infrastructure who need to understand social acceptance, hardware ecosystems, and market readiness in Asia.
Venture capital firms
US and Japan-based investors developing their robotics thesis, seeking monthly ecosystem intelligence, deal flow context, and on-the-ground expert access.
Enterprise & research
Research labs, universities, and global brands needing structured access to Japan's robotics culture, cultural translation, and co-development introductions.
what we hear
Our offerings
Expert intelligence calls
We connect you with the right Japanese professor, company advisor, or government researcher. We handle pre-briefing, run the session, and deliver a post-call summary note. You get 60–90 minutes with someone you couldn't find or reach on your own — with bilingual facilitation included.
Market intelligence reports
Tailored to your sector and question. Options include: Japan robotics ecosystem overviews, social acceptance frameworks, competitive landscape scans (Japan, China, Korea), sector-specific deep dives on humanoid-robot interaction, or Moonshot project progress.
Asia trip preparation package
Everything you need before visiting Japan or China: curated contact lists, meeting prep briefs, cultural protocols, introductory letters through our Japanese network, and a pre-departure strategy session. We turn a two-month research trip into a two-week focused visit.
Strategic advisory retainer
For VCs building a robotics thesis and startups pursuing Japan strategy. Monthly intelligence briefing, two expert introductions per month, unlimited async Q&A, and early access to Institute research. Startup tier adds monthly strategy session and active Japan partnership development.
Project engagements
Structured, deliverable-based projects including Japan partnership brokering (active identification and warm introduction of the right partner), competitive landscape scans, and custom Japan-US market comparison reports for fundraising or sales positioning.
Japan is doing something no Western institution is documenting — preparing society itself for the arrival of robots. That insight is 8 to 10 years ahead of where Western policy is today.
— Institute for Humane Robotics, Founding Research Position