Japan is becoming increasingly important in Korea’s outbound startup strategy as founders, investors, and ecosystem organizations search for stronger regional expansion pathways across Asia. At the same time, the realities of entering Japan remain closely tied to local networks, operational understanding, and long-term relationship building. Against this backdrop, beSUCCESS Media Group has signed a strategic partnership MOU with Japan-based startup advisory firm Polyrhythm Consulting to deepen cross-border startup ecosystem collaboration between Korea, Japan, and the broader Asia-Pacific region.
beSUCCESS Strengthens Japan-Side Startup Ecosystem Connections
beSUCCESS Media Group announced a partnership MOU with Polyrhythm Consulting, a Japan-based startup advisory firm led by founder and advisor Joshua Barry.
The agreement establishes a strategic framework for future collaboration around startup ecosystem engagement, founder support, cross-border market insight exchange, and broader Asia startup ecosystem cooperation.
The partnership comes as Korea’s startup and content ecosystem continues expanding its engagement with Japan through investor programs, startup matching initiatives, and overseas market access projects.
In February 2025, Korea’s Ministry of SMEs and Startups hosted the Korea-Japan Startup Investment Summit in Tokyo with more than 90 participants, including startups, investors, and ecosystem stakeholders from both countries. The event included startup-investor meetings and discussions around Japan market expansion challenges faced by Korean startups.
The ministry also announced plans for a Korea-Japan cooperation global fund involving Korean and Japanese investors, with a planned size of KRW 29 billion.
Japan Is Becoming More Central to Asia’s Startup Expansion Landscape
The partnership reflects a broader shift happening across Asia’s startup ecosystem.
Japan has continued increasing efforts to attract foreign startups, investors, and innovation-focused businesses. Japan’s 2025 Program for Promotion of Foreign Direct Investment raised the country’s FDI to JPY 120 trillion (approx. USD 830 billion) by 2030 and JPY 150 trillion (approx. USD 1.04 trillion) in the early 2030s.
At the same time, Japan’s Startup Development Five-Year Plan continues targeting JPY 10 trillion (approx. USD 69 billion) in startup investment by FY2027 as part of the country’s wider effort to strengthen its startup ecosystem competitiveness.
According to JETRO’s latest survey of foreign-affiliated companies in Japan, 54.2% of the respondents said they planned to strengthen or expand operations in the country. Market size, economic stability, and infrastructure remained among the most cited reasons.
Still, operational challenges remain significant, particularly around market access and local execution. JETRO’s survey also identified sales and marketing talent as one of the hardest roles to secure for foreign companies operating in Japan.
These conditions have increased demand for local operators and advisory networks capable of helping startups navigate Japan’s business environment more effectively.
Partnership Focuses on Cross-Border Founder and Ecosystem Collaboration
Polyrhythm Consulting is a Tokyo-based startup advisory firm supporting founders and growth-stage companies on Japan market entry, fundraising strategy, and cross-border expansion across the Asia-Pacific region.
The firm operates closely with international startups navigating Japan’s operational landscape, as well as Japanese companies pursuing global market development, drawing on direct operator experience across entertainment, media, education, and deep technology sectors.
The company’s founder, Joshua Barry, has spent years working across Japan’s startup and entertainment technology ecosystem through advisory, operator, and founder roles, including his work with ZAIKO.
The partnership with beSUCCESS is expected to support broader ecosystem dialogue around startup execution, market expansion, and founder connectivity across Asia.
“Japan continues to play an increasingly important role in the broader Asia startup ecosystem, particularly around cross-border expansion, founder execution, and long-term market development,”
said Hyun-wook James Jung, Founder and CEO of beSUCCESS Inc.
“We see strong alignment with Polyrhythm Consulting’s experience and perspective in this area, and we’re very pleased to establish this relationship as part of our broader effort to strengthen meaningful ecosystem connections across Asia.”
Similarly, Joshua Barry, Founder of Polyrhythm Consulting, believed the partnership reflects a growing need for stronger operator-level connections between Asian startup markets as cross-border expansion becomes increasingly execution-driven.
“The most meaningful opportunities in Asia’s startup ecosystem are increasingly happening at the connection points between markets, not within isolated ecosystems,”
Barry explained.
“Partnering with beSUCCESS creates a valuable framework for long-term collaboration around founder support, market expansion, and cross-border ecosystem development, particularly between Korea and Japan, where startup ambition and regional opportunity are becoming more closely aligned.”
Korea-Japan Startup Collaboration Is Becoming More Execution-Focused
The timing of the partnership also aligns with a broader evolution in Korea-Japan startup collaboration.
In June 2025, Korea’s Ministry of SMEs and Startups and KISED brought 13 Korean deep tech startups to Tokyo through the Super Gap Project Global IR program. The initiative included PoC matching meetings with Japanese corporates including NTT DATA, PayPay, Panasonic, and Rakuten.
The program also included investor pitching sessions, legal mentoring, and go-to-market support discussions for startups preparing for Japan expansion.
The shift is notable because Korea’s Japan expansion strategy is increasingly moving beyond visibility-focused programs into more execution-oriented support structures tied to investor access, PoC development, and local business relationships.
That environment creates stronger demand for Japan-side ecosystem operators with direct market experience and trusted regional networks.
Why Korea-Japan Startup Ecosystem Partnerships Are Becoming More Important
The beSUCCESS – Polyrhythm Consulting partnership is not merely structured as a commercial agreement or exclusive business arrangement. Instead, it functions as a long-term ecosystem relationship framework designed to support future collaboration opportunities where strategic alignment exists.
For beSUCCESS, the partnership also reflects a wider effort to strengthen institutional relationships across Asia’s startup ecosystem through operators, advisors, ecosystem builders, investors, and cross-border organizations.
Meanwhile for Polyrhythm Consulting, the partnership creates an additional framework for long-term ecosystem dialogue and cross-border collaboration opportunities connected to startup growth, founder support, and regional market expansion across Asia-Pacific startup ecosystems.
And as Korea’s startup ecosystem becomes increasingly connected to regional expansion strategies, partnerships built around execution insight and local market understanding are likely to become more important across Asia-Pacific startup ecosystems.
Key Takeaway
- beSUCCESS Media Group signed a partnership MOU with Japan-based startup advisory firm Polyrhythm Consulting
- The partnership focuses on cross-border startup ecosystem collaboration across Korea, Japan, and Asia-Pacific markets
- Korea’s Ministry of SMEs and Startups held the Korea-Japan Startup Investment Summit 2025 in Tokyo with more than 90 participants
- Korea also announced a planned KRW 29 billion Korea-Japan cooperation global fund
- Japan’s government is targeting JPY 120 trillion in FDI by 2030
- Japan’s Startup Development Five-Year Plan aims for JPY 10 trillion in startup investment by FY2027
- JETRO data shows foreign companies continue expanding into Japan despite ongoing operational and talent challenges
- The partnership reflects growing demand for Japan-side startup execution insight, founder support, and local ecosystem access
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