Joby Aviation & ispace Inc to Receive SunBridge John Thomas Emerging Leader Awards at 2024 Japan–US Innovation Symposium
SAN FRANCISCO, CA, USA, July 1, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ — The Japan – U.S. Innovation Awards Program (https://www.usjinnovate.org/) has announced that Joby Aviation from the U.S. and ispace Inc. of Japan have been selected as the winners of the SunBridge John Thomas Emerging Leader Award for 2024. Each year, the Japan – U.S. Innovation Awards selects one innovative high-growth company from Japan and one from the U.S. that are already beginning to transform a major industry or value chain.
The 2024 SunBridge John Thomas Emerging Leader Award – U.S. winner is Joby Aviation (https://www.jobyaviation.com/), the developer of an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft intended to serve as a ridesharing service for the skies, while the Japan award goes to ispace Inc. (https://ispace-inc.com/), creators of robotic spacecraft and other technology built to map, discover, and utilize natural resources on the moon.
The Japan – U.S. Innovation Awards Program, the longest running annual program in the Bay Area celebrating the links between Silicon Valley and Japan innovation, is produced by the Japan Society of Northern California (https://www.usajapan.org/) in cooperation with the Stanford University U.S.-Asia Technology Management Center (https://asia.stanford.edu/). The Symposium will be held in-person at the Frances C. Arrillaga Alumni Center on the Stanford University campus.
Eric Allison, Chief Product Officer of Joby Aviation, and Atsushi Saiki, Chief Revenue Officer of ispace Inc., will accept their awards at the 2024 Japan – U.S. Innovation Awards Symposium (https://www.usjinnovate.org/) on July 18, 2024, which will also include a presentation and panel discussion on innovation by top executives of the two firms.
Awarded every year since 2011, prior U.S. winners of the Emerging Leader Award include: Tesla Motors (2011), Square (2012), Zoom Video Communications (2019), and Figma (2023). Prior Japan winners include SanBio (2011), which later had Japan’s largest IPO, Line Corporation (2014), Preferred Networks (2017), which became Japan’s first unicorn, and Treasure Data (2023).
The Emerging Leader Awards are sponsored by SunBridge Corporation, the premier partner and investment firm for leading enterprise IT companies to enter the Japan market. SunBridge Founder and Chairman Allen Miner (https://www.linkedin.com/in/allenminer/) helped create the Japan – U.S. Innovation Awards Program 14 years ago and served as the first Chair of the Awards Program Steering Committee.
The Emerging Leader Awards are also named in honor of the late John Thomas, one of the Japan Society of Northern California’s longest-serving Board members. John was a co-founder of the Japan – U.S. Innovation Awards Program, as well as a champion of US-Japan friendship and innovation.
For more information about the Symposium, including speakers and participants, and to register, please visit: https://www.usjinnovate.org/
Joby Aviation (https://www.jobyaviation.com/)
Joby Aviation is a transportation company that manufactures autonomous and environmentally sustainable aircraft for the purpose of aerial ridesharing. Its all-electric planes are built to operate quickly and quietly, providing cleaner and more convenient travel across the world.
ispace Inc. (https://ispace-inc.com/)
ispace Inc. is a global lunar resource development company with the vision “Expand our planet. Expand our future.” that specializes in designing and building lunar landers and rovers. ispace aims to extend the sphere of human life into space and create a sustainable world by providing high-frequency, low-cost transportation services to the Moon.
Organizers:
Japan Society of Northern California (https://www.usajapan.org/)
Since its founding in 1905, the Japan Society of Northern California (JSNC) has advanced U.S. – Japan mutual understanding in a global context. The Society offers an array of programs and networking opportunities for people and organizations in the Bay Area with a strong interest in Japan. It is the go-to place for U.S. – Japan insights, opportunities, collaboration, and networking. The Society is a dynamic link connecting the world-renowned innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem of San Francisco/Silicon Valley to a resurgent Japan.
Stanford University US-Asia Technology Management Center (https://asia.stanford.edu/)
The US-Asia Technology Management Center (US-ATMC) is an industry-funded center in Stanford University under the Stanford Global Studies initiative. Established in 1992, the US-ATMC conducts education and research into innovation and emerging business trends in technology intensive industries. Its courses and public programs provide Stanford students and the Silicon Valley community with knowledge and analytical capabilities that are important to global success in high-tech fields in the 21st century.
Registration and additional information are available on our website (https://www.usjinnovate.org/).
Miho Greenberg
Japan Society of Northern California
+1 415-986-4383
admin@usajapan.org
