Manabu Hubs

26/08/2026

🎤 Interview Series #11 | Kenan Akbas, Founder of Handcraft Health

In this episode, we spoke with Kenan Akbas, Founder of Handcraft Health, a healthtech platform supporting health and wellness practitioners by giving them access to 20,000+ products that can be delivered directly to their patients’ doorsteps.

Kenan shared the problem that inspired Handcraft Health and how the platform is helping simplify the way practitioners access and deliver personalised health products to their patients.

We also talked about his founder journey and what brought him to Japan. Looking ahead, Kenan has a clear entrepreneurial goal for Handcraft Health: scale the business, grow its value, and eventually pursue an exit.

Kenan also shared his connection with Manabu Hubs, which began through knowing our founder, Pablo. Since becoming part of the community, he has met many great people and built new connections within the Manabu Hubs ecosystem! 🤝🌏

24/08/2026

🚀 Market Exploration Insights: Da Nang Vietnam

Interested in how foreign businesses connect with local stakeholders in Vietnam? I’ve put together a brief recap of our recent trip, key takeaways from meeting local partners, and how we're opening up new collaboration opportunities.

Read the full update on LinkedIn below:
🔗https://lnkd.in/p/gR-5Z7Z7

17/08/2026

Hey Founders & Innovators! 👋🚀

We have two massive updates from the Manabu Hubs team this week. If you are a startup looking to scale across APAC or enter the Japanese market, you will not want to miss these!

Please check out our two latest announcements on LinkedIn:

🇻🇳 1. Vietnam Market Exploration & SotaTek Partnership
I am currently on the ground in Hanoi exploring one of APAC's fastest-growing economies! Read my first post to catch up on the news, articles, and our strategic meetings with top tech partners like SotaTek.
👉 https://lnkd.in/p/gzdkDkJ9

🇯🇵 2. Official Partners for RamenTech & Colive Fukuoka 2026!
Huge news for our Japan ecosystem! Manabu Hubs has been officially recognized as a Global Partner for two of Fukuoka's largest upcoming startup and digital nomad events. Read this second post to see the official announcement and find out how you can join us (including a special discount code!).
👉 https://lnkd.in/p/gKfr6xMr

Check them out, give them a like or comment, and let's keep building bridges across APAC! 🌏🤝

Xin chào from Hanoi! 🇻🇳 I am currently on a market exploration trip across Vietnam, and the energy here is absolutely unmatched. Hanoi is a city full of life—complete with its famous, chaotic traffic, incredibly warm people, and a booming ecosystem. It is no surprise that Vietnam is one of ...

06/08/2026

See you in August! 🚀🚀🚀

🌏 G Camp 高雄場｜串聯日本創新生態，打造臺灣新創國際鏈結力

G Camp 持續串聯全球創新生態，將第一線的國際資源帶進臺灣。

今年高雄場特別邀請兩位深耕日本新創生態系的國際講師來台授課，從 日本市場趨勢、企業合作模式到跨文化商務實戰，分享第一線市場洞察，協助臺灣新創掌握進軍日本市場的關鍵策略。

🚀 Pablo (Andres) Riveros｜Founder & CEO, Manabu Hubs
串聯超過 20,000 名國際創新社群，長年協助全球新創鏈結日本企業、投資人與創新生態。

💼 Anthony Mas Kunihiro｜Founder & Principal Consultant, Epiport Consulting
深耕日本市場超過 15 年，協助海外企業從市場策略、商業媒合到在地落地，加速拓展日本市場。

G Camp 不只是培訓，更是鏈結全球創新資源的平台。
透過國際導師、海外夥伴與全球新創網絡，持續協助臺灣新創拓展國際市場，讓世界看見臺灣創新。🚀🌏

31/07/2026

GCamp 2026 Kickoff: Online Masterclasses in Full Swing! ⚡️

Before we pack our bags for the hands-on bootcamp in Kaohsiung, the GCamp 2026 journey has officially launched online! Our 37 high-growth SaaS and Deep-Tech startups just wrapped their first intensive virtual pre-training day (7/29), packed with:

🔹 Technical Onboarding - , Discord, and navigating the G Camp Knowledge Resource channels
🔹 Japan Market Entry - a deep dive into the Japanese tech landscape, Fukuoka Special Zone benefits, and the regulatory environment, anchored by the "Fukuoka Gateway" approach
🔹 Cultural Intelligence & Business Etiquette - decoding the "Ringi" decision-making process, corporate hierarchy, and how to localize your value proposition

Huge shoutout to the cohort for the energy, sharp questions, and high engagement right out of the gate! 🙌

Next stop: Kaohsiung (8/27–8/29)! (Founder, Manabu Hubs) and Anthony Kunihiro (Founder & Principal Consultant, Epiport Consulting) will join founders on the ground for interactive workshops, 1-on-1 pitch coaching, and real-world ex*****on strategy before stepping onto the global stage.

The bridge between Taiwan and international markets is getting stronger every day. Stay tuned for behind-the-scenes updates from Kaohsiung! 🌉

17/07/2026

🎤 Interview Series #10 | Raheel Zubairi, CEO of Pixelence

In this episode, we interviewed Raheel Zubairi, CEO of Pixelence, an AI healthtech startup redefining brain medical imaging.

Pixelence is developing AI-driven technology that enhances brain MRI imaging without the need for Gadolinium contrast dyes. Its solution aims to make brain tumour diagnostics safer, faster, and more affordable by using AI to generate high-quality synthetic MRI outputs.

Raheel also shared valuable insights on expanding across Asia, especially in relationship-driven markets like Japan. He highlighted that while technology is important, building deep trust, local connections, and long-term partnerships is often what helps startups truly scale in Japan and across the region.

09/07/2026

🎤 Interview Series #9 | Daniel Wallis, CEO of CitySage

Our new interview is out!

In this episode, we spoke with Daniel, CEO of CitySage, a Malaysia-based startup focused on building smarter, more sustainable cities through AI-powered urban intelligence.

CitySage helps governments, developers, and organisations better understand cities through data, technology, and urban planning insights. By combining AI, analytics, and human expertise, CitySage supports better decision-making across areas such as mobility, infrastructure, housing, sustainability, and community development.

Daniel first came across Manabu Hubs through introductions from Malaysia, and his journey also has a strong Japan connection. Having previously lived in Japan, Daniel has continued building bridges between Southeast Asia and Japan through CitySage’s work with Japanese companies, including Mitsubishi and Nippon Koei.

08/07/2026

📬 The APAC Founder's Collective Newsletter is LIVE!** 🌏🚀

We’ve just dropped our latest global edition, packed with cross-border ecosystem updates, founder insights, and major premium tech perks!

👉 Read the full issue here https://manabuhubs.beehiiv.com/p/ecosystem-highlights-building-cross-border-collaboration-and-japanese-expansion

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🔍 What’s Inside:

🇹🇼 Fukuoka x Hualien Innovation Week:Hosting 25+ Taiwanese SME leaders at our seaside hub, SALT Imajuku.
🇨🇱 LATAM to Asia: Mentoring Chilean tech startups for Japan entry via ProChile’s *Global X*.
🎌 Local Tech Spotlight:Key interviews with the founders of Momen and MenuMenu, plus our event recap of **XR VisionDevCamp 2026**.
🚲3-Year Milestone:Celebrating long-term market entry success with Taiwan’s **VooDoo Cycles**.

🎁 **Exclusive Community Perks Inside:**
🛡️ NordVPN:Extra 5% off stacked on top of campaigns (Use Code: MANABU5
🌐 Saily eSIM:15% off international data plans (Use Code: SPECIAL15
🎫 Co-Live Fukuoka:€25 off your nomad summit pass this October (Use Code: MANABUHUBS )

Dive in, grab your discount codes, and let’s keep building across borders! 🏁🔥

It has been an action-packed couple of weeks for the Manabu Hubs network, moving across borders, mentoring global talent, and expanding our physical footprint. Here is a quick look at what we’ve been up to:

02/07/2026

🎤 Interview Series #8 | Kevin Siyun Park, CEO of MenuMenu

In this episode, we interviewed Kevin, CEO of MenuMenu, a Japan-based startup helping local restaurants become discoverable to international tourists.

MenuMenu’s vision is to connect Japanese culture and experiences with people around the world. Through MEO, AI search optimisation (GEO), and multilingual digital menus, MenuMenu supports restaurants in attracting inbound visitors more effectively.

How MenuMenu is building a positive growth loop:
📍 Tourists discover restaurants through Google Maps and AI search
🍜 They enjoy a smooth multilingual menu experience
🌏 More foreign-language reviews are collected
🔍 Search ranking improves
🚀 More international visitors are reached

Rather than simply selling a tool, MenuMenu’s mission is to bring tourists directly to local businesses.
Founded by a Korean team with Silicon Valley experience, MenuMenu is now growing from Fukuoka to the world!

02/07/2026

Please find our latest newsletter article.�Feel free to share, comments and like to expand our reach and more global founders can expand /landing in Japan from Fukuoka!

Does cross-border expansion always have to mean moving to a capital city? We don’t think so.

Last week, the Manabu Hubs team had the absolute honor of hosting over 20 exceptional SME business leaders and founders from Hualien, Taiwan, for the Hualien x Fukuoka Innovation Week at our seaside hub, SALT Imajuku. 🇯🇵🇹🇼
From deep-dive e-commerce transformation strategies and cybersecurity audits to hyper-local economic activation (powered by Itoshima ingredients, local tea, and craft sake), this week proved that regional tech ecosystems are a massive, untapped force.

I’ve just published a comprehensive recap in our latest newsletter, detailing how we turned a 2025 MoU into real-world cross-border ex*****on—including a mini case study on data-driven sustainability for the hospitality sector.
📰 Read the full newsletter and see the event photos here:

A massive thank you to our partners, mentors, and the incredible Hualien delegation. Let's keep building these bridges! https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/apac-founder-insights-bridging-ecosystems-activating-local-riveros-6bkwe/