Three Pioneering UK Startups Jet to Tokyo for Venture Café’s ‘World Cup of Innovation’

Three of Britain’s most promising innovators are stepping into the global spotlight. These standout startups—hailing from London, Edinburgh and Manchester—have been selected to represent their respective cities in Tokyo on 19 February at the Global Gathering, the annual flagship event of the Venture Café Global Institute. 

Akin to a “World Cup of Innovation,” the event’s central Pitch2Tokyo competition sees Venture Café hubs from around the world sending their single best startup to compete in the grand final, following regional heats held late last year. The gathering brings together innovation community builders and industry experts from across the globe, serving as a testament to the strength of local communities and proving that world-changing ideas are being cultivated in innovation ecosystems across the UK.

London: Closing the Gender Health Gap
Representing the capital is Amilis, co-founded by Yasmin Baba and Sarita Stefani. Winner of the Pitch2Tokyo London regional heat, Amilis is a unified reproductive healthcare platform designed to bridge the historic data gap in women’s health.

For too long, the medical industry has treated female-specific conditions with a “shut down” approach—relying on contraception and painkillers to mask symptoms rather than understanding the root cause. Amilis is changing this by bringing patients, clinicians, diagnostics and longitudinal data into one connected system. Their technology turns everyday clinical practice into real-world evidence, accelerating diagnosis for complex conditions like endometriosis.

“Investing in women’s health isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s really smart; every dollar invested in women’s health returns $3 in economic return,” says Yasmin Baba, co-founder and CTO. “The female health gap is not just a woman’s problem, it’s a human problem. When women thrive, families thrive, communities flourish and economies grow.”

Liam Ward, Director of Venture Café London, champions Amilis as a standout ambassador for the city. “Amilis represents what is most exciting about London’s startup landscape: purpose-driven, scalable and solving an urgent problem. Yasmin is bridging historic data gaps to reshape women’s health, and we are proud to support her as our ambassador. Amilis’ visit to Tokyo highlights the calibre of our HealthTech community.”

Edinburgh: Engineering a Sustainable Future
Travelling from Scotland is Danu Robotics, a deep-tech innovator led by co-founder Xiaoyan Ma (Amy). Having secured the bid for Venture Café Edinburgh, Danu Robotics is now set to showcase how it tackles the climate crisis with advanced AI.

The company has developed a high-tech robotic waste sorting system that significantly increases recycling rates while reducing contamination and landfill dependence. By automating the most dangerous and inefficient parts of waste management, Danu is not only improving worker safety but fuelling the global circular economy.

“At Venture Café, we are dedicated to connecting innovators to make things happen, and Danu Robotics is acting on this vision for the planet,” says Claudia Cavalluzzo, Director of Venture Café Edinburgh. “Their robotic solutions offer a direct answer to the global climate crisis. Showcasing them in Tokyo underlines Edinburgh’s role in engineering a sustainable future.”

Manchester: Democratising Language with AI
Representing the North West is Niter, a pioneering speech AI startup founded by CEO Travis Ralph-Donaldson.

Niter beat out stiff competition in Manchester with its foundational speech AI, which is language, accent and speaking-style agnostic. The technology powers their flagship app, Speacher, which provides real-time, individualised AI feedback to language students. Crucially, Niter is the first to achieve this completely on-device, ensuring total privacy and accessibility. Their work has already influenced UK EdTech policy, winning the prestigious BERA Impact and Public Engagement award.

Andrew Ruffler, Director of Venture Café Manchester, sees Niter’s selection as a win for inclusive innovation. “For us, Pitch2Tokyo wasn’t just about finding a winner to send to Japan—it was about widening access to opportunity. Championing founders like Travis ensures that our region’s most impactful startups get the global platform they deserve.”

A Global Collision of Ideas
Much like the organisation’s signature Thursday Gatherings held in cities worldwide, the Global Gathering is designed to foster “serendipitous collisions”—connecting entrepreneurs with the investors and experts necessary to scale their ideas.

On 19 February, as Yasmin, Amy and Travis take the stage in Tokyo, they will be pitching more than just their companies; they will be pitching the UK as a premier destination for HealthTech, CleanTech and AI innovation.

Venture Café, the world’s leading innovation ecosystem activator, opened UK locations in London, Manchester and Edinburgh in 2025 in partnership with the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA).