AbbVie Joins BioLabs Tokyo as a Founding Sponsor to Accelerate Life Sciences Innovation
- Chaimaa Asri
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
PRESS RELEASE
April 20, 2026
AbbVie and BioLabs Enter Strategic Partnership to Advance Life Science Innovation in Japan
- AbbVie Japan as founding sponsor for the launch of BioLabs Tokyo innovation hub
- The partnership includes Golden Ticket Program to foster entrepreneurial excellence
- AbbVie to provide hands-on mentorship through BioLabs Academy to strengthen Japan’s
drug discovery ecosystem
- Demonstrating commitment to empowering biotech startups and accelerate innovation, building a vibrant life sciences community in Japan
AbbVie GK (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; General Manager: Tiago Campos Rodrigues) and BioLabs Japan GK (Headquarters: Koto-ku, Tokyo, President: Johannes Fruehauf) today announced a landmark strategic partnership to support the launch and operation of BioLabs’ new site in Shinkiba, Koto-ku, Tokyo. This collaboration brings together AbbVie’s expertise in developing and delivering innovation for patients with BioLabs’ collaborative platform for innovators, researchers, and investors.
As a founding sponsor of BioLabs Tokyo, AbbVie will support BioLabs’ mission to build a robust and innovative ecosystem in Tokyo alongside a select group of leading innovators. The new BioLabs Tokyo site is poised to become a dynamic hub for life science startups, offering cutting- edge laboratory facilities, collaborative workspaces, and tailored support services designed to accelerate the growth and early-stage companies.
A key element of this partnership is AbbVie’s participation in Biolabs’ Golden Ticket program, which offers selected recipients one year of complementary lab bench space at the BioLabs’ site in Japan. This initiative significantly lowers operational barriers for emerging biotech ventures, allowing them to concentrate resources on scientific advancement and innovation.
In addition, resident companies will benefit from access to AbbVie Ventures for potential investment and entrepreneurial support, as well as mentorship and guidance from AbbVie’s global R&D experts. This partnership will also offer facilitated networking opportunities, dedicated mentorship sessions, office hours, and curated events to foster collaboration and connection within the BioLabs community.
AbbVie will also serve as an active sponsor of BioLabs Academy, an education and acceleration platform developed by BioLabs to elevate Japan’s drug discovery ecosystem. Through BioLabs
Academy, AbbVie plans to contribute hands-on scientific and business mentoring, and practical expertise for Japanese researchers and early-stage biotech startups, supporting their transition from academic innovation to globally competitive ventures.
“We are honored to partner with BioLabs as a founding sponsor and contribute to the expansion of Japan’s life science ecosystem,” said Tiago Campos Rodrigues, general manager of AbbVie Japan. “This strategic collaboration will help advance transformative innovations and reinforce efforts to strengthen Japan’s drug discovery infrastructure.
Through BioLabs Tokyo site and BioLabs Academy, we aim to support not only facilities and funding, but also people by sharing our expertise through hands-on mentoring. We believe an environment that values innovation is essential to the success and sustainability of partnerships like this one At AbbVie, we are committed to improving standards of care and amplifying impact on the lives of patients, while supporting the ongoing growth and vitality of our innovation community”
“We’re grateful to have AbbVie’s support at this exciting moment. Japan has long produced exceptional basic science and is poised to fully realize this next phase,” said Johannes Fruehauf, chief executive officer of BioLabs. “It is our ambition to build on our strong foundation of partnerships in the region and to support entrepreneurs and scientific founders in the life sciences. Our partnership with AbbVie, and its support for BioLabs Tokyo, enables us to expand our model into Tokyo. Together with AbbVie, we look forward to accelerating the growth of the life sciences sector in Japan.”
About BioLabs
BioLabs is a global innovation infrastructure company creating the physical and community backbone that powers life science discovery worldwide. Through a growing network of premium shared laboratories and coworking spaces, BioLabs provides turnkey access to state-of-the-art research facilities, entrepreneurial programming, and deep industry and capital connections. These integrated ecosystems enable innovators - from early-stage founders to established R&D teams - to rapidly translate ideas into impact without the constraints of traditional lab ownership. The BioLabs network now spans major innovation hubs across the United States, Europe, and Asia, serving as a catalyst for collaboration and a launchpad for breakthroughs that advance human health and sustainability.
About AbbVie
AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines and solutions that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic areas – immunology, neuroscience, oncology, and eye care – and products and services in our Allergan Aesthetics portfolio.
For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube.
In Japan, we are mainly engaged in the development and provision of products in the areas of Immunology, Virology, Neuroscience, Oncology and Eye Care, as well as Medical Aesthetics under Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie Japan, please visit us at www.abbvie.co.jp. We also post information on Facebook and YouTube.
Media Contacts:
AbbVie Japan Contact information: Public Affairs 03-4577-1112
BioLabs: Biolabs Business Development