BioLabs decides to open Asia's first directly managed coworking wet lab "BioLabs Tokyo" in Shinkiba, Tokyo
- jlatour34
- 1 day ago
- 8 min read
A city accelerating the gathering of researchers by providing a training platform specializing in life science startups.
Image of the BioLabs Communication Lounge "BioLabs Tokyo" logo
(pictured in the U.S.)
Nov. 11, 2025
BioLabs Global, Inc.
Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd.
Life Science Innovation Network Japan
Key points of this release
BioLabs Tokyo, Asia's first directly managed base by BioLabs, one of the world's leading life science incubation companies, opens Mitsui Link Lab Shinkiba 2 in Shinkiba, Tokyo, a city where researchers gather
BioLabs' international management know-how is a co-working wet lab that supports startups from Japan with a view to global expansion
BioLabs Global, Inc. (Headquarters: Massachusetts, USA, Founder and CEO: Johannes Fruehauf, hereinafter referred to as "BioLabs"), is a subsidiary of Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo, President & CEO: Shun Ueda, hereinafter referred to as "Mitsui Fudosan"), Life Science Innovation Network Japan (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo) With the support of Chairman: Eiyuki Okano (hereinafter referred to as "LINK-J"), we are pleased to announce the opening of "BioLabs Tokyo" at Mitsui Link Lab Shinkiba 2 in Shin-Kiba, Tokyo, a town where researchers gather. The opening is scheduled for the spring of 2026 or later.
BioLabs Tokyo is BioLabs' first directly managed coworking lab in Asia. With the expansion of BioLabs Tokyo, new collaborations and collaborations between startups and diverse domestic and international players will accelerate in the Shin-Kiba area of Tokyo, and the concentration of researchers will further expand. BioLabs, Mitsui Fudosan, and LINK-J will contribute to the establishment of an ecosystem in the life sciences field not only in the Tokyo and Shin-Kiba areas but also in Japan as a whole, and to improve the international competitiveness of research in the life sciences field.
Image of the BioLabs Communication Lounge (pictured in the U.S.
"BioLabs Tokyo" logo
1. Establishment of Asia's first directly managed base, BioLabs Tokyo, at Mitsui Link Lab Shinkiba 2
BioLabs is one of the world's leading startup incubators specializing in the life sciences sector. The company is headquartered in Massachusetts, USA, and has 16 directly managed offices in the United States and Europe. To date, we have supported more than 500 startups, and about 20% of early-stage biostartups in the United States have received support from BioLabs. Each site provides state-of-the-art co-working labs, private labs, and office space, as well as international standard incubation acceleration programs that leverage our network with global pharmaceutical companies, universities, and venture capitalists.
Mitsui Fudosan has established a total of four facilities in the Shinkiba area of Tokyo, including Mitsui Link Lab Shinkiba 1, 2, and 3, to attract researchers. Through the promotion of Mitsui's Link Lab Open Innovation Support Program, a lab and office service that supports tenant companies, 60 companies have already established new research bases within the four facilities in Shinkiba (as of August 2025).
BioLabs is pleased to announce the establishment and operation of BioLabs Tokyo, Asia's first directly managed co-working laboratory, at Mitsui Link Lab Shinkiba 2. In collaboration with LINK-J's "community building", "BioLabs Tokyo" will support the growth of startups from Japan and support unicorn companies with a view to entering the global market through support programs that utilize international management know-how with partners (sponsors and organizations) that foster the next generation of innovation.
2. Co-working wet lab operated by BioLabs, which has an international track record, supports startups from Japan with a view to global expansion
BioLabs Tokyo is a highly specialized co-working space specializing in life science startups. By creating an environment where innovators can grow quickly and maximizing capital efficiency, we will transform the way life sciences entrepreneurs do business. The features of "BioLabs Tokyo" are as follows.
(1) Available from one bench Experimental environment to accelerate startup research and lead growth
It consists of a co-working wet lab space, an office space, and a lounge space. Available from one bench, facility users can use shared facilities such as meeting rooms and communication lounges. In addition, laboratory equipment that is essential for the promotion of research is introduced as common equipment in the laboratory, and these instruments can be used.
<BioLabs Tokyo Facilities >
[Wet Lab Section] Benches: 66 seats (planned), private rooms, cell culture rooms, etc.
[Office Sections] Open desks, private offices, meeting rooms, etc.
[Lounge Sections] Communication lounges, shared kitchens, wellness rooms, etc.
Resident companies have access to a wealth of common equipment tailored to the needs of seed-to-early-stage startups
Examples of coworking labs operated by BioLabs
(2) Provision of global networks and international-level incubation acceleration programs
With the support of many related organizations, we will provide support through incubation programs based on international screening standards and by utilizing our network with overseas VCs and investors.
< Planned programs> Mentoring and incubation support for business development and R&D by experts with an eye on overseas markets, holding Investor Days and matching events with domestic and foreign investors and operating companies, and community building support to promote collaboration among users, etc.
(3) Full-service research support
We provide various research support services so that researchers can concentrate on their research activities.
< Services to be provided> Related to start-up preparation support (establishment of corporations, management system development, etc.), business operation (accounting, legal affairs, intellectual property, etc.) Expert introductions, various regulatory support and compliance advice, etc.
Biolabs Tokyo Facility Image
Mitsui Link Lab Shinkiba 2 Exterior
Comments from < officials>
Johannes Fruehauf, Founder and CEO, BioLabs Global Inc., Comment
"We are very honored to start a new expansion of BioLabs in Japan, based on the results of our years of work in Japan and our belief in the scientific excellence of the Tokyo area. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all those involved in this project, as well as the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. All of BioLabs have high hopes for the future that will be nurtured by the lab that will be born in Shinkiba."
Takashi Shioya (General Manager, Life Science Innovation Promotion, Mitsui Fudosan Corporation) Comment
"Mitsui Fudosan has been working with LINK-J to build an ecosystem in the life sciences field through venue development, funding, and community building. We believe that the opening of the first base in Asia in Shin-Kiba with BioLabs, which has a brilliant global track record, is a major step forward for supporting startups in Japan. We hope that this project will promote the gathering and collaboration of diverse players and serve as a starting point for creating new value."
Shunichi Takahashi (Executive Director, Life Science Innovation Network Japan) Comment
"We warmly welcome the opening of BioLabs' new base, BioLabs Tokyo. LINK-J will deepen its collaboration with BioLabs to strengthen startup support and accelerate innovation in Japan and overseas, starting from Japan Bridge and Shinkiba. We hope that this initiative will strengthen our connection with overseas ecosystems and contribute to the growth of Japan's startups."
About BioLabs Global, Inc.
BioLabs is the absolute growth partner for science-based startups, helping companies accelerate their scientific advancements, grow their businesses, and make a lasting impact on the world. BioLabs makes a significant difference in the ecosystem in this space, offering best-in-class lab space, essential business services, a strong network of innovators and guides who provide "hands-on" insights, and a site team with unparalleled experience guiding founders through the complexities of operations in the growth of biotech companies. Currently, we have 12 biocluster sites in the United States, mainly on the East Coast, and in Europe, we have a total of 4 sites in Heidelberg, Germany, and Paris, France. In addition, we operate the "iCONM in collaboration with BioLabs" in Kawasaki.
About Life Science Innovation Network Japan (LINK-J)
LINK-J is a general incorporated association established by Mitsui Fudosan and volunteers from industry and academia. Based in the Tokyo-Japan Bridge area, where pharmaceutical-related companies are concentrated, the purpose of the program is to promote open innovation in the life sciences field through industry-government-academia collaboration and support the creation of new industries. We will promote human and technological exchanges between domestic and foreign countries across fields in the life sciences, which is a multidisciplinary field of all sciences, including medicine, science, engineering, and new technologies such as ICT and artificial intelligence.
■About Mitsui Fudosan Mitsui Link Lab Open Innovation Support Program
Mitsui Fudosan offers (1) research and business support, and (2) communication and network support programs. We will cooperate with the initiatives of "LINK-BioBAY TOKYO".
・May 30, 2024 "Expanding Back Office Support for R&D-based Startups"
・January 29, 2024 "Mitsui Link Lab LINK Stock Open"
・May 18, 2023 "Mitsui Link Lab Open Innovation Support Program" launched
■About the Sustainability of the Mitsui Fudosan Group
Based on the "& Mark" philosophy of "creating new value through symbiosis, coexistence, and co-creation, and continuing to take on the challenge of doing so," the Mitsui Fudosan Group regards "creating social value" and "creating economic value" as the two wheels of a car, and hopes that the creation of social value will lead to the creation of economic value, and that economic value will lead to the creation of even greater social value.
When formulating the new Group Management Philosophy in April 2024, we identified six GROUP MATERIALITY: 1. Contribution to industrial competitiveness, 2. Coexistence with the environment, 3. Health and vitality, 4. Safety and security, 5. Diversity and inclusion, and 6. Compliance and governance. We will work on these materialities through our core business and contribute to sustainability.
[Reference]
"Group Long-term Management Policy"
"Group Materiality"
Mitsui Fudosan's Life Science Innovation Promotion Project
Mitsui Fudosan positions the creation of new industries to expand its business domains as an important strategy. In the life sciences field, key players such as startups, universities, hospitals, and major pharmaceutical companies will leverage each other's knowledge, technology, and capital through collaboration to develop R&D beyond the boundaries of the industry through "community building", "place development", and "funding". We support the creation of innovation in the life sciences field.
Building a "community" LINK-J aims to "promote open innovation" and "build an ecosystem" in the life sciences field, and to achieve this, it conducts "exchange and collaboration" and "development and support" projects. As of August 2025, the number of members is 955, and the number of exchange and collaboration events held in 2024 is 1,151.
Developing "places" Mitsui Fudosan will develop a space (hardware) to build an ecosystem that will lead to the creation and cultivation of new industries through innovation. In addition to rental laboratories and offices, we have developed a series of 15 life science buildings in the Japan area of Tokyo and the area near Doshucho in Osaka, and since the establishment of the base, 343 tenants (as of the end of October 2025) have been concentrated.
Provision of "Funds" Through LP investment, Mitsui Fudosan will further accelerate the creation of new industries by putting more advanced technology seeds into practical use at universities and research institutes and supporting life science start-ups.
Rental Lab & Office Business Development
Mitsui Fudosan has launched a new asset class, Mitsui's Lab & Office, in Japan in May 2019. This is part of Mitsui Fudosan's efforts to promote innovation in the life sciences field and community building in collaboration with the Life Science Innovation Network Japan (Chairman Hideyuki Okano). Mitsui Lab & Office currently has five locations in Japan (Mitsui Link Lab Kasai, Mitsui Link Lab Shinkiba 1, Mitsui Link Lab Shinkiba 2, Mitsui Link Lab Kashiwa-no-ha 1, Mitsui Link Lab Nakanoshima, and Mitsui Link Lab Shinkiba 3), and plans to open in the Tokyo metropolitan area in the future.