Soft robots are solving hard problems in Japan

Disrupting Japan by Tim Romero

Jul 20, 202631:28Business

Slithering robots sounds vaguely horrifying, but it turns out they're incredibly useful. Soft-robots lack the charisma of their more acrobatically-inclined rigid counterparts, but some startups are betting on the unique...

Related Episodes

Continue listening to more episodes from Disrupting Japan.

The Japanese startup killing the nasal swab

Sep 14, 2026

Sometimes it seems like Japan just can't figure out medtech startups. In theory, Japan should be one of t...

Using cold storage to lower energy prices in Japan

Aug 17, 2026

This summer has sent both temperatures and electricity prices soaring. One Japanese startup, however, has...

What the world really thinks about Japanese robotics

Jul 6, 2026 - 23:05

Japan was once the the undisputed global leader in robotics, but that's simply not true today. In fact, w...

The future of AI looks very different in Japan

Jun 22, 2026 - 1:08:16

Japan is much further ahead in real AI deployment than most people realize. Today we talk with David Ha,...

Why Japanese Femtech is so different

May 25, 2026 - 36:12

Things don't always go as planned. In fact, they usually don't. Four years ago, femtech was both a rapidl...

The real Luddites would have loved AI

Apr 27, 2026 - 33:28

Welcome to Disrupting Japan, straight talk from Japan’s most innovative founders and VCs. This is our 250...

What’s next for Physical AI in Japan?

Apr 13, 2026 - 40:45

I have a short in-between edition for you today. Last month at Venture Cafe's big global gathering in Tok...

Why its hard for startups to use technology for good

Mar 30, 2026 - 29:11

New technology is always introduced with the promise of the good it can do for humanity. Most of the time...