TLDR
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- Edinburgh startup Danu Robotics has won the local Pitch2Tokyo competition.
- The company will represent the city at the Venture Café Global Gathering in Tokyo.
- The event is often described as a ‘World Cup of Innovation’.
- The selection highlights Edinburgh’s growing deep-tech and climate innovation sector.
An Edinburgh startup has secured a place on the global innovation stage.
Danu Robotics, a deep-tech company developing AI-driven robotic waste sorting systems, has won the Edinburgh regional round of the Pitch2Tokyo competition. The win earns the company the opportunity to represent the city at the Venture Café Global Gathering in Tokyo later this month.
The company’s technology is designed to increase recycling rates while reducing contamination and reliance on landfill. By automating complex sorting processes, the system aims to improve operational efficiency, enhance worker safety, and support circular economy initiatives across waste management operations.
The Pitch2Tokyo competition forms part of the Global Gathering programme, which brings together startups, investors, researchers and ecosystem leaders from cities around the world. Each participating city selects a single startup to compete, with the format often likened to a ‘World Cup of Innovation’ due to its international scope and competitive structure.
Claudia Cavalluzzo, Director of Venture Café Edinburgh, said:
“At Venture Café, we are dedicated to connecting innovators to make things happen, and Danu Robotics is acting on this vision for the planet. 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.”
The Global Gathering is the flagship event of Venture Café Global Institute, an organisation founded in 2009 to support local innovation communities with global connections. Venture Café runs regular Thursday Gatherings in cities worldwide, connecting tens of thousands of founders, investors and researchers each year.
Venture Café Edinburgh opened in November 2025. It operates in partnership with the Advanced Research and Invention Agency and is based at the Edinburgh Futures Institute.
Danu Robotics’ selection for Pitch2Tokyo places the company among a small group of startups representing their regions on an international platform, while reinforcing Edinburgh’s position as a centre for emerging climate and robotics innovation.
The post Edinburgh Startup Danu Robotics Selected to Represent City at Tokyo ‘World Cup of Innovation’ appeared first on Edinburgh Magazine – Positive Local News in Edinburgh, Scotland.
