Two Business Missions, One Market: Grapheal Strengthens Its Position in Japan

Breaking into Japan’s advanced semiconductor market requires more than a strong product – it demands credibility and the right market access. Through the EU Business Hub, French deep-tech pioneer Grapheal secured both.

After seven years focusing primarily on research and development, the Grenoble-based SME was ready to scale internationally. Its technology – printed graphene electronics that move beyond conventional semiconductor cleanroom manufacturing – offers a more cost-efficient and flexible production model, with materials that are significantly cheaper per metre.

Japan, with its strong nano-technology base and renewed government focus on semiconductors, quickly emerged as a key market. Through the EU Business Hub missions to SEMICON Japan in 2024 and 2025, Grapheal gained direct access to pre-qualified industry contacts and tailored matchmaking, enabling more productive discussions from the outset.

From first introduction to long-term commitment

Grapheal learnt about the EU Business Hub through the French office of JETRO, Japan’s external trade organisation. With growing interest from Japanese research institutions, the company was seeking a clearer path to engage with potential industry partners.

Participation in the EU Business Hub @ SEMICON Japan 2024 business mission became a natural next step.

“What we were looking for was not just visibility, but structured access,” explains Vincent Bouchiat, CEO & Co-founder of Grapheal. “Japan is a complex market. The EU Business Hub offered preparation, matchmaking and credibility under EU backing.”

The 2024 mission allowed Grapheal to test the waters, validate interest, and begin building relationships. The experience proved so valuable that the company decided to return the following year for the EU Business Hub @ SEMICON Japan 2025 – this time with a clearer commercial focus: strengthening ties and identifying distribution partners.

“Joining a second mission was an obvious decision,” Vincent says. “In Japan, trust is built over time. Being present again sends a strong signal.”

From meetings to momentum

During the 2025 mission alone, Grapheal held more than 20 meetings and attracted strong interest at its booth. With meetings confirmed nearly a month beforehand, the team had time to prepare targeted discussions with each partner.

“The organisation was extremely professional. We knew in advance who we were meeting and why. That level of preparation is essential in Japan,” says Vincent Bouchiat.

The mission also enabled visits to Japanese companies’ headquarters, giving Grapheal deeper insight into how local firms operate and how decisions are made. In the Japanese business context, being invited to a company’s headquarters is often a sign of growing trust and serious intent – a step beyond initial trade fair discussions.

Building on relationships first initiated in 2024, the second participation allowed conversations to move to a more advanced stage – particularly around distribution models and potential local partnerships. Several companies demonstrated strong commitment, including partners already familiar with Grapheal’s technology who travelled specifically to SEMICON Japan to meet the team in person.

“That level of engagement was striking. It confirmed that the interest was genuine.”

In the weeks following the 2025 mission, Grapheal has remained in active discussions with five Japanese companies. While formal agreements in Japan take time and require sustained engagement, participating in two consecutive missions has strengthened the company’s market positioning and demonstrated its long-term commitment. Grapheal is now even considering establishing a local subsidiary as part of its expansion strategy.
Reflecting on the experience, Vincent highlights continuity as the key lesson:

“The second mission allowed us to reinforce the ties we had started to build. In Japan, relationships develop progressively – showing up again makes a difference.”

For other European companies, his advice is straightforward: plan carefully, engage early and approach the market with patience.

For Grapheal, repeated engagement through the EU Business Hub at SEMICON Japan transformed early conversations into active commercial discussions – and confirmed Japan as a strategic growth market.

Learn more

 Discover our business missions: https://eubusinesshub.eu/missions-catalogue.

Explore more about the EU Business Hub programme and how we can help your company grow internationally: https://eubusinesshub.eu/about-programme.

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EU Business Hub – Japan and the Republic of Korea is an EU-funded programme launched in 2024 to support EU SMEs and start-ups in the Green and Low-Carbon, Digital, Healthcare and Medical Equipment sectors in expanding into the Japanese and Korean markets. Between 2024 and 2027, the programme is organising 20 sector-focused business missions – 10 in each market – with services including strategic coaching, matchmaking, local interpretation, and full logistical support. The EU Business Hub is the successor programme of the EU Business Avenues / EU Gateway to Japan.