Robotaxi Startup MoveEz Wins Second Place in Pitch Session at U.S. Department of Commerce’s Investment Summit

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MoveEz, Inc. (“MoveEz”), an AI robotics startup with top-tier autonomous driving technology and proven achievements in Japan and globally, headquartered in Kanazawa, Ishikawa, and led by CEO Eric Wei, is pleased to announce that it participated in the tech pitch session at the SelectUSA Investment Summit, one of the world’s largest U.S. investment events hosted by the U.S. Department of Commerce, and won second place.

■Background

MoveEz is developing robotaxi technology with a view toward practical implementation, building on more than 28 years of autonomous driving research originating from Kanazawa University. To address challenging environmental conditions such as snow, rain, and backlighting, MoveEz’s autonomous driving system adopts sensor fusion technology that combines imaging radar and LiDAR point cloud data. In addition, through its mapless autonomous driving technology, which reduces dependence on HD maps, MoveEz aims to realize robotaxi services both in Japan and overseas that can be flexibly deployed not only in urban areas but also in rural regions and complex road environments.

With a view to expanding its business in the United States, MoveEz participated in the SelectUSA Investment Summit and its pitch session through a program organized by the Japan External Trade Organization (“JETRO”). The purpose of participation was to engage with U.S. federal and state government officials, connect with local companies, and enhance recognition of MoveEz in the U.S. market.

■About the SelectUSA Investment Summit

SelectUSA is an official U.S. government program led by the U.S. Department of Commerce that supports foreign companies seeking to enter or expand their business in the U.S. market. The SelectUSA Investment Summit is the program’s flagship event, bringing together federal government officials, commerce and economic development representatives from all 50 states, as well as investors, companies, and experts from around the world.

The Summit serves as a key platform for supporting concrete investment and market-entry activities through business meetings, networking opportunities, and participation in various sessions. Each year, the event attracts investors and business representatives from more than 100 countries and regions, as well as investment promotion agencies from 54 U.S. states and territories. In 2025, the Summit welcomed more than 5,500 participants. This year’s event was held from May 3 to 6, 2026, local time, in National Harbor, Maryland. Around 20 companies from Japan participated through JETRO’s program.

SelectUSA official website
https://www.selectusasummit.us/Home

■Overview of the Pitch Session

In the pitch session, 48 startups selected from 230 companies around the world presented their businesses across six categories, including Energy and Health. Representing MoveEz, CEO Eric Wei participated in the ICT/Software category.

MoveEz was recognized for its proven driving performance in snowy environments and its unique business model, winning second place in the category. MoveEz is also the first Japanese company to place in the ICT/Software category.

SelectUSA official website: Pitch session winners
https://www.selectusasummit.us/Programming/SelectUSA-Tech

■Comment from Eric Wei, CEO of MoveEz

We are deeply honored to have won second place in the SelectUSA Tech pitch competition at the SelectUSA Investment Summit, where startups from around the world competed. Presenting autonomous driving technology from Japan on such a major international stage has given us great confidence.

During the Summit, we received encouraging interest from multiple U.S. states regarding potential opportunities to attract MoveEz. We were introduced to relevant departments, received offers for further detailed discussions, and were even told by some participants that they would like to visit Japan to experience our robotaxi firsthand. These achievements and valuable experiences would not have been possible without the generous support of the U.S. Embassy in Japan and JETRO, to whom we extend our sincere gratitude.

Globally, very few companies possess autonomous driving technology capable of operating in severe weather conditions. In order to contribute, even in a small way, to the Japanese government’s national goal of achieving approximately 25% of the global market share in autonomous vehicle sales by the 2030s, as stated by the Strategic Sector Working Group of the Japan Growth Strategy Council, we will continue to accelerate our product development and service deployment not only in Japan but also toward the U.S. market.

■About MoveEz

MoveEz is a startup originating from Kanazawa University, founded in May 2024 under the mission: “Freedom of Mobility. Towards a Society Without Transportation Inequality.” We aim to achieve this through the realization of fully autonomous robot taxis. MoveEz’s foundation lies in 28 years of research and development conducted at Kanazawa University since 1998, the dawn of this field. MoveEz began testing on public roads in 2015, ahead of the industry, and currently holds a track record of over 40,000 kilometers driven and 2,000 passengers carried, along with numerous patents.

Headquarters: Kanazawa, Ishikawa
Established: May 2024
Representatives: Representative Director & CEO Eric Wei, Representative Director & CTO Naoki Suganuma
Business: Autonomous driving system development, autonomous driving service business
URL: https://moveez-inc.com/en/