Nagoya-based STATION Ai announced that its STATION Ai 1 limited liability partnership will support the commercialization of a deep ultraviolet LED endoscopic treatment device led by Nagoya University Clinical Professor Toshio Kokuryo. The project was selected on October 1, 2026, for the Tongali GAP Fund Program Step 2 under the Japan Science and Technology Agency’s startup ecosystem co-creation program. The effort aims to advance a minimally invasive treatment for biliary tract cancer through business planning, talent acquisition, and fundraising support.
Program Selection and Research Focus
Clinical Professor Toshio Kokuryo’s team is developing a device that irradiates affected bile duct tissue with deep ultraviolet light through an endoscope. Patients with biliary tract cancer often require surgery, but surgery is not always feasible, and some cases need extensive liver resection. Unlike the stomach and large intestine, the bile duct has no established endoscopic treatment instrument, making this approach a potentially important alternative.
Technology and Early Validation
The device places a deep ultraviolet LED at the tip of a thin catheter that can be inserted through an endoscopic working channel, allowing direct irradiation from inside the bile duct. This design could reduce the need for major surgery and broad liver removal, lowering the physical burden on patients. The research team has completed cell and animal experiments and demonstrated insertion and irradiation in a pig bile duct in 2024, although human safety and efficacy have not yet been confirmed.
About the Tongali GAP Fund Program
The Tongali GAP Fund Program supports research outcomes from universities in the Tokai region with the goal of creating future startups. It is implemented by the Tongali platform, which consists of 17 institutions, after receiving adoption from JST under the startup ecosystem co-creation program. Step 2 provides research and development funding alongside customer needs validation, business model building, management matching, and connections with investors and companies.
STATION Ai Fund's Commercialization Support
The Tongali GAP Fund Program requires joint application with a certified business development support organization, and STATION Ai Fund is one of the entities recognized by Tongali. STATION Ai Fund will coordinate implementation plans, schedules, and budget execution, while helping establish business and capital policies. It will also search for CxO candidates and quality management personnel, connect the team with venture capital, raise funds, and identify manufacturing, sales, and distribution partners.
Leadership Perspectives
Kokuryo said that many biliary tract cancer patients cannot undergo surgery or face extensive liver removal, which motivated the search for a less invasive treatment. He added that the device may enable new endoscopic ultraviolet treatment and that collaboration with STATION Ai and partner companies will accelerate clinical application and startup formation. Hideki Sa, investment representative at STATION Ai, said the decision to support the project was based on strong unmet medical needs and the originality of the technical approach.
Next Steps and Commercial Pathway
The project will now conduct proof of concept work under Step 2 to raise commercialization potential while preparing for startup formation and external funding. Future activities include developing prototypes for clinical use and carrying out nonclinical safety testing. The team also plans to establish a university startup that can advance the device toward regulatory approval and patient access.
The selection of the deep ultraviolet LED endoscopic device illustrates how Japanese universities and startup ecosystem partners are translating clinical research into new medical ventures. By pairing Nagoya University’s clinical expertise with STATION Ai’s commercialization resources, the project addresses a treatment gap in biliary tract cancer. If successful, it could deliver a less invasive option for patients and contribute to the growth of university-launched startups in the Tokai region.