Waymo and teamLab to Receive 2025 SunBridge John Thomas Emerging Leader Awards

Honorees to be Recognized at Japan–U.S. Innovation Awards Symposium at Stanford University

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, UNITED STATES, July 7, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Japan–U.S. Innovation Awards Program announced today that Waymo (USA) and teamLab (Japan) have been selected as the 2025 recipients of the SunBridge John Thomas Emerging Leader Award. The awards recognize one innovative, high-growth company from each country that is poised to transform a major industry or value chain.

Waymo, the U.S. recipient, is the developer of the world’s first autonomous ride-hailing service. The Japan honoree, teamLab, is an internationally acclaimed art collective known for immersive exhibitions that blend digital technology with art and nature.

The Japan–U.S. Innovation Awards Program is the longest-running annual event celebrating innovation and collaboration between Silicon Valley and Japan. It is produced by the Japan Society of Northern California in partnership with the Stanford University U.S.-Asia Technology Management Center.

The awards will be presented at the 2025 Japan–U.S. Innovation Awards Symposium, to be held in-person on July 17, 2025, at the Frances C. Arrillaga Alumni Center at Stanford University.

Award presentations will be followed by a featured session with top executives from the honoree organizations. Mizuki McGrath, Vice President of Engineering at Waymo, and Takeshi Yamada, Head Recruiter at teamLab, will accept the awards on behalf of their companies and join a panel discussion on innovation.

Since 2011, the Emerging Leader Awards have spotlighted pioneering companies from the U.S. and Japan, including previous recipients such as Tesla Motors, Square, Zoom Video Communications, Joby Aviation, SanBio, Line Corporation, Preferred Networks, and ispace Inc.

The Emerging Leader Awards are sponsored by SunBridge Corporation, a leading partner for enterprise IT firms entering Japan. SunBridge Founder and Chairman Allen Miner helped create the Japan-U.S. Innovation Awards program 15 years ago and served as the first Chair of the Awards Program Steering Committee. The Emerging Leader Awards also honor the memory of John Thomas, a co-founder of the Innovation Awards Program and a long-serving board member of the Japan Society of Northern California.

About the Honorees

Waymo (https://waymo.com/)
Waymo is a self-driving technology company and creator of the world’s first autonomous ride-hailing service. Its mission is to become the world’s most trusted driver, making it safer, more accessible and sustainable for people to get around.

teamLab (https://www.teamlab.art/)
teamLab is an international art collective known for its immersive exhibitions that highlight the intersection of art, science, technology, and the natural world. The group consists of “ultra-technologists” — artists, programmers, engineers, CG animators, mathematicians and architects.

About the Organizers

Japan Society of Northern California (https://www.usajapan.org/)
Founded in 1905, JSNC promotes mutual understanding between the U.S. and Japan through programs that connect the Bay Area’s innovation ecosystem with Japan’s dynamic economy and culture.

Stanford US-Asia Technology Management Center (https://asia.stanford.edu/)
The US-Asia Technology Management Center (US-ATMC) is an industry-funded center in Stanford University under the Stanford Global Studies initiative. Established in 1992, the US-ATMC conducts education and research into innovation and emerging business trends in technology intensive industries. Its courses and public programs provide Stanford students and the Silicon Valley community with knowledge and analytical capabilities that are important to global success in high-tech fields in the 21st century.

For media inquiries or to register for the Symposium, please visit: https://www.usjinnovate.org

Steve Pollock
Japan Society of Northern California
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