Phoenix Startup Gravitrex Beats Wins Global Innovation Prize at Venture Café’s Pitch2Tokyo Grand Final

PHOENIX, 27 February 2026: Phoenix-based startup Gravitrex has secured a major victory on the global stage, bringing home the Japan Prize from the Venture Café Pitch2Tokyo Grand Final.

Representing Venture Café Phoenix, Gravitrex co-founder Kira Burns triumphed over international competition at Venture Café Global Institute’s flagship Global Gathering 2026, held in Tokyo on February 19. The gathering attracted more than 1,200 policymakers, corporate leaders, and innovators from across the globe.

Gravitrex impressed the judging panel with its breakthrough walking-assist device. The company develops mobility rehabilitation technology that restores walking ability after illness or injury. Their patented mechanical solutions are scalable, cost-effective, and specifically designed to make rehabilitation more accessible to aging adults, stroke patients, and individuals with neurological conditions worldwide.

This major international victory builds on domestic momentum in the US for the Arizona startup. Gravitrex also recently won the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) ALI Shark Tank competition, where it stood out to judges for its creativity, clinical impact, and real-world potential to transform how physical therapists deliver care and improve patient outcomes. The startup has received support from the Arizona-based Partnership for Economic Innovation’s WearTech Applied Research Center, getting critical funding and resources to accelerate the product’s research timeline and path to commercialization.

“Gaining global recognition at Venture Café’s Pitch2Tokyo Grand Final right on the heels of our APTA Shark Tank win  is incredible validation for the impact Gravitrex can have on patients worldwide,” said Kira Burns, Co-founder and CEO of Gravitrex. “We’re especially honored to receive this recognition from Japan, a global leader in assistive technology. Pitch2Tokyo and the CIC network now provide the bridge to take our innovation global—accelerating the momentum that started in Arizona.”

"Phoenix is building real momentum in biotech, and being in the heart of the Phoenix Bio Core gives us a front-row seat to that growth," added Alex Koupal, Event and Experience Director at Venture Café Phoenix. "While Venture Café Phoenix supports innovation across industries, we’re excited to see leaders like Kira representing the strength of our ecosystem on the global stage—from Phoenix to Tokyo."

A centerpiece of the organization's annual summit, the Pitch2Tokyo competition is akin to a World Cup of innovation. The final saw 18 regional startup champions from cities across North America, Europe, and Asia fly in to pitch their groundbreaking companies live on stage.

“The incredible crowd and energy at our Global Gathering shows that when local innovation communities connect, a huge reservoir of potential is unlocked,” said Nathan Plummer, Co-Executive Director of the Venture Café Global Institute. “Innovation may start in a single city, but it requires global connection to truly change the world. Our Pitch2Tokyo winners and finalists aren’t just building companies; they’re answering some of the world’s most critical calls to action, and we’re thrilled to be a launchpad as they expand their reach."

As a prize winner, Gravitrex will be awarded the CIC Prize, enabling the Arizona startup to leverage CIC's world-class global network of workspaces, laboratories, and innovation campuses to rapidly scale its impact.

Alongside Kira Burns's Japan Prize victory for Gravitrex, the Pitch2Tokyo CIC Grand Prize was awarded to Yasmin Baba of UK health-tech company Amilis,representing Venture Café London, for its advanced clinical infrastructure platform for gynecologists — unifying diagnostics, imaging, and treatment — to address the female health gap and improve patient outcomes.

Founded in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 2009, Venture Café is a leading innovation ecosystem activator dedicated to building thriving communities with deep local roots and broad global reach. It has successfully activated 24 innovation ecosystems across the world, including its thriving hub in downtown Phoenix.