Sometimes the most interesting startup stories begin by chance. This is exactly what happened when the Japanese behavioral-AI startup Godot Inc. and the Viennese Urban Climate Tech company infrared.city met during the GO ASIA program of the Global Incubator Network Austria (GIN) in Osaka. What started as a simple introduction quickly became the beginning of a long-term partnership. Today, the two companies are already working on their second joint project in the Smart City field. Both founders say the same thing: without GIN, this would never have happened. The initiative is a joint program by Austria Wirtschaftsservice (aws) and the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG).

Understanding Human Behavior Through AI

Godot and infrared.city come from very different backgrounds, but their technologies fit together in a surprising and powerful way. Godot is a research-driven company that builds AI systems to understand how people behave and make decisions. The team works with partners such as the World Health Organization, the Government of Osaka and research groups across Europe, Japan and the United States. Their goal is to understand why people make certain choices — for example, why some citizens get vaccinated and others do not, or why some people avoid cancer screenings even when they are free.

“We are a research-driven startup focused on understanding human behavior,” explains Godot Co-Founder and CEO Ken Moriyama. “These questions matter because they help governments and organizations build better services.”

Godot’s technology can simulate thousands of possible future scenarios and show how decisions shape outcomes. This allows organizations to make smarter choices in public health, communication, and even crisis management.

Simulating Urban Climate and Environment

Infrared.city, on the other hand, simulates the physical world of cities. The startup began as a research project at the City Intelligence Lab of the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT). Today, it offers a software platform that allows architects, urban planners and cities to model microclimate conditions such as heat, wind, shade and thermal comfort in real time. This information helps build cooler, safer and more comfortable public spaces — especially during heatwaves and changing climate conditions.

“We simulate how the climate behaves,” says infrared.city CEO Angelos Chronis. “Microclimate, thermal comfort, shade and wind — everything that affects how people experience the city.”

Their tool makes complex climate simulations easy to use, helping planners make better decisions much earlier in the design process.

The Moment They Met: A GIN Event in Osaka

The two founders first met in May 2025 in Osaka, where Iinfrared.city was part of the Austrian delegation attending the GO ASIA program. Advantage Austria organized a Smart City event during the trip, and Godot was invited as one of the speakers. Chronis and Moriyama were introduced and immediately realized that their work touched two different but highly connected layers of city life.

“It became clear very quickly that our technologies complement each other,” Chronis recalls. “We simulate the physical environment. They simulate human behavior. Naturally, we started thinking about how these two worlds could be combined.”

Moriyama describes the moment in the same way: “infrared.city provides the physical layer. We provide the behavioral layer. Together we can simulate how humans interact with their environment.”

First Joint Project: A Marathon Simulator with Asics

Shortly after returning from Japan, the two startups began working together on concrete projects. The first project is directly connected to Godot’s long-term collaboration with Asics, the global running and sports brand based in Kobe. Asics invested in Godot after following their technology for two years.

Together, they began developing an AI-based marathon simulator that lets runners test pacing strategies without running the full distance. Users can explore various performance profiles and race scenarios before entering real competitions.

With infrared.city on board, the simulator can also include environmental conditions such as heat, wind, shadows or humidity. “You can test multiple versions of yourself under different conditions,” Moriyama explains. “And with infrared.city, we can also include environmental factors that strongly influence performance.”

Second Joint Project: A Digital Twin for a Japanese Municipality

The second project reaches even deeper into the Smart City world. Godot and infrared.city are working with Yomitan Village, a municipality in Japan with around 40,000 inhabitants, to build a digital twin of the entire region.

This digital model combines behavior simulation and climate simulation. It helps the local government understand how residents might react to heat waves, heavy rain, new bus routes or public policies. It also helps identify areas where tourists face heat stress or where elderly residents might need more support during extreme weather.

“This is where our technologies come together perfectly,” says Chronis. “We can understand not only how the climate changes, but also how people change their behavior in response.”

Interest in this combined approach is already coming from other parts of the world, including Malaysia and Abu Dhabi, where climate adaptation is becoming increasingly urgent.

Why GIN Matters: Building Bridges Between Asia and Austria

For both startups, their partnership is more than a simple cooperation. It is also proof of how effective the GO ASIA and GO AUSTRIA programs can be.

Moriyama believes Austria is the ideal place for Godot’s European expansion because of its strong focus on responsible AI and governance. After taking part in GO AUSTRIA, Godot decided to establish its European subsidiary in Vienna. Chronis shares a similar view about GO ASIA and calls it one of the best internationalization programs his company has joined.

The story of Godot and infrared.city shows what happens when the right people meet in the right place at the right time. It is exactly the type of collaboration that GIN Austria aims to create: meaningful partnerships between Asian and Austrian innovators, built on trust, shared interests and strong technological alignment. And for both startups, this is only the beginning.

Disclaimer: This article was produced in cooperation with Austria Wirtschaftsservice (aws).