In its latest move to connect local startups to the global market, the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) introduces about a hundred up-and-coming businesses in diverse fields, ranging from retail and hospitality to machine learning. Under its Startup City Acceleration Program, JETRO has teamed up with the international support network of Techstars, among six other accelerators, to grow the potential of participating startups.
Connecting startups through the Founder Catalyst Programme
Techstars’ Founder Catalyst programme is one of the features of the Startup City Acceleration Program where 26 startups were chosen and grouped into two cohorts—General and Cleantech. The Founder Catalyst programme offers a big opportunity for early-stage businesses to showcase their services and products, and gain insight on how to enter global conversations in their respective fields.
A diverse range of businesses in each cohort
Fifteen of the 26 startups belong to the General cohort of the Founder Catalyst programme, while 11 are in Cleantech. The startups involved in the Cleantech cohort work in the fields of Climate Tech, Cleantech, energy, green-tech, materials, and sustainability. On the other hand, those involved in the General or Global Scale cohort will feature startups from broader sectors in various stages.
What to expect
From October 2021 to February 2022, the 26 startups participating in the Founder Catalyst programme will be mentored and trained to further assimilate them into a larger network of startups worldwide. The programme’s demo days on the afternoon of March 3rd and 10th present each startup’s expertise to international investors. This year’s demo days will be held virtually on Zoom. Each startup is given 4 minutes to present their pitch, after which, they can start networking with potential partners and investors.
The startups selected from the pool of early-stage businesses for the Founder Catalyst programme cohorts have some of the best potential, and it is exciting to see what they have in store for the culmination of their training. To give an overview of what each business does, here’s a quick rundown of their profiles:
Cleantech Cohort
- Aonbarr Inc. – Founded by Shigetoshi Sakurai, who also acts as the company’s CEO, Aonbarr uses the magnesium collected in seawater to produce hydrogen. The company focuses mainly in the energy sector and is still at the pre-seed stages.
- Acoustic Innovations Co., Ltd. – As part of the Autotech industry, Acoustic Innovations seeks to transform the driving experience by minimising noise in vehicles through vibration absorption technology. Apart from convenience, the business also highlights the effects of its services as possibly improving vehicle safety and prolonging the vehicle’s performance.
- PJP Eye Ltd. – The business offers sustainable energy solutions by producing plant-based carbon batteries, called “Cambrian.” Such sustainable solutions will hopefully aid in the movement against climate change.
- Water Design Japan – Water Design Japan makes use of UFB Dual technology, or technology that expedites cleaning, ensuring a mess-free and cost-saving process. The business is primarily in the Cleantech and sustainability sectors.
- Hair Clinic Reve-21 Co., Ltd. – Hair Clinic Reve-21 offers everything to do with hair care, but also goes beyond this to tackle issues of water purification and other health and Cleantech concerns.
- Kyoto Fusioneering – Under the Cleantech and energy industries, Kyoto Fusioneering develops advanced technologies for commercial fusion reactors to produce tritium production and generate power.
- Fermenstation – Focusing on sustainability, Fermenstation makes use of unused resources to produce functional cosmetic ingredients, animal feed, and fertilizer. The company is headed by its CEO, Lina Sakai and is currently at the Series A stage.
- AC Biode – Two of the business products have already been mainstreamed in the market. These are CircuLite, which upcycles ash into antibacterial materials, and TRL9, which mainly focuses on waterless composting toilets. AC Biode has already sold around 3,000 of its waterless toilets in Asia.
- Welltree inc. – Welltree’s biotechnology aims to deliver efficient service to users, particularly those in the healthcare industry. Welltree also expands its expertise to the wellness industries by allowing users to check their biome and order products from a centralized app.
- Fast Space inc. – Fast Space addresses the cost-efficiency of wind turbines. Providing high-rise lightweight towers for wind turbines, the company is currently at the pre-seed stage and focuses on the energy sector.
- C’s Techno Inc. – This energy-focused startup is breaking barriers in the production of graphene-based materials. Through its innovations, the company has great potential to transform the field of electronics, particularly its use of graphene materials.
Also read: Japanese aerial-tech startup Aerosense bullish on opportunities in Southeast Asia
Global Cohort
- Onikle Inc. – Onikle has developed a search platform of the same name, offering easy access to aspiring Computer Science researchers. The search platform, built on Artificial Intelligence, will find papers, allow researchers to organize them in a library, and share these within their scientific community.
- Vox Japan – The retail company Vox offers a personalized vending machine that gives easy access to daily essentials. The service allows retailers to install these products in customers’ homes for all-day access.
- ListenField – ListenField aims to improve farming productivity with its crop modelling technology. Through constant monitoring of soil and climate conditions, the business technology will hopefully increase agricultural production and promote collaboration among all stakeholders.
- Wayfarer – The hospitality industry could possibly see fewer costs and more efficient, decentralized operations through automation with Wayfarer. The company caters to hotel owners whose aim is to streamline their hotel management brand.
- Tablecross Inc. – Tablecorss’ byFood is a food entertainment platform that promotes global connections through its bilingual offers. While the company started out as a food booking platform donating meals to schools, byFood has since grown in the travel and food industry.
- IDDK Co., Ltd. – Developing a one-chip observation technology, IDDK focuses on developing microscopic observation devices for the technology industry.
- Kyoto Meditation Center Co., Ltd. – The company’s SanZen application mixes Zen practice alongside the demands of everyday work. The app lets users enjoy short meditations while simulating a peaceful experience through relaxing videos.
- Citadel AI Inc. – Citadel AI ensures users in the machine learning sector that their Artificial Intelligence operates at optimal performance. The company provides monitoring, testing, and governance tools to help users oversee the development of their own technology.
- yocto Co.,Ltd – yocto aims for digital transformation in the wellness industry through the use of IoT technologies.
- Cellid, Inc. – Cellid aims to improve UX by developing display modules using Artificial Intelligence and nanotechnology. The company is focused on the AR industry and is currently in the Series A stage.
- Canaan Advisors, Inc. – ZeniHub is the company’s real estate investment platform. The platform allows real estate properties in emerging economies accessible and affordable for potential investors.
- Isha Health – The business connects patients with care providers through its chatbot concierge. The platform allows users to have the best experience and be matched with the most appropriate care provider using digital health.
- Younode, Inc. – With its PULP platform, Younode will allow users to share their music and discover new tracks organically. In this way, the business aims to provide a more collaborative form of social networking.
- RUN.EDGE Limited – The business makes use of sports technology to provide a more interactive experience for users. Using its PITCHBASE and FL-UX for professional basketball and field sports respectively, the company has just concluded fundraising of pre-series B.
- Archelis Inc. – Archelis offers a glimpse at the future of work through its development of an exoskeleton suit for workers and professionals who engage in work that requires standing for long hours. The business aims to address the strains that standing work entails.
Also read: Innovation and collaboration will lead Malaysia’s digital health scene into the future
Those interested in getting to know each startup better and hearing their pitch can register for the Clean Tech Pitch Day and Global Scale Pitch Day.
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This article is produced by the e27 team, sponsored by Techstars
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