Global Startup Event "GLOBAL INNOVATORS DAY" Held in Fukuoka City!
4 min read
Fukuoka City hosted "GLOBAL INNOVATORS DAY" on March 5th at the Daimyo Conferencer, located in the heart of Fukuoka City.
This event was co-hosted by JETRO Fukuoka, the Fukuoka Directive Council, and the Fukuoka Startup Consortium. Approximately 40 startups from all over Japan, including those selected for the "J-StarX", an overseas training program sponsored by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), who had traveled to Silicon Valley, gathered for the event. Additionally, a total of 300 participants attended, including domestic and international investors, as well as business companies aiming to collaborate with startups.
The event was a great success, featuring sessions, pitch contests, and business discussions throughout the day.
Global Pitch & Japan Pitch
At the Global Pitch, 15 startups aiming for global markets took the stage. They pitched in front of six venture capitalists invited from the United States and Asia. After intense competition, "SmartInn" (https://biz.smart-inn.co.jp/), a startup developing a check-in platform to facilitate the utilization of vacant houses as smart hotels, emerged as the winner.
At the Japan Pitch, 10 startups seeking collaboration and funding with Japanese corporations took the stage. This pitch competition was judged by seven prominent domestic VCs. The winner was "aiESG" (https://aiesg.co.jp/en/), a startup with a unique technology to trace back the ESG value of products and services throughout the entire supply chain, quantifying and analyzing it. The pitch contest, featuring presentations from all 25 companies, was fiercely competitive. After the pitches, there was active exchange among the presenters, the judges, and the audience.
Talk sessions
Talk sessions were held on six different topics.
The session titles are as follows:
- Trajectory of IPO Challenges
- Understanding CXO Talent Driving Growth
- Innovation Creation through Collaboration between Startups, Corporations, and Government
- Singapore as a Hub for International Expansion
- Challenging Japan's Global Innovation Journey
- Overseas VC Lightning Pitch: What Investors Look for in Startups
Booth Exhibitors
23 companies with advanced and innovative proprietary technologies showcasing products and services conducted booth exhibitions. Many business companies and VCs visited the booths and held meetings regarding the startups' initiatives.
One-on-One Business Meetings
The event also featured business matching by dedicated coordinators. Each registered startup, VC, and business company had individual business meetings in response to their requests. It is expected that many collaborations and fundraising opportunities will be realized as a result of these meetings.
Fukuoka City will continue to provide opportunities for startups to growth and connect with the startup ecosystem through events and other initiatives. We will be holding various programs in the future, so why not consider coming to Fukuoka City and starting your own business?
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