Award Procedures

(1) The entrant companies present their business plans in the semi-final and final sessions.

(2) In the semi-finals, each of the entrants delivers a 10-minute presentation on their businesses. The top six goes to the final.

(3) At the final session, finalists make a 10-minute presentation. After a fair judgement, prize winners of each prize will be elected.

Judging criteria

(1) Innovativeness, commercial viability and social impact of the business, with consideration given to the potential of the business to expand and bring about changes in the global economy and society.

(2) Business performance, which includes the nominee’s competitive advantages, management team, strategic vision, and communication capabilities, including presentation skills.

(3) Possibility of collaboration with Japanese large corporations

Awards

-First Prize: 3 million JPY
-Second Prize: 1 million JPY
-Third Prize: 500,000 JPY

-Microsoft Award：Azure Sandbox Environment, Technical Mentoring
* Free sandbox environment will be closed in max. 3 months. The final date of the sandbox environment is 2021/5/31 even if the environment would have not been fully utilized.

-Life Science Award：
1. Support for scheduling 1on1 meeting with companies in LINK-J network during business trip to Japan and PR support at LINK-J website after consultation with LINK-J.
2. Posting an interview article of the award-winning company on website of LINK-J (Life Science Innovation Network Japan)
3. (Japanese startups only) One-year free membership of LINK-J

-The Japan Academic Society for Ventures and Entrepreneurs(JASVE) Award: 50,000 JPY
…The award will be given by JASVE to the most challenging team in solving problems and which is full of entrepreneurship.

-IP Bridge Award：
Strategy building support for Intellectual property

Qualification for Entry

Startup companies must meet all of the following requirements.

(1)Must be a technology startup which has solution related to Healthcare / Communication / Work style reform / Quality of Life, as important themes under the “New Normal” society.

(2) Must be an early stage startup which has completed PoC (Proof of Concept), and is able to communicate with a specific customer by using prototypes, samples or mockups.
– No conditions are required for number of years from establishment.
– Startups invested by VCs or planned to be invested are acceptable, but the capital amount must be 1M USD or under.
– Public companies or affiliates of large corporations are not accepted.

(3) Must be nominated by a person responsible for startup incubation/acceleration at a university, research institute, incubator or accelerator.

(4) Startup company must be able to participate in all the programs held between October 27th – October 29th, 2020.
※ Your absence to some programs can be reasons for disqualification.

(5) (Non-Japanese startups only) Must have specific interest in Japanese market or desire in expanding business in relation with Japanese corporations.