February 19, 2020 Final Event of Nationwide Accelerator Program for Creation of Regional ICT Startups

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) and the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) will hold the Entrepreneurs’ Koshien (for students) and Entrepreneurs’ Expo (for young entrepreneurs) as final event programs for the creation of regional IC startups with innovative technologies and services at the JP Tower Hall & Conference in Tokyo’s Marunouchi on Tuesday, March 4 and Thursday, May 5, 2020.

1. Background and purpose

MIC and NICT implement the Entrepreneur Koshien to discover and develop next-generation human resources, including high school students, college students, university students, graduate students, etc. who want to use ICT for business startups. They implement the Entrepreneur Expo to support the commercialization of promising local ICT startups as well.
This year’s Entrepreneurs’ Koshien (for students) and Entrepreneurs’ Expo (for young entrepreneurs) will be held under the title of the 2020 MIC & NICT’s Entrepreneurs’ Challenge 2 Days. Nine teams of students and nine enterprises selected at a regional tournament held nationwide under the cooperation of 25 districts will participate.

2. Event Summary of MIC & NICT’s Entrepreneurs’ Challenge 2 Days

1. Time and date

1:00 pm to 6:30 pm on Wednesday, March 4, 2020 (opens at 12:30 pm) 〈Entrepreneur Koshien〉

1:00 pm to 6:30 pm on Thursday, March 5, 2020 (opens at 12:30) 〈Entrepreneurs’ Expo〉

2. Venue

JP Tower Hall & Conference (JP Tower 4F, 2-7-2 Marunouchi, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 100-0005)

3. Organizers

MIC and NICT

4. Contents

Entrepreneur Koshien on Wednesday, March 4

• Business plan contest by teams of technical college and university students selected from all over Japan
• Jury Chair: Koki Sato
  (Representative Director of Septeni Holdings Co., Ltd./President and Executive Officer of Group Companies)
• Awards: Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Award, Jury Special Award, Sponsoring Company Special Award
• Program (Planned)
  • Students’ presentations
  • Report on Silicon Valley Boot Camp
  • Lectures by 2018 Entrepreneur Koshien Finalists
  • Award ceremony and exchange meeting

Entrepreneur Expo on Thursday, March 5

• Business matching challenge by selected ICT startups from all over Japan
• Jury Chair: Shinzo Nakano
  (President/Partner of ITOCHU Technology Ventures Inc.)
• Awards: Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Award, Jury Special Award, ITU Special Award, and Sponsoring Company Special Award
• Program (Planned)
  • Company presentation
  • Report on Silicon Valley Boot Camp
  • Lectures will be given by the 2018 Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Entrepreneur Expo Award
  • Award ceremony and exchange meeting

Refer to the following webpage for details on the Entrepreneur Koshien and Entrepreneur Expo.

https://www.nict.go.jp/venture/ec2_2019.html