July 7, 2021 Starting 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 start a nationwide accelerator program. This program aims to discover students and promising young entrepreneurs seeking entrepreneurship across Japan and support their business establishment throughout their fostering stage, including mentoring and brushing up business plans, to create regional ICT startups of innovative technologies and services.
In this regard, MIC and NICT will hold an event entitled Demo Day of Entrepreneurs’ Koshien (for students) and Entrepreneurs’ Expo (for young entrepreneurs) in Tokyo’s Marunouchi (at the Marubiru Hall & Conference Square) on Tuesday, March 8 and Wednesday, March 9, 2022. Students and young entrepreneurs selected from all over Japan will meet there and present business plans that they brushed up as a result of the nationwide accelerator program.
Depending on the situation regarding novel coronavirus infections, it may be changed to an online event.

1．Background and purpose

In the flow of changes in the global industrial structure of the ICT field due to the development of IoT, AI, big data, etc., it has become a challenge to create regional ICT startups with innovative technologies and services and revitalize Japan’s economy along with improvements in its international competitiveness. For this reason, MIC and NICT support the discovery and development of next-generation ICT human resources for an expansion of local ICT startup businesses. These human resources include junior high school students, high school students, technical college students, university students, and graduate students who aspire to start businesses using ICT.

2．Nationwide accelerator program

MIC and NICT will collaborate with entrepreneur support groups (*) that assist entrepreneurs throughout Japan and conduct a nationwide accelerator program. This program will provide consistent phase-specific support at the excavation phase, development phase, and commercialization support/business expansion phase.
The nationwide accelerator program invites people who are active as ICT industry stakeholders and venture capitalists as mentors and finds promising entrepreneur apprentices at district (collaborative) competitions at the excavation phase and brush up their business plans at the development phase. The nationwide accelerator program sets the event, Demo Day of Entrepreneurs’ Koshien and Entrepreneurs’ Expo, for the commercialization support/business expansion phase. The event will serve as an expansion of commercialization opportunities for them to present their business plans. Furthermore, the program will provide promising startups with opportunities to participate in large-scale exhibitions in Japan and overseas.

• *
  Entrepreneurial support group: Individuals, groups, etc. who plan and manage cooperative events throughout Japan and are implementing efforts to form a startup ecosystem in each region as the core of the local startup community.

3．District (collaborative) competition

If you are participating in the nationwide accelerator program, please apply for a district (collaborative) competition held in each region (the schedule is shown in the attachment). For areas with no district (collaborative) competitions, MIC and NICT will prepare a way to use a web entry system for the Entrepreneurs’ Koshien and Entrepreneurs’ Expo.
District (cooperative) competition winners will receive mentoring and a business plan brush-up by mentors composed of the business and startup industry representatives toward the Entrepreneurs’ Koshien and Entrepreneurs’ Expo. Furthermore, MIC and NICT are also considering a short-term boot camp as an opportunity to acquire a global mind for prospective participants in the Entrepreneurs’ Koshien.
For the latest information on district (collaborative) competitions and web entry details, check the NICT ICT Startup Support Center’s website (https://www.nict.go.jp/venture/ ).

4．Entrepreneurs’ Koshien and Entrepreneurs’ Expo

The Entrepreneurs’ Koshien and the Entrepreneurs’ Expo are national conventions and opportunities for presenting the results of the national accelerator program, where students and young entrepreneurs selected throughout Japan will gather to present their business plans.
The respective best business plan presenters at the Entrepreneurs’ Koshien and the Entrepreneurs’ Expo will receive the Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications Award.
The dates and venue specified below are scheduled for this fiscal year. However, the schedule may be subject to change to online events, depending on the situation.

1. Dates

Entrepreneurs’ Koshien (for students):Tuesday, March 8, 2022
Entrepreneurs’ Expo (for young entrepreneurs): Wednesday, March 9, 2022

2. Venue

Marubiru Hall & Conference Square (7F and 8F Marunouchi Building, 2-4-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo)

Detailed information will be provided when the dates are near.