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1. Overview of the program and selection of outstanding startups

Impact startups are companies that bring positive impact on the society through solving social issues and realizing new visions while achieving sustainable economic growth. They are beginning to attract attention as entities embodying the new form of capitalism concept upheld by the Kishida administration.

METI has been conducting the J-Startup program to intensively provide support to startups, who play the central role in creating innovation, in public-private collaboration. As a new initiative from FY2023 aiming to raise public awareness of impact startups and foster momentum for supporting them, METI has launched a new program called J-Startup Impact to intensively provide support to impact startups with high potential. So far it has selected 30 outstanding startups expected to become role models for others.

METI will provide these selected startups with a variety of support. This will include the existing support under the J-Startup program, which covers assistance in exhibiting displays at large-scale events in Japan and abroad, receiving local facilitation overseas, obtaining further opportunities for entering bidding, and participating in business matching events with private companies. It will also provide support in further making use of expert consultation services, e.g., for measuring and managing impact level and obtaining global certification, and for conveying information to the public and gaining public attention in Japan and abroad through a variety of events and other occasions.

In the selection process, METI received applications from as many as 500 startups and evaluated them based on the details of the nominations sent from private experts. METI considers that many startups are still in an early stage of establishing a method for and disseminating knowhow about efforts to improve social impact (e.g., Impact Measurement and Management, establish an organization, and disclose information), which is one of the evaluation items that METI set for selecting the applicants.

METI expects the selected startups not only to further promote their efforts but also to present their outstanding initiatives to other impact startups to serve as a guide for them, thereby creating a ripple effect across the impact-startup industry.

2. Documents used in selecting the applicants

Two documents of the selection guidelines and the selection results are available on the websites below.

• Selection results (in Japanese)(PDF:5,734KB)PDF
• Selection guidelines (in Japanese)(PDF:776KB)PDF

3. Selected startups

The selected startups under the program are shown below (in no particular order).
Gojo & Company, Inc.; Regional Fish Institute, Ltd.; Shizen Energy Inc.; Sakanotochu Ltd. ; READYFOR Inc.; Instalimb, Inc.; WOTA Corp.; Sagri Co., Ltd.; Astroscale Japan Inc.; TBM Co.,Ltd.; HERALBONY Co., Ltd.; Mirairo Inc.; Biome Inc.; WASSHA Inc.; Fermentstation Co., Ltd.; KAPOK JAPAN Co., Ltd.; Unifa Inc.; FastDOCTOR,Inc.; Synspective Inc.; Global Mobility Service Inc.; Linklusion Ltd.; Elephantech Inc.; PLANTX Corp.; Eco-Pork Co., Ltd.; Life is Tech, Inc.; CureApp, Inc.; BAOBAB Inc.; SHE Inc.; Melody International Ltd.; euglena Co., Ltd.

4. Information on the event

From 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 12, 2023
Session for commemorating the launch of J-Startup Impact

This event will introduce the selected startups and provide a session by the members of the Study Group for Selecting Impact Startups, who were committed to the selection of the applicants.

• For details, visit here.Link

Related Links

• Call for Applicants for J-Startup Impact Opens (July 7, 2023) (in Japanese)Link
• METI website for information on the programs for startups (in Japanese)

Division in Charge

Startup and New Business Promotion Office, Economic and Industrial Policy Bureau