Innovation Showcase
2022 Innovation Showcase
CureApp
CureApp develops evidence-based software programs in therapeutic areas such as nicotine addiction, hypertension, Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH), alcohol reduction, and cancer management. It is the first software app approved as a medical device in Japan and the first app addressing hypertension in the world.
2014年に医師2人が創業した医療系スタートアップ。治療効果が証明され、医療現場で医師が患者に処方するDTx「治療アプリ®」を研究開発・製造販売する医療機器メーカー。2020年、スマートフォンで動作する治療用の医療機器として、禁煙治療領域において世界初の薬事承認および保険適用となる。2022年4月には、高血圧領域において世界初の薬事承認を取得。その他、NASH / アルコール依存症 / がん / 慢性心不全など複数の疾患で開発を進める。
GITAI
GITAI is a space robotics startup that aims to provide a safe and affordable means of labor in space. GITAI provides highly capable, safe, and reliable robots to help build and maintain satellites, lunar colonies, and even cities on Mars.
GITAIは宇宙に安価で安全な労働力を提供することを目指す宇宙ロボットスタートアップです。GITAIは以下の各宇宙領域の作業を安価・安全に遂行可能な宇宙用汎用作業ロボットの開発を進めています。
- 宇宙ステーション船内外の作業
- 軌道上サービス（衛星の寿命延長、宇宙デブリ除去）におけるドッキング・寿命延長・修理・メンテナンス作業
- 月面探査・基地開発作業
Kyoto Fusioneering
Kyoto Fusioneering is a privately funded technology start-up founded in 2019, with its headquarters in Kyoto, Japan. The company is focused on developing advanced technologies for commercial fusion reactors, including gyrotron systems, tritium fuel cycle technologies, and breeding blankets for tritium production and power generation. Kyoto Fusioneering is developing innovative solutions that are simultaneously high-performance and commercially viable. Supporting both public and private fusion developers around the world, the company is accelerating the realization of fusion as the ultimate energy source for humankind.
京都フュージョニアリングは2019年に京都大学の持つ知見をベースに設立された会社です。当社はカーボンニュートラル社会の実現に向けた先進技術の研究開発を行っており、特に、核融合プラントエンジニアリングやプラズマ加熱装置、エネルギー取出し装置において、世界有数の技術力を有しています。当社の高性能かつ革新的なエンジニアリングソリューションを世界中に提供することで、世界中の核融合研究機関や事業会社と協業して核融合の実用化と商業化を加速し、人類に究極のクリーンエネルギーを提供し、カーボンニュートラルを実現することを目指します。
Telexistence
Telexistence is powered by a development team constantly advancing and curating cutting-edge hardware, software, robotics, and automation technology in-house to materialize a vision, in which humankind is freed from repetitive work and our collective creativity is unleashed to its maximum potential.
Telexistenceは、最先端のハードウェア、ソフトウェア、ロボティクス、オートメーション技術を自社で開発するエンジニアリングチームによって構成されており、人類が反復的な作業から解放され、創造性を最大限に発揮できる社会の創造というビジョン実現のために活動しています。
WARPSPACE
WARPSPACE is a Tsukuba University spin-off startup developing an optical inter-satellite data relay service in medium Earth orbit called WarpHub InterSat. This innovative technology will allow Earth observation satellite operators to quickly move large volumes of data from space to the ground at the very time when they need their data.
ワープスペースは筑波大学発のベンチャーであり、WarpHub InterSatと呼ばれる地球中軌道における衛星間光通信によるデータ中継サービスを開発しています。地球観測衛星事業者を見込み顧客としており、必要な時にデータを宇宙から地上へ大容量のデータを迅速に移動させます。ワープスペースは、JAXAやOICETSのプロジェクトの技術と、NewSpaceで進むサプライチェーンへのイノベーションを融合し、世界で初めて宇宙における光通信ネットワークを提供する民間企業となることを目指しています。
Overview
The Japan – U.S. Innovation Awards program will select up to five exciting Japanese start-up companies that are incubating innovations with especially noteworthy potential, but that may not yet be well known in the Silicon Valley or U.S. business communities. These companies will be recognized as Innovation Showcase Companies.
The Innovation Showcase is a separate and different recognition program than the Emerging Leader Award competition. The Emerging Leader Award is a competition to select one winning company each from the U.S. and from Japan that have already demonstrated concrete evidence that their innovations are beginning to have a major, transformative impact on a market or industry. In contrast, the Innovation Showcase recognizes exciting start-up companies at earlier stages of development. Innovation Showcase Companies are incubating innovations that have the potential to be disruptive or transformational, but the companies need not have already demonstrated significant market success.
Benefits
All of the Innovation Showcase Companies will participate in the Japan – U.S. Innovation Awards Symposium at Stanford University. Each Showcase Company will send at least one representative to the Symposium to receive the Showcase recognition as part of the Symposium agenda. That representative may further appear as a panelist or speaker on the program (subject to satisfactory English ability as well as possible topical programming constraints). Each Showcase Company will display their poster and other publicity materials at a booth or table at the Symposium venue. Leaders of the Innovation Awards Program will further engage in close communication with each Showcase Company’s representative to tailor some benefit especially for that Company, e.g. introductions or mentoring through the Program’s extensive network of Silicon Valley contacts, as mutually agreed on a case-by-case basis.
Selection Process
The Innovation Awards Steering Committee will select the Innovation Showcase Companies through a separate nomination and evaluation process than the Emerging Leader Award.
Nominations for the Innovation Showcase are invited from the public at large as well as from leading venture focused individuals and organizations in the U.S. and Japan. The Innovation Advisory Council of the Awards Program will continue to play an active role in identifying and recommending likely candidates. If the nomination comes from the company itself (i.e. from a founder, executive, or other employee), the company must also provide at least one independent letter of recommendation from someone who is not in the management of the company that states why the writer thinks the company’s innovation is particularly noteworthy, potentially disruptive, or transformative. Possible writers of such an endorsement letter include an investor, outside director, advisor, or someone else (not an employee) who is familiar with the company.
Nominations will be reviewed by the Steering Committee of the Innovation Awards program. The Steering Committee may direct requests for further information to the nominated company or nomination writer. The Steering Committee may also engage the Innovation Advisory Council in closed discussion of the nominees. But, this is a recognition program and not a competition, and so the Steering Committee will retain primary responsibility for selecting an exciting, diverse set of companies.
Selection Criteria
- Potential impact of the company’s innovation. To be highlighted as an Innovation Showcase Company, a start-up company must be incubating an innovation that is potentially disruptive or transformative. It must have an exciting idea, not just a good idea for doing profitable business.
- Quality of the company team: Backgrounds and track records of founders, employees, advisors, and investors. Does the team include interesting or exceptional people who will be great to highlight in the Innovation Awards Symposium?
- Likelihood of success. This criterion includes the quality of the company’s business plan and factors, such as whether the team has worked together in the past.
- Potential relevance to Silicon Valley / U.S. business. Will the company’s innovation likely lead to closer U.S. – Japan business ties? How and why will attendees at the Japan – U.S. Innovation Awards Symposium be interested to learn about this company?
- Degree to which company has already received recognition in the U.S. This is usually a negative factor. The Innovation Showcase aims to recognize innovative Japanese start-up companies that are not yet very well-known in the general Silicon Valley / U.S. business communities. Close ties with the Japanese community of Silicon Valley are not necessarily a disadvantage.
