Elephantech Inc. is a startup in Tokyo, Japan, and the first mass-producer of inkjet-printed circuit boards. Elephantech has developed a novel and sustainable manufacturing method called Pure Additive:tm:, which utilizes metal inkjet printing technology. The Pure Additive:tm: method remarkably reduces carbon footprint by 75%, copper consumption by 70%, and water usage by 95%. Elephantech is currently mass-producing single-sided flex PCB, known as P-Flex®, which has already been commercially used by prominent Japanese electronics companies for several years.
エレファンテック株式会社は、「新しいものづくりの力で持続可能な世界を作る」というミッションを掲げ、環境に優しい金属インクジェット印刷による電子回路基板の量産化に人類で初めて成功したスタートアップです。当社独自製法であるピュアアディティブ法®は既存製法に比べ桁違いの環境負荷低減を実現しており、カーボンフットプリントを75%、銅使用量を70%、水使用量を95%削減することが可能です。当社は現在フレキシブル基板P-Flex®を量産しており、2020年以降多くの企業様にP-Flex®を採用いただいております。
Final Aim, headquartered in Delaware, uses blockchain and smart contracts technology for its platform that allows companies to manage and execute contracts for industrial design and manufacturing. Its platform reduces cost and IP risks by providing tools that automate time-consuming processes, allow traceability of IP, and reduce tampering.
Final Aimはデザインと製造業向けのブロックチェーン契約執行プラットフォームを開発。トレーサビリティ／耐改ざん性／自動化で管理コストや知財リスクを低減し、産業のポテンシャルと価値を引き出します。
Recotech Co., Ltd. is a “ResourceTech” company striving to realize a circular economy in line with our vision of creating a society without the concept of waste. Our circularity design tool “pool” is designed to visualize and integrate waste data from all stakeholders involved in circular supply chains, thereby ensuring resource traceability and optimizing logistics. As a result, “POOL” enables us to design and operate optimal circular supply chains, and significantly reduce GHG emissions.
サーキュラーエコノミー領域の「リソーステック」企業であるレコテック株式会社は、ごみという概念のない社会をつくるというビジョンを掲げ、廃棄物データを可視化し、サーキュラーサプライチェーンを構築するクラウドサービス「Circularity Design Tool – pool」を開発しています。「POOL」は、ごみを出す、運ぶ、リサイクルする、活用する、すべてのサプライチェーン上のステークホルダーを連携させ、資源のトレーサビリティを確立し、物流の最適化を実現します。最適なサーキュラーサプライチェーンを構築することで、二酸化炭素排出量の削減に貢献します。
SkyDrive was formally established in July 2018 after testing flying car concepts and prototypes from 2014 with the mission of “taking the lead in the once-in-a-century mobility revolution.” Its vision is to create a future where everyone has access to eVTOLs as their daily transportation in Japan and across the world. The company succeeded in the first crewed flight test in Japan in 2019 and its eVTOL “SD-05” is in the process of acquiring its Japan Civil Aviation Bureau certification. SkyDrive has been selected as a company to participate in the Advanced Air Mobility project at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan.
株式会社SkyDrive 「100 年に一度のモビリティ革命を牽引する」をミッションに、「日常の移動に空を活用する」未来を実現するべく、2018 年 7 月に設立、「空飛ぶクルマ」及び「物流ドローン」を開発しています。「空飛ぶクルマ」の開発においては、国内で初めて有人飛行試験を実現し、官民協議会の構成員として制度設計にも関与しております。また、2025年大阪・関西万博における、空飛ぶクルマの運航事業者に選定されています。
LegalOn Technologies is the global leader in contract review AI. Innovative lawyers and legal professionals at over 3,000 leading companies and firms globally use LegalOn to review and negotiate contracts faster and more accurately. Founded in 2017 by two corporate lawyers, the company is backed by leading investors and has raised over $130M.
LegalOn Technologiesは2017年に2人の弁護士が設立したAI契約レビューサービスをグローバルで提供するリーガルテック企業です。品質と効率化を両立した契約業務の品質と効率化を両立できるプロダクトは、3,000を超える大手企業や法律事務所の弁護士に利用いただいています。複数のグローバル投資家から、これまでに約179億円をを調達しています。
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.
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.
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.
- 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.
