Meet the promising startups who will be taking the stage Friday, November 19
IVS LAUNCHPAD is one of the largest pitch competitions in Japan, and over 400 startups have stood on the LAUNCHPAD stage. The first IVS LAUNCHPAD was held in 2007 and over 5,000 startups have applied for an opportunity to pitch to an esteemed panel of judges over the years. Numerous startups compete to win in IVS LAUNCHPAD, but only one will take home the number one spot.
A launch pad for young entrepreneurs discovering the unknown
On Friday, November 19 at IVS NASU, the finalists are going to pitch and compete for the top spot in front of a panel of judges, including investors, executives, and entrepreneurs. LAUNCHPAD has even established a fund for seed fundraising to help startups develop their businesses, and supports startups in a multitude of ways, including community-building, networking, recruiting, and even sales analysis for data-driven management.
This year, 14 finalists, selected from about 150 applicants, will give a six minute pitch on their products and their passion for their business. These startups underwent a rigorous screening process to get to where they are today, so that alone is worth a congratulations.
Below are the finalists at IVS2021 LAUNCHPAD NASU in alphabetical order. Now, let’s meet the contestants.
Finalists at IVS2021 LAUNCHPAD NASU in alphabetical order
IVS2021 NASU LAUNCHPAD Finalists
TIME MACHINE: Shujiro Ishizawa
“Schecon,” a schedule management and online business card exchange service.
VALT JAPAN: Takanori Ono
“NEXT HERO,” a DX platform focused on people with employment difficulties.
Any: Kazufumi Yoshida
Knowledge management cloud service “Qast,” the best solution for knowledge management that has been an issue for 30 years.
Azit: Yoshikane Hiromasa
CREW Express, an easy and flexible way to organize your last-mile delivery.
Best Beer Japan: Peter Rothenberg
DX in the Beer Industry — “Best Beer Japan,” an IT and logistics service focusing on craft beer
Canly: Yutaro Akiyama
Optimizing customer touchpoint effectiveness for stores, Canly is astore information management SaaS service .
HAKKI AFRICA: Reiji Kobayashi
Changing how credits work. A specialized “buy now, pay later” service for used cars in Africa.
Kiva: Nojiri Kota
Proteger, a service that allows any e-commerce site to offer an Apple Care-like warranty.
Mobile Order Lab: Hida Yosei
“Ordee,” a unified order management tool for restaurants to succeed in delivery strategy.
Nudge: Takashi Okita
“Nudge,” a next-generation co-branded credit card that can be issued even you plan to issue only one card.
Pinpinkorori: Eri Kohinata
“Tokyo Kaasan,” your second mother for your housework.
Pricing Studio: Yoshihiro Takahashi
Systematic pricing know-how from successful companies. “Pricing Sprint,” a pricing service to support your business.
SHE: Eri Fukuda
“SHElikes,” Japan’s largest career service for millennial women. Helping you create your own work style.
Spir: Shinsuke Oyama
“Spir,” a next-generation calendar that allows you to schedule your calendar in sync with multiple accounts.
TIME MACHINE: Shujiro Ishizawa
“Schecon,” a schedule management and online business card exchange service.
VALT JAPAN: Takanori Ono
“NEXT HERO,” a DX platform focused on people with employment difficulties.
Any: Kazufumi Yoshida
Knowledge management cloud service “Qast,” the best solution for knowledge management that has been an issue for 30 years.
Azit: Yoshikane Hiromasa
CREW Express, an easy and flexible way to organize your last-mile delivery.
Best Beer Japan: Peter Rothenberg
DX in the Beer Industry — “Best Beer Japan,” an IT and logistics service focusing on craft beer
Canly: Yutaro Akiyama
Optimizing customer touchpoint effectiveness for stores, Canly is astore information management SaaS service .
HAKKI AFRICA: Reiji Kobayashi
Changing how credits work. A specialized “buy now, pay later” service for used cars in Africa.
Kiva: Nojiri Kota
Proteger, a service that allows any e-commerce site to offer an Apple Care-like warranty.
Mobile Order Lab: Hida Yosei
“Ordee,” a unified order management tool for restaurants to succeed in delivery strategy.
Nudge: Takashi Okita
“Nudge,” a next-generation co-branded credit card that can be issued even you plan to issue only one card.
Pinpinkorori: Eri Kohinata
“Tokyo Kaasan,” your second mother for your housework.
Pricing Studio: Yoshihiro Takahashi
Systematic pricing know-how from successful companies. “Pricing Sprint,” a pricing service to support your business.
SHE: Eri Fukuda
“SHElikes,” Japan’s largest career service for millennial women. Helping you create your own work style.
Spir: Shinsuke Oyama
“Spir,” a next-generation calendar that allows you to schedule your calendar in sync with multiple accounts.
TIME MACHINE: Shujiro Ishizawa
“Schecon,” a schedule management and online business card exchange service.
VALT JAPAN: Takanori Ono
“NEXT HERO,” a DX platform focused on people with employment difficulties.
Previous LAUNCHPAD finalists
The intense pitching sessions at IVS LAUNCHPAD have led to large-scale fundraising, business financing, M&A, and other activities that can change the lives of the finalists. Many LAUNCHPAD finalists have had a number of exit stages, such as fundraising and IPO. (Check the following news about recent fundraising from finalists)
We will be holding an online pre-event for IVS2021 LAUNCHPAD NASU on Friday, November 12 at 21:00 JST. The event is free for everyone to attend and will happen virtually on Zoom. If you are interested in participating, please register here. Speakers will include the 14 LAUNCHPAD finalists; Akio Tanaka, Partner and Founder of Headline Asia; and Toshiaki Shimakawa, CEO of IVS.
Ticket types include start-up tickets, general tickets, and media tickets. We will suggest ticket types according to the organization and position of the participant. If you are interested in participating, please apply through the application form below. We will contact you after screening.
Following our two-part Women Founders series Part I and part Part II, we at Headline Asia are celebrating Women’s History Month by introducing nine exceptional women who are making a difference in not only the technology space but around the world.
