BIRD INITIATIVE Inc. (Headquarters: Meguro-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Masamitsu Kitase; CEO: Ron Konno), a startup studio based on co-creative R&D and business development processes, will participate as an operating partner in 「NEC Innovation Challenge,」 a global business contest hosted by NEC to create innovative future innovation through co-creation with startups worldwide.
This contest, 「NEC Innovation Challenge,」 is recruiting innovative product and technology concepts from around the world, including Japan, across three themes: 「Healthcare & Life Sciences,」 「Metaverse,」 and 「Carbon Neutrality.」 Since recruitment began on October 14, 2022, in approximately one month, over 150 startups from 48 countries worldwide have participated.
If you are considering participation, please apply from the URL below.
・Initiative and Application Page: https://nec.agorize.com/ja/challenges/nec-innovation-challenge/
※ Application Deadline: December 4, 2022, 23:59 (Japan Time)
Our company BIRD INITIATIVE is also sponsoring this program and has established the BIRD INITIATIVE Award. Winning startups and projects will be provided with our commercialization support program.
「NEC Innovation Challenge」 Overview
NEC Innovation Challenge
NEC has decided to hold 「NEC Innovation Challenge,」 a global business contest targeting startups worldwide.
Based on the belief that 「to create innovative ideas for the future, it is necessary to bring together wisdom from around the world,」 we are recruiting startup companies that aim to create innovation together with NEC. Teams that win the contest will be provided with various benefits, including up to $20,000 USD in PoC (Proof of Concept) development funding, support for entering the Japanese and North American markets, and collaboration opportunities with NEC and partner companies.
◯Recruitment theme
The themes addressed this time are
・Healthcare & Life Sciences
・Metaverse
・Carbon neutral
There are three types:
We welcome submissions of innovative product and technology concepts related to these themes.
◯Schedule
・Application period: October 14th to December 4th, 2022
・First round of judging: December 5th to December 18th, 2022
・Interview screening: January 9th to January 19th, 2023
・Mentoring: January 23rd to March 3rd, 2023
• Final proposal meeting: March 10, 2023
※ All times are in Japan time
◯Operating Partner
・Alchemist Accelerator https://www.alchemistaccelerator.com/
・BIRD INITIATIVE https://bird-initiative-dev.com/
・Translink Capital https://translinkcapital.com/
◯Incentives
・NEC Award, NEC X Award, NOFF Award, BIRD INITIATIVE Award
About NEC
〜NEC's new challenge at the business exhibition-
「New business.」 It brings great value to society through limitless challenges. As globalization occurs and industrial structures change, it leads to proposing new social systems.
Innovation at NEC is not superficial new business, but rather we view innovation as business development where both customers (Customer Segments) and value (Value Propositions) are unknown, and we are working on developing revolutionary new businesses that are difficult for a single organization to advance alone. By creating new combinations of diverse knowledge that transcend the boundaries of conventional concepts, we aim to create new social value on the global stage.
〜About NEC's Ecosystem-Type CVC Fund
The 「NEC Orchestrating Future Fund (abbreviated as NOFF),」 established in December 2021, is taking a further step forward in its initiatives. By co-creating with business companies and startup companies that share a vision for a new society, we aim not only to provide greater social value to society faster than anyone else, but also to lead the creation of new social value. NOFF's focus areas include 5G/6G networks (NW), DX supported by cutting-edge NW, digital government/digital finance, smart cities, healthcare/life sciences, and carbon neutrality. We have already begun discussions on business collaboration plans with promising startup companies, primarily in Europe and the United States.
※ Press release (December 17, 2021)
「NEC Establishes New Ecosystem-Type CVC Fund with Total Scale of $150 Million USD」 ～Toward the Creation of Network Infrastructure and Digital Services That Realize the Vision of Future Society～
https://jpn.nec.com/press/202112/20211217_01.html