BIRD INITIATIVE Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Meguro-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Seiko Kitase; CEO: Satoshi Konno), a startup studio based on co-creative R&D and business development processes, aims to create future innovations through co-creation with startup companies around the world. We will participate as a management partner in the global business contest "NEC Innovation Challenge" held by NEC to create new ideas.
This contest, 「NEC Innovation Challenge」, is recruiting innovative product and technology concepts from around the world, including Japan, under three themes: "Healthcare & Life Sciences," "Metaverse," and "Carbon Neutral." Since recruitment began on October 14, 2022, over 150 startups from 48 countries around the world have participated in about a month.
If you are considering participating, please apply from the URL below.
・Initiatives 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 also supports this program and has established the BIRD INITIATIVE Award. We will provide winning startups and projects with our commercialization support program.
Overview of 「NEC Innovation Challenge 」
NEC Innovation Challenge
NEC has decided to hold the "NEC Innovation Challenge", a global business contest for startup companies from around the world.
NEC has decided to hold the "NEC Innovation Challenge", a global business contest for startup companies from around the world.
Based on the idea that "to create the innovative ideas of the future, we need to bring together the wisdom of the world," we are looking for startup companies that aim to create innovation together with NEC. Winning teams in the contest will receive various benefits such as up to US$20,000 in PoC (Proof of Concept) development funds, support for entering the Japanese and North American markets, and other collaborations with NEC and partner companies. We have special offers for you.
◯ Recruitment theme
The theme we will be dealing with this time is
・Healthcare & Life Sciences
・Metaverse
・Carbon neutral
There are three.
We welcome applications for innovative product and technology concepts related to these themes.
◯ Schedule
・Application period: October 14th to December 4th, 2022
・Application period: October 14th to December 4th, 2022
・Interview screening January 9th to January 19th, 2023
・Mentoring January 23, 2023 - March 3, 2023
・Final proposal meeting March 10, 2023
※ All Japan time
◯ Managing partner
・Alchemist Accelerator https://www.alchemistaccelerator.com/
・BIRD INITIATIVE https://bird-initiative.com/
・Translink Capital https://translinkcapital.com/
◯ Incentive
・NEC Award, NEC X Award, NOFF Award, BIRD INITIATIVE Award
About NEC
~What is NEC's challenge to the new business exhibition?~
"New business". It brings great value to society through endless challenges. As globalization progresses and industrial structures change, this will lead to proposing new social systems.
Innovation at NEC is not about new businesses, but rather business development where both customers (Customer Segments) and value (Value Propositions) are unknown. We are working on the development of innovative new businesses that are difficult to advance. We aim to create new social value on the world stage by creating new combinations of diverse knowledge that go beyond the framework of preconceived ideas.
~About NEC's ecosystem-type CVC fund~
The NEC Orchestrating Future Fund (NOFF), established in December 2021, is taking initiatives a step further. By co-creating with business companies and startups that share a vision for a new society, we hope to not only 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 mainly in Europe and the United States.
※ Press release (December 17, 2021)
「NEC establishes a new ecosystem-type CVC fund with a total value of USD 150 million” ~To create network infrastructure and digital services that will realize the vision of future society~
https://jpn.nec.com/press/202112/20211217_01.html