Accelerator Program
A grand business development opportunity.
Plug and Play’s accelerator program offers startups opportunities to connect and work with leading corporates, VCs, and industry experts. Throughout the program, there are workshops and mentoring sessions for you to accelerate your business.
Summer/Fall 2024 Batch is now closed.
Watch Video（2'2"）
Plug and Play Japan provides accelerator programs across 8 different industries
to drive innovation by connecting startups with our corporate partners.
Through our programs, startups can get opportunities to collaborate with a wide range of major corporations in Japan.
How We Work
-
Defining the focus areas
We meet with our partners and they share with us their challenges and technology focus areas.
-
Calling for startups
Based on our partners’ needs, we call for applications and source startups globally.
-
Finding the top 10%
Our Ventures team does all the necessary due diligence and narrows it down to the best applicants.
-
Choosing startups for Selection Day
Our corporate partners collaboratively rank the startups and choose a final selection to present at Selection Day.
-
Kicking off the program
After a final round of voting, the selected startups enter a 12-week acceleration program.
Program Benefits
1. Business Development Opportunities
Through the program, you can get many opportunities to be introduced to major corporations in Japan. You can be directly connected with key personnel who are in charge of the new business development in our corporate partners. Learn more about our corporate partners here.
2. Variety of Events and Webinars
Our program is designed to support international startups to enter the Japanese market. We provide webinars on important topics regarding international expansion as well as Japanese market entry, such as Japanese business protocols, marketing, PR strategies, legal advice, and hiring.
Webinars
We offer you a variety of webinars where industry-specific experts and professionals will give lectures such as;
- Legal and regulatory procedure to work with Japanese corporations
- Communication tips for working with Japanese corporations
- Importance of having a local entity and a country manager
etc
Mentoring
We offer individual mentoring sessions tailored to each startup’s needs and interests. Mentoring on the following topics has been conducted thus far:
- Sales pitch and presentation
- PR / Marketing Communication
- Business strategy in Japan
- Intellectual properties
Startup Mixers
We hold social gatherings and pitch opportunities for startups across different regions and industries. You can use those events as an opportunity to build a network and to seek collaborations with other startups from all over the world.
Pitch Review
A renowned keynote speaker Kei Shimada gives each startup individual pitch coaching to refine your presentation skills. Mr. Shimada has given more than 150 presentations at tech conferences in nearly 20 countries. You can also consult with him on Japanese market entry and networking tips in local communities.
3. Global Network
Leveraging our network of 40+ international offices, we support global expansion of our startups through an introduction to accelerator programs in various locations and giving you access to corporate partners and VCs.
4. Our Mentors
Our industry-specialized mentors provide you with in-depth mentoring sessions in order to meet the strategic needs of startups.
Startup Testimonials
-
Peter Freer
CEO, Freer Logic
We appreciate the Plug and Play Japan team and all of their hard work. The meetings they have hosted have provided us with incredible opportunities to meet with leading companies throughout Japan. The ability to network with these companies has been priceless. We look forward to a continued relationship with this fantastic organization and great team.
-
Daisuke Kimura
CEO, Asilla
We will release our new product, Asilla SDK in March, 2021 with our ultimate vision of “Transforming the world to a place where crimes and accidents are prevented ensuring everyone’s safety through gentle AI.”
We would like to express our sincere gratitude for Plug and Play and for everyone who supported us for accelerating our journey “From Machida to the world.” -
Dennis Melka
CEO, WHIP Mobility
We are very grateful to Plug and Play for the opportunities to meet with the "right" people at key global Japanese corporates. It would be IMPOSSIBLE for us to secure these introductions without Plug and Play. Thank you!
-
David Yeng
CEO, InsureVite
Plug and Play Japan has formed a very important part of InsureVite development. With the partnerships and networks and also the local assistance given by the team, it helped InsureVite gained traction quickly in Japan. The Plug and Play team is always willing and open to put us in contact with their partners even after graduating from the program.
-
Kevin Oranje
CEO, Zoi Meet
Plug and Play Japan was an amazing experience for which we are grateful to have been a part of. My cofounder and I were greeted and treated like part of the Plug and Play family that opened up their network with trust and confidence in us as a company and team. Our company managed to build a new network of great people with whom we are in contact with until this day. We thank the entire Plug and Play team for their support and hard work during our participation.
Selection Schedule
After the application is submitted, the initial screening will be conducted by Plug and Play Japan and our Corporate Partners.
Qualifications
Plug and Play’s program is stage-agnostic. We provide content catering to the needs of startups at each and every stage.
- *We do not ask our startups for a fee or equity to participate in our program.
- *Startups who have participated in our program in the past can apply again for a different vertical.